by Julia M. Bruce, MSPC, Mental Health Coach, Keynote Speaker, CEO, Wellspring Christian Ministries
Thankful every day
Just how thankful are we? — Really! This is the season of Thanksgiving. But is it all about the food, family, and football? Do you actually give thanks on Thanksgiving? Stop for a moment and think about the last time you felt thankful. When was the last time you felt thankful to God? What does God hear from you the most: a long wish list, complaints, or thankfulness? In Romans 1:21, Paul tells us that one can know God, but not honor him or give thanks to him and as a result they became futile in their thinking and foolish in their hearts.
Why is it that out of 365 days in a year we have one day set aside to give thanks? We should be thankful every day. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says we are to give thanks in all circumstances. God does not just bless on Thanksgiving Day, but he pours out his blessings on us every day – so we should be thankful every day – in all circumstances. Psalm 34:1 says “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
The Psalmist wrote: “Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” Perhaps we need to follow Philippians 2:5, which says, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” It was Christ Who, knowing exactly what lay ahead, gave thanks on the very night in which He was betrayed.
To be truly thankful requires us to recognize that what you have you could not produce yourself – it was a gift. It requires humility and acknowledgment of both the gift and its source.
The Source of our Thankfulness?
The Bible clearly instructs Christians to fix our eyes on the Heavenly Father, the true source of every good thing in our lives. Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus is the source and perfecter of our faith. He is the One who graciously gives us “good things” of all kinds, and our natural response should be thank Him specifically and continually. Psalm 86:12 says, “I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.” James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
Apart from anything that God does, God is simply great in character and power. Isaiah 6:3 says, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” God is “holy,” that is, in a higher and different class than us; God is so awesome that it is beyond us to even fathom it. Psalm 145:3 says, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.”
The Cause of our Thankfulness
Psalm 92:1-2 says, “It is a good thing to give thanks to the LORD, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And your faithfulness every night.” Here we have cause to give God thank because of his lovingkindness and faithfulness. From 1 Corinthians 1:4, we find we can be thankful for the grace given to us in Christ Jesus. 1 Corinthians 15:57 says we have victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The greatest reason we have to be thankful should be the price that Jesus paid for us when he died on a cross in our place so that we could have eternal life. John 3:16 says, “For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Without Jesus dying on the cross for us, redeeming us, and forgiving our sins, we would be hopeless, lost, and bound for hell. But because of his faithful love to us, he endured the cross despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2).
The Result of our Thankfulness
When we are thankful, our focus moves off selfish desires and off the pain of current circumstances. Expressing thankfulness helps us remember that God is in control. Thankfulness, then, is not only appropriate; it is actually healthy and beneficial to us. It reminds us of the bigger picture, that we belong to God, and that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3). Truly, we have an abundant life (John 10:10), and gratefulness is fitting.
However, a mere attitude of thankfulness is not enough. When we truly acknowledge all that God has done for us, the result should be an outpouring of thankfulness that leads us to praise him, which leads us to worship him. In Deuteronomy 10:12, Moses said, “what does the Lord your God ask of you except to fear the Lord your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, and to worshipthe Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul? And in 1 Samuel 12:24, it says, “Above all, fear the Lord and worship Him faithfully with all your heart; consider the great things He has done for you.”
The result of our thankfulness is worship.
This year, as we prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday, remember the greatest reason you have to be thankful is Jesus — the who saved you, redeemed you and forgave you….and allow your thanksgiving to become an act of worship.
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It’s easy to praise God when we see Him doing great things in our lives. It’s easy to praise Him when life is going well. But what about the times that are difficult or sad or those moments when God seems slow to answer prayer or when we wonder if God has forgotten us (which He hasn’t). How much different would our lives and our world be if we praised God at all times? If we look hard enough, we can always find something to praise God for – even if our praise is a statement of faith for God’s goodness and faithfulness in our lives, no matter what we are going through.
If God expects us to praise Him in all things, then what are some ways that we can praise Him? We praise God in many different ways. Some will belt out their praise before God in voices loud and strong. Others do so within the quietness of their hearts. We praise God as we sing worship songs that magnify Him. As we go through our day-to-day lives, we should be offering praise to God, whether it’s at home, work, church, school, grocery store, bank, or dentist’s office.
In the Bible, we can learn that praise was offered to God in several ways:
Praise through the use of musical instruments and singing.
Psalm 150:3-5 says, “Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.” And in Psalm 98:4-6 the psalmist writes: “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn – shout for joy before the Loke, the King.”
Praise with clapping of hands and shouts of joy.
“Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth!” (Psalm 47:1-2)
Praise in an assembly of believers.
“The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the singers sang and the trumpeters played.” (2 Chronicles 29:28)
Psalm 22:22, “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you.”
Praise when we are alone.
Psalm 71:8 “My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day.”
Psalm 34:1 I will praise the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.
We can praise God in any position we are in.
