The Bible exhorts believers to pray always (Eph. 6:18). Along with their continual fellowship withthe Lord through prayer, they can also fellowship with Him through thanksgiving and praise. Infact, praise is a type of prayer that every Christian should master.

The Psalmist David praised God at least seven times a day (Ps. 119:164). But God is worthy ofthanks and praise always̶24 hours a day, seven days a week. Anytime is time to give thanksand praise to God!

We’re going to look at a number of scriptures dealing with “thanksgiving” or “giving thanks” sowe can understand the vast importance of this subject in the life of the believer. For theChristian, every day should be a day of giving thanks to God.

The Holy Ghost said through the Apostle Paul, in effect, “Let your requests be made known toGod with thanksgiving.” Looking at this from a natural standpoint, suppose someone prepared adelicious casserole for you. You ask for the recipe, so the person who made the casserole givesyou the recipe. You want to prepare the same dish, so you begin making the casserole, thinkingyou’re following the recipe. Yet your casserole doesn’t turn out like the one the other personmade. As you look back over the recipe, you realize you left out an ingredient!

Similarly, many people make requests to God̶they pray and supplicate, begging favors ofGod̶but they leave out something. They leave out thanksgiving, so their prayers don’t work!

Let’s look at Philippians 4:6 again and take it step by step. First, it says, “Be careful for nothing.”That phrase is a little blind to us today. The Amplified Bible reads, “Do not fret or have anyanxiety about anything . . . .” We’re not supposed to worry. We’re not supposed to be fretful oranxious. Well, what are we going to do, then? The next part of that verse says, “. . . but INEVERY THING by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made knownunto God.” In how many things are we supposed to make requests to God? In all things̶littlethings, big things, middle-sized things, and everything in between! And we’re supposed to makeour requests with thanksgiving!

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So if there’s something in life, a situation or circumstance, that you might be tempted to worryabout, what are you going to do? You’re not supposed to worry̶you’re supposed to pray! Andyou’re not just supposed to pray. You’re supposed to pray with thanksgiving!

This is where we’ve missed it. Some have already missed it in that they never obeyed the firstpart̶they never let go of the fretting and the anxiety̶and that hinders their prayers. But evenif they obey that part and cast their cares and anxieties over on the Lord (1 Peter 5:7), they canstill miss it in their praying if they’re not mixing thanksgiving with it.

This reminds me of a scripture in the Old Testament that talks about thanksgiving.

How are we supposed to enter into God’s Presence? With fear and fretting? Overwrought withcares and anxieties? No! We’re to turn loose of all that and enter into His Presence withthanksgiving and praise.

Through the years, I can remember entering into God’s Presence with thanksgiving and praise.I intended to go to Him with a petition, but I entered in with thanksgiving, because I knew whatthe Word said on the subject.

As I praised God, I often ended up just thanking and praising Him. I didn’t even turn in any ofmy requests, because I got my answers while I was thanking God! I believe that’s why the HolyGhost said in Philippians 4:6, “Mix thanksgiving with your praying.”

I am reminded of a certain time when my daughter Pat was about three years old and becamesick. She had a high fever, so Oretha and I prayed. Later that night as I was getting ready tostudy, I laid my hand on Pat’s forehead as she slept, and her skin was just as hot as it waswhen we prayed.

I didn’t pray about that situation again. First, I praised God, just thanking Him because He iswho He says He is. He’s the Creator. He’s my Father. I thanked Him for the privilege of prayer,and I thanked Him that Jesus took my baby’s infirmities and bare her sicknesses (Matt. 8:17).

Really, that’s where we missed it the first time̶we left out the ingredient of thanksgiving. Butwhile I praised God this time, with my hand still on Pat’s brow, her forehead went from hot tocool beneath my hand. The fever left!

I want to make it clear that while I gave thanks and praise to God on Pat’s behalf, at no time didI thank God for the sickness. People get confused in this area, because First Thessalonians5:18 says, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

This verse is not talking about giving thanks to God for everything̶it’s talking about givingthanks to Him in everything, and that means something different altogether. In other words, you

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wouldn’t thank God because your baby is sick. You would thank Him in that situation, becauseit’s another opportunity to exercise faith and receive from Him.

God does not make little babies sick̶the devil does that (see John 10:10). In fact, in manyinstances in the Gospels, we see Jesus rebuking sicknesses, such as fevers. Well, God wouldnot rebuke Himself, would He? Certainly not!

