Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness. Let the whole world know what He has done.
Psalm 105:1 NLT
What are you thankful for?
Personally, I am thankful for my family, my friends, my life, the very breath I breathe. Yet, I hesitate to imagine how I can ever thank God enough for all these aspects of my being and more.
Being thankful is showing appreciation for those people, places, or things you would normally not have any right to obtaining in the first place. It’s the authentic cerebral response of understanding and appreciation which is celebrated by an emotion-FULL reaction.
Gratitude comes from recognizing what God has done for us. So, to show gratitude, we have to recognize how God was at work in our circumstances – past and present. When we do that, we can admit God’s faithfulness and genuinely worship Him.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving; And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him and bless His name.
Psalm 100:4
Thank God
In Psalm 105:1, the term “giving thanks” stems from the Hebrew word “yadah” which means “to revere or worship”. To revere someone, you must respect who they are. Giving thanks is an ongoing act of worship that involves recognizing who God is and offering up gratitude to Him for all that He’s done.
When I just take a moment to think about what God has done for me…wake me up to another day, the ability to use my limbs, my sight, hearing, smell, touch and stand on two functioning feet I cannot help saying, “thank you”. At the moment I awaken and take my first breath, I take posture of prayer and begin the conversation with God with words of appreciation and admiration. There are times when I’m so overwhelmed with this appreciation, I can’t help but sing and dance. Beginning your prayers with gratitude puts your heart in the right place to approach His gates.
Praise God
God’s name carries authority and power and is above all other names, and we proclaim God’s greatness when we call on His great name. When we call on God’s name, we gain a greater understanding of who He is – and this will encourage us to praise Him even more.
Tell everyone.
God wants everyone to know Him personally, and we get to help people find Him when we proclaim His greatness. As others discover what God has done for us, it can inspire them to seek God for themselves and discover God’s love from them.
What does it mean to enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise?
We were made to worship God. One of the ways we do that is recounting His wonderful works. So today, intentionally, set time aside time to reflect on God’s faithfulness and goodness in your life. Your thanksgiving and praise can come in forms of song, dance, clapping your hands, tears of joy, words, musical instruments, or just proclaiming His goodness to others.
Again, share those wonderful stories of His great works. Join with others and celebrate the amazing results of God’s greatness. Who knows? Your praise just might inspire others to worship God, as well.
….now what, Linda
now what, Linda? 