In Acts 2:1-2, they were sitting. In Psalms 95:6, we see an invitation to kneel before the Lord our Maker. And in Exodus 33:10, the people stood and worshiped. In 1 Kings 18:39, the people “fell prostrate” (they laid down). In Nehemiah 8:6, they lifted their hands and bowed down with their faces to the ground. And in 2 Chronicles 29:30, they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worship. In Psalm 63:4, the psalmist declared that he would lift up his hands to praise God for as long as he lived. And in Psalm 149:3, they were dancing and making music as a form of praise.
We can praise Him with our words.
“Therefore by Him let us continually offer sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” (Hebrews 13:15) We also praise Him with our words as we tell others about the great things God has done for us.
In Heaven, there is continual praise offered to God
In Revelation 19: 5-7 we see that there is continual praise being offered to God.
“And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”
If you need something to get you started praising, read the lyrics to Eddie James’ song, “You Are Worthy.” You can also hear the song performed by the Prestonwood Choir on YouTube at the link below the lyrics.
You are Worthy
You are worthy, You are worthy, You are, yes! Only You are worthy, You are worthy to be praised.
Holy, Righteous, Rock of Ages Most High, yes! Only you are worthy.
Faithful teacher, Promise keeper Savior, yes! Only You are worthy.
Shepherd, Father, My strong tower. Comfort, yes! Only You are worthy. You are worthy to be praised.
From the rising of the sun Until the going down of the same You are worthy, You are worthy. You are, yes! Only You are worthy
I will lift my voice And I will praise your holy name. You are worthy, You are worthy You are, yes! Only You are worthy. You are worthy to be praised
Mighty Warrior, Great Jehovah, Victor, yes! Only you are worthy
Awesome helper, My redeemer, Healer, yes! Only you are worthy
Sovereign Master, My creator, GOD YES! Only you are worthy. You are worthy to be praised
Stricken and beaten, Crucified On Calvary Only you are worthy.
Bled, Died, Buried in a Borrowed tomb. Only you are worthy.
With all power In your hands You rose again. Only you are worthy. You are worthy to be praised
From the rising of the sun Until the going down of the same You are worthy, You are worthy. You are, yes! Only You are worthy.
I will lift my voice, And I will praise your holy name You are worthy, You are worthy. You are, yes! Only You are worthy. You are worthy to be praised
We Praise You, We Lift You Up! We Honor You! Magnify You!
Excellent! Incredible! Omnipotent! Infallible!
We Praise You, We Lift You Up! We Honor You! Magnify You!
Excellent! Incredible! Omnipotent! Infallible!
You are worthy to be praised
Offer your Praise to God
Whom do we praise? The Lord alone (Psalm 148:13). How do we praise Him? With singing (Psalm 149:1), with dancing (verse 2), with musical instruments (Psalm 150:3), with our words (Psalm 35:28), with our actions (Colossians 3:17), with our uprightness (Psalm 119:7), and with all our hearts (Psalm 86:12). When should we praise the Lord? All the time (Psalm 34:1). We should express our adoration, approval, thanksgiving, and celebration to the One who created and redeemed us. “How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!” (Psalm 147:1).
What is your favorite way to praise God? What can you praise Him for right now? Take a moment now to offer your praise to God – and make His praise glorious.
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God, Love and Marshmallow Wars is a book that includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage that you can then apply to your marriage, as well as helping you talk through concepts that can help you develop a solid relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:
Scripture to memorize and meditate on.
Conversation Starters.
Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages.
Romance Builders.
Relationship Builders.
Personal reflections.
Date ideas.
Group date ideas for you and other Christian couples.
Looking for a Bible Study, Bible, book or Christian gift? We are an affiliate with Christianbook Distributors and receive an 8% commission on any item purchased through one of our links. However, the commission never increases your cost of any item. View some of our favorite items by clicking on the logo and thank you for supporting our ministry.
Wellspring Christian Ministries receives an 8% commission on any purchased made from Christian Book Distributors through any affiliate link on this site. Your price for any item is the same as purchasing from CBD directly.
It’s easy to praise God when we see Him doing great things in our lives. It’s easy to praise Him when life is going well. But what about the times that are difficult or sad or those moments when God seems slow to answer prayer or when we wonder if God has forgotten us (which He hasn’t). How much different would our lives and our world be if we praised God at all times? In Psalm 34:1, the psalmist wrote: “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, we learn that we are to “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” And in Psalm 150:6, the psalmist wrote: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” So if you are still breathing, you need to be praising the Lord. (Click to tweet)
If God expects us to praise Him in all things, then what are some ways that we can praise Him? We praise God in many different ways. Some will belt out their praise before God in voices loud and strong. Others do so within the quietness of their hearts. We praise God as we sing worship songs that magnify Him. As we go through our day-to-day lives, we should be offering praise to God, whether it’s at home, work, church, school, grocery store, bank, or dentist’s office.
