There are about 400 passages mentioning gratitude and thanksgiving.
Here are some of the benefits of gratitude:
Gratitude defeats toxic emotions
Gratitude reduces pain
Gratitude improves physical and mental health
Gratitude improves sleep quality
Gratitude aids in stress regulation
Gratitude reduces anxiety and depression
Gratitude improves relationships and opens the door to people and opportunities
Gratitude IS THE EVIDENCE OF MATURITY
Gratitude pleases God and brings His blessing
Gratitude is the
.
Fulcrum Def: the point on which a lever rests or is supported and on which it pivots.
a thing that plays a central or essential role in an activity, event, or situation.
Your leverage is only as good as your fulcrum.
Leverage on soft ground requires something stable and firm
- Any situation (lever) plus Gratitude (fulcrum) = the best result possible.
In 2022 we are called to Adopt an attitude of
Col 2:6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,
Col 2:7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. —NKJVCol 3:17 Everything you do or say, then, should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks through him to God the Father. —GNB
Gratitude is the
to the
of God
Psa 100:1 A Psalm of Thanksgiving. Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!
Psa 100:2 Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.
Psa 100:3 Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we
ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Psa 100:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. *Be thankful* to Him, and bless His name.
Psa 100:5 For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. —NKJV
Gratitude is the
to the
of God and the presence of God is where we find real
and
.
Psa 16:7 I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
Psa 16:8 I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
Psa 16:9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.
Psa 16:10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
Psa 16:11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. —NKJV
Gratitude is the
to the
of God and the presence of God is where we find real
and
and the
of the
is our
and
and
.
Neh 8:9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the LORD your God.” For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.
Neh 8:10 And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!”
Neh 8:11 And the Levites, too, quieted the people, telling them, “Hush! Don’t weep! For this is a sacred day.”
Neh 8:12 So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them. —NLT
It’s time for some Good
God puts His feet up in the praises of Israel
Tehillah involves music and singing-especially singing. Singing is vital to the worship of God. There are over 300 Bible mandates to sing. This word suggests that God himself is a song of praise. We might say it like this, “God is our song.” Tehillah תְּהִ
Psa 22:1 To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
Psa 22:2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.
Psa 22:3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
Psa 22:4 In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.
Psa 22:5 To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
Psa 22:3 But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel. NKJV
Isa 61:1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, for the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.
Isa 61:2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.
Isa 61:3 To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory. —NLT
Hebrew Words for Praise
“Hallah” is the most common word for praise. This word simply means to boast, brag, or rave about God even to the point of appearing foolish. People who attend football games and shout and scream for their favorite team are called fans.
“Yadah” means to worship with extended hands.
Yadah pictures a three-year-old child, hands raised, running towards daddy, crying, “Hold me, daddy, hold me!”
“Todah” means to shout or to address with a loud voice. But Todah goes even further. It includes an attitude of gratitude for God’s promised deliverance even while we are still in need. This type of praise also refers to lifting of the hands in inviting God’s help. Todah praise is having faith and assurance that is well even before the victory actually comes.
“Shabach” also means to shout or to address in a loud tone. בַח
“Barak” is used to denote blessing. Barak בָּרַךְ
“Zamar” means to pluck the strings of an instrument.
Hallelujah
“HALLELUJAH” is the premier word for praise in the Bible. Hallelujah transcends the languages of the world. It is not translated; it is transliterated.
“Hallel” means to boast or to brag on, to make a show, even to the point of looking ridiculous.
“Jah” is the short form of the name for God.
Hallelujah is the spontaneous outcry of one who is excited about God. It is used only 24 times in the Old Testament all between Psalm 104 and 150. It is reserved for times of extreme exultation.
God is a
God and He wants to hear us
back to Him songs of thanksgiving.
Zep 3:17 The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
God is a
God and He wants us to
back to Him
of thanksgiving.
- When we give we need to give from a heart of gratitude to God.
Psa 116:17 I will worship you and offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving. —TLB
When we are generous with our time, treasure and talents it inspires an outpouring of praises and thanksgiving to God Himself.
2Co 9:6 Here’s my point. A stingy sower will reap a meager harvest, but the one who sows from a generous spirit will reap an abundant harvest.
2Co 9:7 Let giving flow from your heart, not from a sense of religious duty. Let it spring up freely from the joy of giving—all because God loves hilarious generosity!
2Co 9:8 Yes, God is more than ready to overwhelm you with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of everything—every moment and in every way. He will make you overflow with abundance in every good thing you do.
2Co 9:9 Just as the Scriptures say about the one who trusts in him: Because he has sown extravagantly and given to the poor, his kindness and generous deeds will never be forgotten.
2Co 9:10 This generous God who supplies abundant seed for the farmer, which becomes bread for our meals, is even more extravagant toward you. First he supplies every need, plus more. Then he multiplies the seed as you sow it, so that the harvest of your generosity will grow.
2Co 9:11 You will be abundantly enriched in every way as you give generously on every occasion, for when we take your gifts to those in need, it causes many to give thanks to God.
2Co 9:12 The priestly ministry you are providing through your offering not only supplies what is lacking for God’s people, it inspires an outpouring of praises and thanksgiving to God himself.
Gratitude attracts the manifest
of God to our
. Gratitude to God invites His
.
** 2Ch 5:13 indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever,” that the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud,
2Ch 5:14 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.** —NKJV