Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Giving Continual Thanks by Todd Pierce
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about giving thanks. If you are anything like me, you can hear a great word, receive it into your life, make a decision to apply it and then forget all about it. Just in case that happened with you, I want to send a reminder. As you walk in a mindset of thankfulness, you walk in praise to our Father. The more you grumble and complain, the more you are worshiping the works of the Devil. I challenge you to join me as I have set my phone alarm to go off every hour to remind me to give thanks. Go beyond thanking Him for the things you have received and thank Him for who He is. Acknowledge His qualities. You may find that alarm goes off at some opportune times to open great conversations with those around you. Today I got an alarm while getting a hair cut. My barber got to hear about the Kingdom as a result. The alarm will help develop new patterns in your thinking. Father, thank you for loving me, thank you for rescuing me, thank you for being in my future and in my present, thank you for holding an eternal plan, thank you for hiding things from me so I can seek them out, thank you for continuing the work you began in me, ect.....
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about giving thanks. If you are anything like me, you can hear a great word, receive it into your life, make a decision to apply it and then forget all about it. Just in case that happened with you, I want to send a reminder. As you walk in a mindset of thankfulness, you walk in praise to our Father. The more you grumble and complain, the more you are worshiping the works of the Devil. I challenge you to join me as I have set my phone alarm to go off every hour to remind me to give thanks. Go beyond thanking Him for the things you have received and thank Him for who He is. Acknowledge His qualities. You may find that alarm goes off at some opportune times to open great conversations with those around you. Today I got an alarm while getting a hair cut. My barber got to hear about the Kingdom as a result. The alarm will help develop new patterns in your thinking. Father, thank you for loving me, thank you for rescuing me, thank you for being in my future and in my present, thank you for holding an eternal plan, thank you for hiding things from me so I can seek them out, thank you for continuing the work you began in me, ect.....
Labels: eternal Kingdom, grumble, patterns, Praise, qualities, Thanksgiving
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
The Secret Power of Thanksgiving by Todd Pierce
If I could lay hands on and pray a prayer that would impart one quality into every Christian, it would be this: " Father, give this child of yours a heart of thanksgiving".
Last week, we had some family over for Sunday dinner and I made an observation. My youngest niece, who is not yet a year old, was continually being reminded to say "thank you." She doesn't even talk yet, but for certain, she is learning that when someone gives you something, you should say "thank you." Although it is good manners, it is not the only kind of thankfulness we should experience in the Kingdom. As a child of God, being thankful is a state of existence, not a response to getting what you want. Remember Jesus gave thanks the night He was betrayed and would be so grieved He sweat blood. Paul praised and sang when he was in prison for doing the right thing. Jesus gave thanks when He needed enough food to feed 5,000 men and He only had enough for a few. Paul says that even when you have a reason to be anxious, let your mouth say "Thank you, Father" as you offer your prayers. It sounds ridiculous if you are just trying to be a thankful person when things are bad or one who focuses on the good. But when you understand the promises of our Father and His commitment to His kids, you habitually say "Thanks". You are thankful for who He is, not only for what He has done. When we give thanks, we are in agreement with our Father. When we grumble and complain, we are in agreement with the Devil. Sounds pretty serious, huh? I have set an alarm on my phone to vibrate every hour to help remind me to give thanks. Happy Thanksgiving! Check out these scriptures: II Corinthians 9, Ephesians 5:20, Philippians 4, John 6, Acts 16, Colossians 4:2
In service of the King, Todd Pierce www.ridinghighministries.org
If I could lay hands on and pray a prayer that would impart one quality into every Christian, it would be this: " Father, give this child of yours a heart of thanksgiving".
Last week, we had some family over for Sunday dinner and I made an observation. My youngest niece, who is not yet a year old, was continually being reminded to say "thank you." She doesn't even talk yet, but for certain, she is learning that when someone gives you something, you should say "thank you." Although it is good manners, it is not the only kind of thankfulness we should experience in the Kingdom. As a child of God, being thankful is a state of existence, not a response to getting what you want. Remember Jesus gave thanks the night He was betrayed and would be so grieved He sweat blood. Paul praised and sang when he was in prison for doing the right thing. Jesus gave thanks when He needed enough food to feed 5,000 men and He only had enough for a few. Paul says that even when you have a reason to be anxious, let your mouth say "Thank you, Father" as you offer your prayers. It sounds ridiculous if you are just trying to be a thankful person when things are bad or one who focuses on the good. But when you understand the promises of our Father and His commitment to His kids, you habitually say "Thanks". You are thankful for who He is, not only for what He has done. When we give thanks, we are in agreement with our Father. When we grumble and complain, we are in agreement with the Devil. Sounds pretty serious, huh? I have set an alarm on my phone to vibrate every hour to help remind me to give thanks. Happy Thanksgiving! Check out these scriptures: II Corinthians 9, Ephesians 5:20, Philippians 4, John 6, Acts 16, Colossians 4:2
In service of the King, Todd Pierce www.ridinghighministries.org
Labels: anxious, grieved, grumble, response, Thanksgiving, want
