As we approach our national holiday of Thanksgiving our thoughts turn more to the word "thanksgiving". Hopefully, we as Christians will see this not as just a calendar event, but as another opportunity to saturate ourselves with praise and thanksgiving. As we habit ourselves in thanksgiving and prayer, we tend to become people who worship God from within.

RESULTS OF PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING:

1.  Praise Opens the DOOR to Effective Prayer which Results in Deliverance. "Offer to God thanksgiving, And pay your vows to the Most High. Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me" (Psalm 50:14,15).

2.  Blessing, Praising and Seeking the Lord Brings an end to Lack. "I will bless the Lord at all times:  his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord:  the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing" (Psalm 34:1-3,10).

3.  Praise to God Brings Increase - "Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him" (Psalm 67:5-7).

4.  Praise with a Pure Heart Brings God's Salvation - "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God." In the Hebrew translation, the word "salvation" means:  liberty, deliverance, prosperity, safety (to be safe), to preserve, to get victory.

How can we as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ live a life of thanksgiving which causes us to flow in praise and thankfulness? In the Old Testament verses, the Hebrew translation for praise and thanksgiving is the same. The real meaning given by the Holy Spirit warms our hearts as we are given insight into the thoughts of God.

PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING MEANS TO:

**Declare openly-confess freely 

**An extension of the hand - to revere or worship with extended hands 

**An adoration ( a choir of worshippers)  **Make a confession  **Give an offering

In the new Testament, Philippians 4:6 states that we are to present our requests (prayers and supplications) to God with thanksgiving and then an amazing thing happens - the power of a thankful heart brings peace and guards our hearts and minds.  I am reminded of my dad, Rev. J.T. Campbell, who pastored in many churches for over fifty years. When he and my mother came to our home for Thanksgiving dinner, he would always ask one of the grandchildren to read Psalm 100 just before we enjoyed our meal.

"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness:  come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God:  it is he that hath made us and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise:  be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations."

Let me encourage you to be a humble person and to daily express your gratitude to the Lord for his faithfulness. Many blessings!

There are certain attitudes and steps that you can live by that will help you maintain daily peace:

8.  GIVE, GIVE, AND GIVE TO OTHERS - - - God put an eternal law into operation concerning sowing and reaping. Whatever we sow (plant) will become alive and active. This is why we must be careful to plant wholesome and pure seeds. We must continually give out words of kindness, faith, and love. Then, in return, these things will come to bear fruit in our lives.

Luke 6:38, "Give, and you will receive." We should expect a return on the seeds that we plant. when we need a miracle or help, we should plant seeds of love, money, kindness, etc., and then expect to receive the desired results.

We have a gift or gifts of God within us. They are given to us for the benefit of others (Romans 12:5-21).

James 5:16 says that as we pray for others, we will be healed. This is a form of giving since we give our time and concern in praying for others.

A PRAYER OF HEALING AND RELEASE:

Dear Friends,

My prayer for you is that you will take God's Word as your constant companion and guide. You will walk in peace as you hear the Word and then do the Word (James 1:22).

Pray this prayer as you sense your need for God's healing power:

Father,

I come to You with praise and worship, recognizing that You are supreme and You are my only help. I ask You to totally free me from the bondages, despair, and guilt of the past. Satan, I bind you in Jesus' Name and I command the spirit of fear, loneliness, and frustration to be released from my life. Father, please fill my mind and emotions with Your healing peace. Renew a right spirit within my heart and free me from condemnation. Thank You for making me free through the blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

There are certain attitudes and steps that you can live by that will help you maintain daily peace:

7.  PRAY MUCH IN THE SPIRIT - 1 Corinthians 14:4, "He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself..." Praying in the Spirit was spoken of in Isaiah 28:11 and 12 as a rest and refreshing. As we pray in the Spirit, and with the power of the Spirit, our spiritual man dominates us, and our physical body and mind are allowed to rest. Always after spending several minutes or an hour praying in the Spirit, we are lifted up, and our whole being is filled with joy.

1 Corinthians 14:4 states that we are built up and edified as we pray with the Spirit's help. We as believers need to be continually built up in the faith. Jude 1:20, 21 says that by praying in the Spirit we can be built up, and we can keep ourselves in the love of God.

Romans 8:26 teaches us that our infirmitites may be healed by praying in the Spirit. The perfect prayer is prayed only when the Holy Spirit prays through us (Romans 8:27). As we pray in the Spirit, our tensions, frustrations, etc. , are released. This is possible because the Spirit can interpret our inward thoughts and desires.