Thanksgiving is often associated with heavy meals and gatherings. However, it should be incorporated in prayer daily and even practiced as a lifestyle. The prayer of thanksgiving is a powerful prayer that in my opinion draws God’s attention faster and results to a quicker release of breakthrough. Intercessors can attest that thanksgiving prayers usher them faster into the realms of the Spirit. This prayer though can be very difficult to utter especially when the answer is nowhere near. I believe being thankful to God amidst uncertainty is what makes in a sacrifice.
Most of us are familiar with the song; I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart… Or the we give sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord… and we offer unto Him the sacrifices of thanksgiving. Being thankful is more powerful when you don’t see the answer. It is faith in practice, thanking God in advance of what He is about to do or what He is has already done,
As I engaged the Holy Spirit in devotion this morning, He advised me to pray the prayer of thanksgiving. I resisted initially because “Thursdays are not my scheduled days for thanksgiving prayers”. Afterwards I complied realizing that God must have a good reason to direct me to pray this way.
You see, normally we barrage God with REPEATED PRAYERS OF PETITIONS. We forget that He heard us the first time. Isaiah 65:24 says that before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear. It could be that God’s directive to thank Him is because He already answered you and It’s just matter of the manifestation of the answer! Remember Daniel’s story in Daniel 10:12-13?
Make this Thursday, tomorrow and the weekend, thanksgiving weekend. Thank God for the petitions you submitted to Him with fasting at the beginning of the year. Thank God for the petitions you have made from January to June 2019. Thank God for where you are now and where He is taking you. Thank God for the past, present and the future. Thank those around you; who have stood with you and supported you. Thank God for your family, kids, spouses, jobs, businesses and ministries. Whenever you struggle with praying or you feel resistance during prayer, switch the prayer to a prayer of thanksgiving.
Wishing you a joyful weekend, graced with gratitude and thanksgiving!