As we read through the Bible one of the commands that we read over and over again is that we are to give thanks! One hundred and nine times we find the Bible speaking about giving God thanks!
The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:6–7 (ESV) – “The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
How does giving thanks to God impact our lives?
· Giving thanks brings peace to our hearts
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told the crowds “not to worry about their lives.” He then names the things that we worry about the most: our physical attributes, what we are going to eat and drink, and our future.
Instead of worrying let us TAKE our concerns to the Lord with thanksgiving.
At the end of Philippians 4:5 we are told “The Lord is at hand.” The phrase emphasizes that the Lord is both near to hear our prayers and that He is near to help us and to strengthen us. It is because the Lord is near that we can “pray,” offer “supplication,” and let our “requests” “be made known to God” with “thanksgiving.”
THE RESULT: Philippians 4:7 (ESV) – “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
God’s “peace” brings a feeling of contentment and harmony to our lives.
· Giving thanks humbles our hearts
When we go to the Lord with “prayer, supplication, and requests” it acknowledges that we are completely dependent upon God.
The fact that our prayer is given “with thanksgiving” doesn’t mean that we say, “thank-you” in advance for gifts to be received. To bring our requests to God with “thanksgiving” describes a life that is lived with an attitude of gratefulness to God for His blessings!
· Giving thanks strengthens our spirits
Philippians 4:7 (ESV) – “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
When we bring our concerns to the Lord with “thanksgiving,” we are told that God’s peace will “guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.” The word “guard” is a military term that is used to describe soldiers standing on guard. The point is that God’s peace stands on duty to keep out anything that brings care and anxiety.
Psalm 28:7 (ESV) – “The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.”
Thankfulness is living with an understanding that no matter how bad it is; we know that God is still in control and we can trust Him!
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