Text: 1 Chronicles 16:7-12
Memory verse:
”And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.“
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The hymn, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound” was written
by John Newton, from a deep heart of gratitude.
Gratitude and thanksgiving are synonymous with love and faith, and they are the natural responses to God’s goodness and gifts of grace.
John Piper expresses it this way, “If you experience gratitude as a burden, you don’t know gratitude, because true gratitude is not an exertion of the will; it’s an overflow of a sense of being treated better than you deserve.”
You see, thanklessness and ingratitude identify the wicked, the godless and the foolish. They suppress the truth about God’s goodness, and they refuse to acknowledge it. The scripture says this about them, “because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools,“ ‭‭(Rom‬ ‭1‬:‭21‬-‭22‬). Ingratitude is also a sign of the last days’ perilous times ( 2 Tim 3:1-2).
Ingratitude of man began after creation when Adam and Eve expressed discontent with the grace that was bestowed on them and the blessings they received and thus rebelled against God. From then on, ingratitude continued with man. God included the thank offering, called the Peace or Fellowship offering, as part of the five offerings in the Mosaic law (Lev 7:11-16). It was to help the children of Israel to express gratitude to the Lord for His deliverance and any act of love. It was offered willingly.
David appointed Levites just to thank God morning and evening in the temple (1 Chro 16:4, 7-8; 23:30).
Through the book of Psalms, the people were invited to sing songs of thanksgiving to glorify God. A common exhortation was, ”Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.“ (‭‭Psa‬ ‭118‬:‭1‬).
In the New Testament, thanksgiving is our lifestyle, our underlying attitude towards both blessings and trials and the key element of all our prayers (Col 4:2, Eph 5:20; 1 Thes 5:18). And we will continue to eternity.
Friends, don’t limit gratitude and thanksgiving to times, seasons, and situations, but infuse it into everything you do, including the life that you live, so it will become your act of worship.

Prayer points
1. Father, thank You for grace, love, blessings, trials, and for all things, in Jesus’ name.
2. Father, please help me to make gratitude and thanksgiving my lifestyle, in Jesus’ name.

Today’s declarations
1. I am not wicked, godless and foolish, for I recognize God’s goodness, mercy, and grace in my life.
2. I make gratitude and thanksgiving my lifestyle because I thank God always, for everything, and in everything.