Priest Isaiah White
Believers are fond of asking God, and few of us rarely thank God for all that He has done. While praying and asking God to do us things it is also part of practising our faith when we thank Him. The Bible says in Hebrews 12:28 that, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.”
This verse doesn’t merely suggest thankfulness; it roots it in the bedrock reality of God’s eternal, unshakeable kingdom. Gratitude, then, becomes more than a seasonal sentiment; it is the rightful posture and powerful weapon of citizens of this enduring realm. How do we cultivate this essential thankfulness? In Hebrews 12:28, we have at least five foundational pillars upon which our gratitude securely rests:
(1) We can be thankful that God answers our prayers (Isaiah 65:24; John 11:41).
(2) We can be thankful for God’s provision for our needs (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18; 1 Timothy 4:4-5).
(3) We can be thankful for God’s blessings (1 Chronicles 16:34; Philippians 4:6).
(4) We can be thankful for God’s character and wondrous works (Psalm 7:17; 2 Corinthians 9:15; Revelation 11:17).
(5) We can be thankful for our brothers and sisters in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:4; Ephesians 1:16; Philippians 1:3-5).
Answered Prayers
Our journey of thankfulness begins with the profound privilege of communication with the Creator. Isaiah 65:24 offers a breathtaking promise: “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” God is not a distant deity, but an attentive Father. Recall Jesus’ own example before raising Lazarus: “Father, I thank you that you have heard me” (John 11:41).
He thanked the Father before the visible miracle, confident in His listening ear. Our thankfulness arises not only when prayers are answered as we wish, but in the bedrock assurance that God hears every cry of our hearts. Even in the waiting, or when the answer differs from our expectation, we can be thankful for His intimate attentiveness and His perfect, sovereign response. This gratitude transforms prayer from a transaction into a trusting communion.
Our gratitude fails when we focus on the one prayer request probably God has probably not answered while ignoring the many prayers God has answered throughout our lives. Every time you are in the fellowship and many people are testifying it is evident of how God has been faithful and has answered our prayers. We are grateful to the Lord because in some scenarios the answer of God is even greater and better than the prayer.
He Provides
1 Timothy 4:4-5 reminds us that “everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.” Our thanksgiving sanctifies the ordinary. The meal, the paycheck, the rain, the sunshine – received with gratitude, they become tangible expressions of God’s sustaining grace, consecrated for His purposes and our good.
God’s faithful provision forms the second pillar. Paul urges the Thessalonians to “pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18). Notice the scope: “in all circumstances”. This includes gratitude for our daily bread, shelter, health, and the myriad necessities we often take for granted.
Many of us assume we have no provision of God in our lives because the assumption is that what God provides is in material and manufactured things; however, the things that matter are in nature, the air we breathe, the environment and everything not man-made.
We are Blessed.
We ought to be grateful to the Lord because we are blessed. The Bible teaches about two kinds of blessings. There is what is known as Barak, which is materialistic and natural wealth (Genesis 1-2:1-15), and the other type of blessing is Makarios, which is spiritual blessings as mentioned by God himself in the Beatitudes (Mathew 5:3-11). We are blessed and upon that realization, we are grateful and our hearts are filled not with complaints but with gratitude.
Beyond mere provision, God lavishes blessings upon His children. The psalmist declares, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever” (1 Chronicles 16:34). His enduring love is the fountainhead of every blessing – salvation, peace, joy, guidance, spiritual gifts, moments of beauty, and undeserved favor.
Paul instructs the Philippians, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). Gratitude for existing blessings is the antidote to anxiety about future needs. When we intentionally recount God’s past and present goodness, our hearts are fortified with trust and overflow with thankfulness for the abundance we already possess in Him.
