Text: Romans 4:16-21
Memory verse:
“He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭4‬:‭20‬ ‭‬‬NKJV

Most people are happy and thankful when they see their dreams come through. It’s easy to be thankful and high in spirit when your prayers are answered. Yes, God wants you to be thankful at such times but much more, He wants you to give thanks long before seeing your dreams come through or before the manifestation of your prayers. It takes faith to give thanks to God in advance. Everyone can say, “Praise awaits You O God…” but only a person of faith will say, “I will not wait until I have it before I praise You”. This is what Jesus did at the tomb of Lazarus. “… “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.” ‭‭(John‬ ‭11‬:‭41‬).‬‬
This is also what Abraham did while waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promise, according to our memory text (Rom‬ ‭4‬:‭20‬)‬‬.
Abraham and Sarah waited for about twenty-four years to have the promise fulfilled. One thing they did day by day and, as the year rolled by, was to thank God. They kept giving glory to God, even when there was no sign of a child coming, and both of them were advancing in age, about a hundred and ninety years respectively. Everything around them proved that their condition was impossible. His body and Sarah’s womb were described as dead. Anyone could have become discouraged and given up, but it is written, he “…was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,”
So, rather than being discouraged, complaining, and considering the negative voices all around, Abraham kept giving thanks. Every morning and for about twenty-four years, he would have thanked God like this: “Father, I thank You that You are the promise keeping God. Thank You that our son is coming. Thank You that Sarah’s womb will conceive and deliver the baby. Thank You that You are the God of all impossibilities”.
As they thanked God for what they hadn’t seen, they were strengthened to keep holding on. They were encouraged to stand firm in believing for that twenty-four years.
The promise was like a seed planted in the soil of their hearts, lying dormant but not dead, for the twenty-four years. Thanking God was the act of faith by which they watered the seed until it sprang up.
Friends, don’t just give thanks for what God has done but what you have prayed about and has not yet manifested. Hallelujah!

Prayer points
1. Father, I thank You that You are the promise keeper and that You have heard my prayers.
2. Father, as I keep giving You thanks, please, strengthen me in the waiting period, in Jesus’ name.

Today’s declarations
1. Giving thanks in advance gives me the power to maintain my position while waiting.
2. Thanking God in advance is my act of faith that waters the seed of promise sown in my heart until it springs up.