The Positive Force of Gratitude
Gratitude and thanksgiving is a secret weapon for spiritual victory and personal success that every Christian should be diligent to deploy. Let’s consider some ways that a grateful heart will benefit our lives:
Thanksgiving displaces negativity by calling to mind the goodness of God.
This positive outlook amplifies the history of the Father’s loving care in our lives, which in turn does wonders for our soul. A force-field of gratitude insulates us from a host of negative intrusions and directs our hearts into the sweet spot of God’s grace where we are filled with a sense of privilege, comfort, and security. This “state of heart” serves as a priceless antidote against the toxicity of fear, anxiety, unbelief, and depression.
Gratitude is a powerful precursor to faith.
As we tune our focus to the wonderful works of God in our past, we are reminded who He is, and our hearts are filled with expectation for His ongoing interventions into our present and future. I have experienced that a few moments of gratefully recollecting the historical goodness of God in my life can detonate explosive faith towards experiencing breakthrough in my current challenges.
I am convinced that this is the reason we are exhorted to practice thanksgiving no matter what circumstances we may be facing: Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. - 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)
Thanksgiving empowers our petitions.
We are instructed to give thanks even when we are in the process of petitioning God. When we “pepper” our petitions with thanksgiving, our faith can’t help but be reinforced, resulting in a great sense of assurance that he is outworking our requests.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)
Gratitude is a trigger for Spirit-filled living.
When Paul describes the condition of being filled with the Spirit, it seems that thanksgiving is at the center of it all. In fact, his description suggests that thanksgiving is more of a permanent state of the heart, rather than an occasional activity.
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. - Ephesians 5:18-20 (NIV)
Gratitude returns us to God for intimate post-victory encounters.
We all know the story of the grateful leper – one time Jesus healed 10 men who had leprosy but only one of them came back to give thanks. After Jesus made a comment about the absence of gratitude in the other nine, he turned to the one who came – the thankful one – and said, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:12-19)
I sometimes wonder which encounter with Jesus this grateful leper treasured the most. Was it the powerful healing he experienced, or the personal one-on-one encounter he enjoyed when he came to give thanks? Either way, the behavior of the nine remarkably proves that it is possible to experience the goodness of God’s grace and gifts while remaining in a state of ingratitude.
I believe that when we experience answered prayer or spiritual breakthrough, these victories are permanently sealed when we debrief with the Lord in intimate thanksgiving. The sweetness of post-victory encounters can often sear the memories of God’s goodness deep into our spirits.
Let’s step into a spirit of thanksgiving and deploy its power in our lives today!