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“And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the Lord , offer it at your own will.” (Leviticus 22:29 KJV)
Today we shall be exploring the mystery of thanksgiving. As we crown this month of thanksgiving with a Sunday of thanksgiving, you will receive the full benefit of your thanksgiving offering if you offer it willingly. That is the divine rule. Nobody should feel pressured to bring a thanksgiving.
If you know what God has done for you, you should bring Him a sacrifice of thanksgiving; but it should be out of your free will. That is how you unlock the gates of blessings.
Thanksgiving is the secret to wholeness:
It is one thing to be healed but another level altogether to be made whole. When our Lord Jesus Christ healed the ten lepers, He made only one of them whole, and that was the one who returned with his thanksgiving.
(Luke 17:11-19 KJV) And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
Thanksgiving is the secret to remembrance and a cure for forgetfulness:
When you give thanks for things, you always remember that you received them by grace. It saves you from disloyalty and ungratefulness. Those who forget, do so because they do not give thanks. That is why in many African cultures like the Akan culture in Ghana, when someone does something for you, you go with elders to thank the person. It is to save you from the trap of ingratitude.
Thanksgiving makes your prayer effective:
Colossians 4:2 and Philippians 4:6 teach us that thanksgiving must accompany our prayers. Those who remember to bring their sacrifice to church always receive answers when they pray. God is pleased when out of our own volution, we bring our sacrifice of thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving sanctifies the things we receive:
1 Timothy 4:3 teaches that the things we receive with thanksgiving are sanctified by prayer. Even if you receive a cursed object unknowingly with thanksgiving, the curses break. As you thank God for the things you received, the curses placed on them are broken now in Jesus’ name.
Beloved! May the Lord bless you for bringing your thanksgiving, it is His will for us.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 teaches this clearly. You will not miss your blessings as you bring your thanksgiving with joy. You will rise to the next level. God will open new doors unto you. You will not miss your opportunities.
Stay blessed; I love you!
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Wow worth noting and thought provoking that though thanksgiving should be out of ones own will, the will of God concerning everyone is to give thanks in all things.