The Power of Thanksgiving

I Thessalonians 5:18 (ESVUK) give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
There are some key thoughts in this verse that are very important to your maturing into the image of God.  "In Christ Jesus" shows the covenant that covers you and to which you are responsible to give response.  "God's will for you" shows the instigator of the covenant.  "In every thing give thanks" is the response that is required in the covenant.  To fail to give this response is to deny God and yourself the avenue for God to accomplish His perfect will and desire in you.

Why is thanksgiving so very important?  It is vital to your focus.  If you have a thankful heart toward God, you bring Him into the forefront of your thoughts and your attitude becomes one of worship.  If your own circumstances are filling your thoughts you will let fear, distress, criticism and even bitterness into your mind and soon they will rule your heart.  You lose the joy in the Word of God, the respect for your spouse and the confidence in God, so faith begins to fade.  You live in a gray world.  The joy of the Lord is just a phrase and the reality of your salvation is lost to you.  Serving God becomes a ritual and a duty and you live in the same reality of this realm that is prevalent in the world.  God seems far off to you and prayer loses its place in your mind. 

I Thessalonians 5:16-24 (ESVUK) ¹⁶  Rejoice always, ¹⁷  pray without ceasing, ¹⁸  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹  Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not despise prophecies, ²¹ but test everything; hold fast what is good. ²² Abstain from every form of evil.  ²³ Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴  He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

Giving thanks is mentioned often in the Psalms.  It is part of our worship and our attitude toward God.  Colossians 3:15-17, Psalm 100:4.

Nehemiah faced a hopeless challenge with praise and thanksgiving and God met the challenge for him.  No matter what you face, if God is your focus and your trust is in Him, He will guide you through it and you will see Him glorified in your life and your circumstance.