Monthly Archives: March 2018

Prayer and Giving Thanks

  1. Giving Thanks and Prayer.
  2.  The giving of thanks and thanksgiving is an important aspect of prayer.
    b.  1 Timothy 2:1 KJV – “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men…”
    c.  Give thanks to God in spite of your situation.
    d.  1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV – “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
    e.  Don’t pray the problem – pray the answer.
    f.  Confess God’s Word as you give thanks.
    g.  Colossians 1:3 KJV – “We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.”
    h.  Do not worry about anything – pray in faith – with thanksgiving.
    i.  Philippians 4:6 KJV – “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
    j.  Ask God for what you need AND thank Him for it, at the same time.
    k.  Many people are asking God for what they need, but they forget to give thanks to the Lord.
    l.  We give thanks BEFORE we receive the answer.
    m. We give thanks in faith and expectation.

 

  1. Come into His Presence with Thanksgiving in Your Heart and in Your Mouth.
    a.   Everything we need is in God’s presence.
    b.   We need to come into God’s presence to ask for what we need.
    c.  Hebrews 4:16 KJV – “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
    d.  The way we enter into God’s presence is through our worship and thanksgiving.
    e.  Psalm 100:4 KJV – “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”
    f.  Often, God’s people are not walking in His blessings, because they have been ungrateful.
    g.  Deuteronomy 28:47 says that God’s people were cursed with a curse, “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness of [mind and] heart [in gratitude] for the abundance of all [with which He had blessed you].” (AMP)
    h.  It is a good thing to regularly “count your blessings” and give thanks to the Lord for them.
    i.  Hebrews 13:15 KJV – “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”
  2. Worship and Give Thanks.
    a.  Worship the Lord for His mighty works.
    b.  Psalm 107:22 KJV – “And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.”
    c.  Thank Him for Who He is and for what He has done for you.
    d.  Psalm 116:17 KJV – “I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.”
    e.  Speak out your thanks and also sing your praises to Him.
    f.  Psalm 147:7 KJV – “Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God.”
    g.  Worship and give thanks for His goodness and faithfulness.
    h.  Psalm 92:1-2 KJV – “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High. 2 To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night.”
    i.  It is a good time to worship and give thanks to Him any time of the day or night.
    j.  Psalm 119:62 KJV – “At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.” 
    k.  Give THANKS to the LORD for He is GOOD and His MERCY endures FOREVER.
    l.  Psalm 136:1-3 KJV – “O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. 3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
    m.  The righteous give thanks.
    n.  Psalm 140:13 KJV – “Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.”
    o.  Psalm 33:1 AMPC – “Rejoice in the Lord, O you [uncompromisingly] righteous [you upright in right standing with God]; for praise is becoming and appropriate for those who are upright [in heart].”
    p.  Don’t let a stone do your job!
    q.  Luke 19:37-40 KJV – “And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; 38 Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. 39 And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. 40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.”
    r.  Give Him thanks because you already have the victory.
    s.  1 Corinthians 15:57 KJV – “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Live As Free People

Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.  2 Corinthians 3:17 NKJV

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.  Isaiah 61:1 KJV

Why were they in prison? People are in prison because of sin. People are all bound up because of sin.

He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.  Colossians 1:13-14 NKJ

The Father, through Jesus Christ, gave us liberty in every area of life. He has delivered us from the power of darkness; the burden of sin is lifted; we are washed clean and forgiven of every sin. It is a fresh start – a new beginning. We are new creatures in Christ. Sin once held us in bondage, but now we are free in Christ.

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.  Galatians 5:1 NKJV

Sin will put you into, and keep you in, bondage. The liberty we have in Christ is so precious – why would we want to go back into the bondage of sin? Yet there are people, all the time, whether ignorantly or willfully, walk away from freedom and back into bondage. Being free to sin – to do whatever you want to do – is not freedom. Sin is a trap – it brings bondage and devastation – the wages of sin is still death, no matter what age you live in!

For you, brethren, were [indeed] called to freedom; only [do not let your] freedom be an incentive to your flesh and an opportunity or excuse [for selfishness], but through love you should serve one another.  Galatians 5:13 AMP

The word of God commands us not to take advantage of the liberty we have in Christ by going back into sin. We have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We are forgiven and on our way to heaven. There is nothing we could do to earn His forgiveness, and nothing we can do to keep it. However, that does not mean that we are released from our obligation to walk in righteousness – that does not mean that we can do whatever we want to do. Jesus lives inside you. Would you still do the things you do, if Jesus was in the room – because He is, if He lives in you!

[Live] as free people, [yet] without employing your freedom as a pretext for wickedness; but [live at all times] as servants of God.

1 Peter 2:16 AMP

Live as free people – free from the inside out – free from the religious works program. However, do NOT do wicked deeds under the pretext of your freedom in Christ. We are set free FROM sin – not set free TO sin. Christians, who do wicked deeds and claim to be exempt from righteousness, God will hold accountable. As a believer, you have a great responsibility to do right – even much more than a sinner who does not have the life and nature of God inside them.

Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”  8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.  1 Corinthians 10:1-11 NKJV

Paul is talking to Christians who – like the Israelites – drank from the spiritual Rock, which is Christ. He is admonishing us to lay aside the things of our old life and to live in the light of what we have received in Christ. Jesus made us free, but not so free that we can sin with impunity. Paul tells us to learn from the mistakes of the Israelites: do not lust after evil things; do not become idolaters; do not commit sexual immorality; do not tempt Christ; do not be a complainer. Sin destroys everything it touches. God must always judge sin. If you insist on sinning, you also invite judgment.

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.  1 Corinthians 10:14 NKJV

Never be overconfident in your own ability to walk sinless before God. Walk humbly – have a humble estimation of yourself – walk closely with Him and put all your hope and confidence in Him to keep you pure and on track. Then when you do mess up – because you probably will – be quick to repent and ask His forgiveness. Remember, if you sow to the flesh, you will reap corruption, but if you sow to the spirit, you will reap life everlasting.