HOW TO BENEFIT FROM THE POWER OF THANKSGIVING (PART 1 OF 2)

MOVING TOWARDS THE DIVINE – A LIFETIME JOURNEY OF FAITH

September 6, 2020

HOW TO BENEFIT FROM THE POWER OF THANKSGIVING (PART 2 OF 2)

September 10, 2020

9th SEPTEMBER 2020

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” – Phil 4:6

The word of God is a mystery because God himself is a mystery. The word manifested as Jesus Christ in order to reveal the mysteries of God to us. Jesus told the people that He was not different from God as Himself and God are one. In the course of revealing the mysteries of God, Jesus did not only make commands and preached the principles of life, But He also lived and did the word of God on each step He took in His ministry until His final ascension into heaven. One of the greatest principles Jesus applied in His groundbreaking miracles was the principle of thanksgiving and praises to His Father in heaven! Instances of these abound in the scriptures. Consider the following vivid examples:

· When our Master took seven loaves and a few little fishes and fed four thousand, He gave thanks.

· When He broke five loaves and two fishes and fed five thousand, He gave thanks.

· When Christ bowed His head at the last supper with the disciples, He gave thanks.

· When He was asked to have dinner with the disciples on the road to Emmaus, He gave thanks.

· The Lord Jesus gave thanks that the Father had revealed the truth to common people. (Matthew 11:25).

· The Lord Jesus gave thanks that His prayers were answered. Standing at the tomb of Lazarus, about to raise him from the dead, the Bible says that “Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me” (John 11:41).

In all the above examples, Jesus taught us that thanksgiving and praises to God should come first before we make a decision in life. The miracle that we seek lies deep in the heart and soul of God, and only thanksgiving and praises can adequately unlock the heart of God to move mountains on our behalf! Thanksgiving before the physical manifestation of what we desire is more rewarding and it moves God to go ahead of us to level all the hills and to fill all the valleys so we can have a smooth sail in anything we seek to do! Today’s scripture tells us to present our request to God with supplication and thanksgiving for He will see us through. Therefore, from this day, consider God first, when making a move to start your projects. Remember, thanking God in advance is putting God first at the foundation of your projects!

PRAYER

Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, I thank you for the gift of life and the grace to partake of your heritage. Thank you for the beautiful gifts of life. Accept these in return as my offering to thee. I trust in the power of speedy manifestation of the things you have provided for me. Thank you, father. AMEN.

FURTHER READING: James 1:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Luke 17; 1 Peter 2:21)

Mary Lawrence-Dokpesi

Mary Lawrence-Dokpesi was born in Nigeria to Patrick Abuda Obeakemhe and Juliana Fatimatu Obeakemhe, both from Ogbona Town. With a master’s degree in law, she was called to the bar at the age of twenty-two, and she is currently the principle partner of the law firm Mary Lawrence-Dokpesi & Associates. She is also the founder of two philanthropic organizations: the Living Waters Mission and the Rose Croix Foundation. In addition to law, Lawrence-Dokpesi was drawn to spiritual pursuits at an early age, having begun studying philosophy, theology, chaplaincy, and spirit therapy by the age of eighteen. Inspired by her spiritual calling, she has produced ten intensively researched manuscripts on spiritual matters. Although Understanding the Spiritual was the last to be written, it is the first to be published. Lawrence-Dokpesi is a mother and a wife living in the city of Abuja, Nigeria.