Let’s look at some more verses in Psalms concerning this subject of giving thanks to God.

God is pleased with our thanksgiving and praise. It is His will that we come before Him withofferings of thanksgiving. The last part of First Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In every thing givethanks: FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS CONCERNING YOU.”

Another scripture in the Psalms says, “Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord . . .” (Ps.150:6). Well, that means you, doesn’t it! The phrase “everything that hath breath” includes every one of us. It doesn’t leave out a single one of us. As long as we’rebreathing, that verse is talking about us!

Let’s look at another New Testament scripture that deals with thanksgiving, or giving thanks.

Because Paul was writing this letter to the whole Church, not just the Church at Colossae, italso applies to us today. God made us able to be partakers of the inheritance! Some Christiansdon’t even know they have an inheritance. And some who do know think they’re going to haveto wait until they get to Heaven to receive it. We need to understand that we have aninheritance down here, right now, in this present world.

This verse in The Amplified Bible reads, “Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified andmade us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints . . . .”

I’ve heard people say, “I’m so weak and unworthy. I’m not fit for a thing.”

They need to stop lying! I know they’re not intentionally saying something that isn’t true. Butthey are fit to enjoy their share, their portion, of the inheritance! Is it because of them and whatthey’ve done? No! It’s because the Father has qualified them!

What is the inheritance? Verse 13 tells us: “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness,

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and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” We have been delivered from thepower of darkness̶from the control and dominion of darkness. Think about that! That word“darkness” includes everything the devil is and has. But we’ve been delivered!

If you ever start believing that, you will not hesitate to give thanks to God continually, and youwill put the devil on the run every time!

There’s even more to the inheritance. Verse 14 says, “In whom we have redemption. . . .”

Redemption from what? Galatians 3:13 says, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of thelaw . . . .”

Well, what is the curse of the Law? If we’ll go back to the Law, we’ll find that, first, it’s spiritualdeath. Second, it’s poverty. And third, it’s sickness and disease. We’re redeemed from all threeright now. That’s why we’re giving thanks!

So we know we’re supposed to thank God for our inheritance, our redemption in Christ. And weknow we’re supposed to enter His Presence with thanksgiving. We also know from Philippians4:6 that we’re supposed to pray, or make requests, with thanksgiving. What are the results ofpraying with thanksgiving? Let’s look at the next verse.

Thank God for His peace! When you pray with thanksgiving according to Philippians 4:6, thatpeace will keep your heart and your mind through Christ Jesus.

Many psychologists and psychiatrists today talk about the mind as if it’s the heart of man. Buthere in Philippians 4:7, the word “heart” is talking about your spirit. The word “mind” means yoursoulish area, the area of your intellect and emotions.

The peace of God will keep both your spirit (your heart) and your emotions (your mind). Butnotice that this peace is not an unconditional promise, even though some proclaim it as ablessing that simply belongs to us in Christ. Although this blessing has been made available tous, the conditions to receive this peace are detailed in Philippians 4:6.

In other words, you will not have verse 7’s peace in your heart and mind without first putting intopractice verse 6. Verses 6 and 7 state, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer andsupplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. AND the peace ofGod, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

We could read those verses this way: “Don’t worry. Instead, in everything, by prayer andsupplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Then the peace ofGod that passes all understanding will keep your heart and mind through Christ Jesus.”

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Let’s look at the phrase in verse 7, “. . . which passeth all understanding . . . .” In other words,it’s a peace you can’t understand. Your intellect can’t comprehend that supernatural peace. Andoften, other people̶even other Christians̶don’t understand it when you’re walking in thatpeace. They think you should be worried or, at the very least, overly concerned about whateverproblem you are dealing with.

But you practiced the Word. You let go of fretting and anxiety. You prayed and made yourrequest known to God with thanksgiving. And now His peace is permeating your heart andmind. Even in the midst of a test or trial, you can be full of joy, because you’re not fretting orhaving any anxiety about it. You cast all of your care over on the Lord. Now He’s carrying theload. He’s bearing it, and you are carefree! God is working on your problem̶even while you’reasleep!

So go to sleep full of joy. Go to sleep every night and wake up every morning givingthanksgiving and praise to God. You will be pleasing Him and reaping great benefits as you do!

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