The word ‘Thanksgiving’ is a household word in religious circles most especially in Christendom. The word “thanksgiving” is self-explanatory; it implies the act of expressing/ giving /offering our thanks/gratitude to God. The word thanksgiving is used only in connection with the worship of the only living God, the most beneficent and the most benevolent. Scripturally, the act of expression of gratitude to God, the Creator and Possessor of the whole heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything therein for who He is, His goodness and mercies, His works in Christ and through the Holy Spirit is known as thanksgiving. This implies Thanksgiving is all about appreciating God and for Him alone.

In Christendom “Thank you God/ Father” or “Thank you Lord/Jesus” or “Thank you Holy Spirit” are the most common English words of expressing our gratitude or appreciation to God.

In as much as it is expected of all humans who are all benefactors of God to offer Him thanksgiving, not all offer it or can offer it for many reasons such as: a) Many humans don’t believe He exists and many that know He exists don’t accept Him as their God - the source of all they are and have. 2) Pathetically. many Christians or believers who knew him as God are not thankful to Him either because they have either taken His goodness towards them for granted or feel too big or too busy to express their appreciations to Him. One has to be thankful to God in order to be able to offer thanks to God because you can’t give what you don’t have.

For one to be able to offer thanksgiving to God, one must first and foremost believe He exists and recognize and acknowledge Him as the source, owner, and giver of all we have and for all things.

Secondly, one must accept and cherish whatever He has given or done as a willing act of His goodness and mercies.

Thirdly, one must humble oneself as a beneficiary to be able to ascribe His doings to Him. Those who believed they are self-made cannot offer thanksgiving to God
Thanking God can be done inwardly and silently, however, most times true thanksgiving cannot be offered without the opening of the mouth and verbally telling Him, “thank you Lord,” even if it is just a whisper.

From what has been written above we have learned that thanksgiving goes beyond the mere religious ritual of talking, giving, dancing and singing, but something that involves knowing and expressing our heartfelt gratitude to God.

Thanksgiving is not any man or church’s doctrine but an eternal doctrine. It is as old as creation itself, for the Angels created before man gave ceaseless thanksgiving and praises to God in heaven (Revelations 7: 9-12; 11: 15). Adam and Eve practiced it as we are told; the garden was full of thanksgiving and melody, Isaiah 51:3c. The flood of the time of Noah did not drown or end it; it was actually the first response of Noah to God after the flood. The patriarchs all offered it to God. The Mosaic laws affirmed it and made it central in their worship - feasts and animal sacrificial rituals. All the great godly men in the Scriptures lived it. Jesus performed it severally and the Apostles and the early Christians practiced it.

And if communication with God has been termed prayer, then thanksgiving is the oldest way of communicating with God. It is the very first of all prayers, the most stressless yet the most powerful and most effective. It is a prayer that God accepts and responds to with the speed of lightning.

God has been so good to us and we can never thank Him enough even if our whole body should be tongues. Thanksgiving is the foundation of our spirituality and if worship is said to be those actions and attitudes that revere and honor the worthiness of the great God of heaven and earth, then thanksgiving is the core of our worship.

And if God had created us for His pleasure, then we must not fail to give Him our ceaseless thanksgiving because it is something that pleases Him. “By him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. but to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” (Hebrews 13:15-16).

Have you thanked God today? “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
GOD LOVES YOU AND SO DO I.

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