Be Thankful! Part 2

Be Thankful! Part 2

By Pastor Gary Wayne

Last week: There is a difference between saying “thank you” and having a thankful heart.

One of the places I can open the door to the enemy in my life is when I’m not thankful – rather I complain.

Maintaining a heart of thankfulness is an everyday thing.
Thankfulness is a spiritual weapon. (2Cor.10:4-6)

Text: Nehemiah 12:8, 24, {1 Thessalonians 5:18, Psalms 100:1-5 read back to back}

Thankfulness can be like a thermostat to set atmosphere.

The story in Nehemiah actually starts with the book of Ezra and is completed at the end of the book of Nehemiah. The High Priest Ezra helped to bring and awakening to the people in Jerusalem.

The first part of Nehemiah deals with the wall. The second part talks about the people living inside the walls.

This last part of the book is where Nehemiah helps restore people to living obedient to God’s Word.

Neh.12:8, 24
I believe when people gather to worship God and focus on giving Him thanks, it creates an atmosphere - it changes the hearts of people that allow God’s presence to change them.

1Thess.5:18

We are often given a choice as to how we respond to pressure.
When I’m driving and I find myself surrounded by idiot drivers, God is giving me a choice in how to respond.

In those moments, God is letting me see there are things in my heart that should be dealt with.

From the abundance of my heart my mouth speaks. (Mt.12:34, Luk.6:45)

If there is bad fruit, it comes from a bad root. So when I find in me anger, frustration, fear etc, coming to the surface this is God giving me an opportunity to examine where that fruit is coming from – to go after the root!

When I do that on a regular basis with normal everyday living, when real pressure comes, I have worked on my character to be able to handle the pressure needed to carry more of God’s blessings.

Rom.8 tells us my carnal mind is hostile towards God.

When I justify my negative, un-Christ-like behavior, I will never move into deeper things of God.

1 Thess.5:18 “In” everything give thanks – not “for” everything.
We don’t thank God for a problem. But “IN everything.”
When I engage in thanking God, I can move beyond where I feel stuck – “ESPECILLY WHEN I DON’T FEEL LIKE IT.”

Saying “NO!” to self when you have an opportunity to operate in thanksgiving.

Complaining is to the enemy what worship is to God.
Complaining empowers the enemy to weaken my faith.
It tells me I am more focused on the problem than on God.
I think complaining is equal to bad-mouthing God.

Nu 11:1 “Now when the people complained, it displeased the LORD; for the LORD heard it, and His anger was aroused.”

In the face of a problem, when I stop, focus, and give thanks, it is as if I just moved the setting on a thermostat to change the atmosphere.

How many here have written out a prayer list to talk to God about?
What about making a “Thanksgiving List?”

Look at 1 Thess.5 again. Look at the context. Ver.1-6, 14, 16-18, 19.

When I use Thanksgiving to adjust the thermostat of my heart, I pray from a place of faith, from a place of victory, from a place with God’s perspective on the situation.