In the Bible, we can learn that praise was offered to God in several ways:
Through the use of musical instruments and singing. Psalm 150:3-5 says, “Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.” And in Psalm 98:4-6 the psalmist writes: “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn – shout for joy before the Loke, the King.”
With clapping of hands and shouts of joy. “Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth!” (Psalm 47:1-2)
In an assembly of believers. “The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the singers sang and the trumpeters played.” (2 Chronicles 29:28)
When we are alone. Psalm 22:22, “I will declare your name to by brothers; in the congregation I will praise you.”
We can praise God in any position we are in. In Acts 2:1-2, they were sitting. In Psalms 95:6, we see an invitation to kneel before the Lord our Maker. In Exodus 33:10, the people stood and worshiped. In 1 Kings 18:39, the people “fell prostrate” (they laid down). In Nehemiah 8:6, they lifted their hands and bowed down with their faces to the ground. In 2 Chronicles 29:30, they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worship. In Psalm 63:4, the psalmist declared that he would lift up his hands to praise God for as long as he lived. And in Psalm 149:3, they were dancing and making music as a form of praise.
We can praise Him with our words.“Therefore by Him let us continually offer sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” (Hebrews 13:15) We also praise Him with our words as we tell others about the great things God has done for us.
In Revelation 19: 5-7 we see that there is continual praise being offered to God.
“And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”
If you need something to get you started praising, read the lyrics to Eddie James’ song, “You Are Worthy.” You can also hear the song on YouTube at the link below.
You are worthy
You are worthy
You are, yes!
Only You are worthy
You are worthy to be praised
Holy
Righteous
Rock of Ages
Most High, yes!
Only you are worthy
Faithful teacher
Promise keeper
Savior, yes!
Only You are worthy
Shepherd
Father
My strong tower
Comfort, yes!
Only You are worthy
You are worthy to be praised
From the rising of the sun
Until the going down of the same
You are worthy
You are worthy
You are, yes!
Only You are worthy
I will lift my voice
And I will praise your holy name
You are worthy
You are worthy
You are, yes!
Only You are worthy
You are worthy to be praised
Mighty Warrior
Great Jehovah
Victor, yes!
Only you are worthy
Awesome helper
My redeemer
Healer, yes!
Only you are worthy
Sovereign Master
My creator
GOD YES!
Only you are worthy
You are worthy to be praised
Stricken and beaten
Crucified
On Calvary
Only you are worthy
Bled
Died
Buried in a
Borrowed tomb
Only you are worthy
With all power
In your hands
You rose again
Only you are worthy
You are worthy to be praised
From the rising of the sun
Until the going down of the same
You are worthy
You are worthy
You are, yes!
Only You are worthy
I will lift my voice
And I will praise your holy name
You are worthy
You are worthy
You are, yes!
Only You are worthy
You are worthy to be praised
We Praise You!
We Lift You Up!
We Honor You!
Magnify You!
Excellent!
Incredible!
Omnipotent!
Infallible!
We Praise You!
We Lift You Up!
We Honor You!
Magnify You!
Excellent!
Incredible!
Omnipotent!
Infallible!
You are worthy to be praised
What is your favorite way to praise God? What can you praise Him for right now? Take a moment now to offer your praise to God – and make His praise glorious.
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God, Love and Marshmallow Wars: This book contains 365 daily challenges for couples to strengthen their relationships to each other and with God. Couples will complete activities such as Scripture memory, conversation starters, relationship builders, learning about Biblical marriage, romance builders, personal reflections, and date ideas. Click here to purchase your copy. (This link will open a new widow and take you to Westbow Press’ bookstore.) It is also available at Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and Barnes & Nobel
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Julia is CEO of Wellspring Christian Ministries, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people and couples develop a passionate relationship with God. A public speaker, conference trainer, event planner, and blog writer, Julia is a two-time graduate from Grand Canyon University with a bachelor in Psychology and a masters in Professional Counseling. Saved as a child and raised in church and in a Christian home and private Christian School as a Pastor’s kid, Julia has taught Sunday school, led music, played the piano, served as Children’s Director, and engaged her gifts in many other areas of church life. Previously employed with the Florida Baptist Convention, Julia organized events and led conferences for church ministry assistants.
Julia enjoys sharing her journey as a growing Christian with others looking for a deeper connection with God. Through Bible study and her own life experiences, God has given Julia a passion to help couples understand God’s design for marriage while they learn to place God first in their marriage, cultivate meaningful relationships, build intimacy, and address the tougher issues that come in every marriage so that they can experience a marriage that honors and glorifies God. Julia also loves mentoring, teaching, and working with women to help them learn to live as Godly women.
With her history and experience growing up in both small and large churches, Julia enjoys bringing top level quality events to churches of all sizes. Her father largely pastored small churches and therefore she understands that these vital parts of the believing community need to be good stewards of the resources God provides them with. This knowledge inspires her passion for being available with a fresh perspective for those who want to provide their congregations with meaningful spiritual growth opportunities.
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