Our thoughts turn to the word "thanksgiving" as we approach our national holiday of Thanksgiving. I hope we see this day not just as a calendar event, but as an opportunity to saturate ourselves with praise and thanksgiving. As we form habits to enter into 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.

What kingdom principals and rules bring positive rewards? We have steps to effective prayer given in Matthew 6:6...

1.  Go into your room

2.  Shut the door

3.  Pray to the Father in secret

We can shut the door on activity and interaction with others in order to spend private quiet time with the Lord. He desires our full attention in times of prayer, so we can share our heart with Him.

Can you get alone with God? He got alone with you in the very beginning of your existence.

Psalm 139:13-15 states: "For you formed me and made me in my mother's womb. You saw me as I was being formed in secret (in utter seclusion) as I was woven together in the dark (in my mother's womb).

He is the Master designer and Creator of life. Are you up to date in your contact with God? Do you have the highest level of direct contact with Him? We have been promised complete and daily direction for our lives as we remain in high level communion with Father God.

Proverbs 3:6 "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." The word acknowledge is Hebrew, yada'.  

It can mean:

1.  To know by observation

2.  Investigation

3.  Firsthand experience

From time to time, we need to look at all of our ways to see if we measure up to His kingdom standards. He waits to spend time with us.

Jesus thinks about important acts of righteousness? Why did He say these activities should be done secretly?

Matthew 6:1-18 gives informative teaching for good habits of Kingdom life. Jesus talks about giving, praying, and fasting. He said when you give to the poor, you should not blow a trumpet and call attention to the poor, so you can make a show of your giving.

Rather, Jesus said, if your charitable deeds are done in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. We are told not to be a hypocrite or play actor when it comes to giving.

Jewish tradition said in the temple there was a "chamber of secrets" into which the devout people used to put their gifts in secret, so the poor could also receive support in secret. God certainly looks at the motive for our giving.