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.

Have you responded to the greatest invitation the Lord Jesus ever gave? He simply said in Matthew 11:28, "Come to Me...and I will give you rest."

He said if you are tired of all the rituals, hype, works, etc., then I invite you to come into My Presence. If you will come to Me, you can bring all of your troubles, problems, and sin.

When we decide to take His yoke upon our lives, then He carries our burdens and cares. He promises to give us His rest and peace. As we live in His rest, we can daily experience peace for our soul (mind, will, and emotions).

As we live close to the Prince of Peace, He gives ease, refreshment, recreation, and a blessed quietness for our heart (Matthew 11:28-30). Have you responded to the invitation? He is waiting.

Sample Prayer:

God, I believe Jesus Christ is your Son. He died on a cross for my sins and has been raised from the dead. Jesus, come and live inside of my heart. I believe I am now being born again and made new, as I confess Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior of my life.

Are you experiencing the happy anticipation of hope? "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13). 

This verse indicates joy and peace can be a great part of your believing faith. When you fully trust the Lord about certain matters, you have great joy and peace released upon you. God, the source of hope, sees your faith, then the Holy Spirit causes you to abound in hope.

The word abound in the Greek, means to:

* super-abound  

* be in excess   

* to exceed beyond measure  

* superabundance

When you have a superabundance of hope, then you will be able to anticipate with pleasure the blessings of the Lord. In the Greek text, hope is referred to as "the happy anticipation of good."

God is "the God of Hope." He is the Author of Hope. Confident hope is brought to our hearts by the Holy Spirit and our expectation goes to the Father, as we are reminded of His love. "Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord" (Psalm 31:24).