Giving thanks to God is one of the most important disciplines of the Christian life. This is why we pray before meals, to give thanks.

Giving thanks is a key part of worship music at church. Most songs give thanks to God for who he is, what he has done for us, what he created and how he provided.

The Lord’s Supper is also called the “Eucharist” which is Greek for giving thanks.

In fact, we are commanded to give thanks directly 157 times and indirectly another couple hundred times using other words and phrases like “Praise the Lord,” “Lord you are Good,” “Honor him,” etc.

Giving thanks is the most repeated command in the Bible.

In other words, God is commanding us to have an attitude of gratitude.

This one attitude change could possibly make a positive difference in your life! From a biblical perspective the old saying is true, “Your attitude is your latitude.”

By contrast there are hundreds of commands against, complaining, grumbling, gossiping, moping around, feeling sorry for yourself and entitlement. All of these are the opposite of “thanks” and can drag your life down to the dust. As the Apostle James says,

“The tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life.”

James 3:6

If you use your tongue to speak negatively, your life will be negative.

If you use your tongue to give thanks, you will develop an attitude of gratitude.

This will not only make you happier, but others will also probably like you more. No one wants to hang out with pessimistic people. Most importantly you will experience God like never before because you will be focused on His blessings not your struggle.

So when you don’t know what to say when you pray thanksgiving try this:

Psalm 100 

A Psalm For Giving Thanks

1 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!

2 Serve the LORD with gladness!

Come into his presence with singing!

3 Know that the LORD, he is God!

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

and his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him; bless his name!

5 For the LORD is good;

his steadfast love endures forever,

and his faithfulness to all generations.

(I would also recommend Psalms 136, 139, 92, 34 103, 89, 117)

Make it a practice to notice his blessings and give him thanks.

This could lead to one of the biggest attitude adjustments of your life, but most importantly you will commune with the Lord himself.

He loves when we draw near with humility to give him praise. He loves when we take the time to acknowledge and feel his care for us.

Homework: 

Take one of the Psalms listed above and pray it through 3-4 times before Sunday. Take time to thank God for every blessing you can think of. If it makes a positive impact, please come tell me about it at church this Sunday.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Harvey