Faith and Gratitude are the only two things that move God
Gratitude - the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.
Synonyms - gratefulness, thankfulness, thanks, appreciation, indebtedness;
recognition, acknowledgment, credit
When I got saved at 21, I remember I was so grateful to the Lord for saving me and giving me a second chance. I’ve always confess, God I owe you my life (I owe debt) This is the one thing that has saved me from backsliding, I know what God did in my life and I am grateful.
Ingratitude – Ungrateful, unthankful, disloyal, inconsiderate, rude, thoughtlessness, unappreciation, non-recognition, taking someone for granted.
What does ingratitude produce:
· Unhappy people
· Stops the flow of God within your life
· People that have great loss in their life
· Discouraged people
· Unmotivated people
· Never seeing a great harvest in your life
Let’s see in the scripture how ingratitude opens the door for the enemy
Romans 1:21 (AMP)
21 For even though [a]they knew God [as the Creator], they did not [b]honor Him as God or give thanks [for His wondrous creation]. On the contrary, they became worthless in their thinking [godless, with pointless reasonings, and silly speculations], and their foolish heart was darkened.
Romans 1:28-32 (AMP)
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or consider Him worth knowing [as their Creator], God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do things which are improper and repulsive, 29 until they were filled (permeated, saturated) with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice and mean-spiritedness. They are gossips [spreading rumors], 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors [of new forms] of evil, disobedient and disrespectful to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful [without pity]. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree and His judgment, that those who do such things deserve death, yet they not only do them, but they even [enthusiastically] approve and tolerate others who practice them.
When you express gratitude, you will attract the blessings of God – God looks for those that have faith and are grateful
When you give a gift and that person keeps expressing appreciation, you want to do more for them.
Psalm 100:4 (AMP)
Enter His gates with a song of thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, bless and praise His name.
Focus on what you have and not what you don’t have
Gratitude will make you walk into the presence of the God, He pours out his favor and blessings
Research – University of California at Berkeley
5.6 million – 3-year project
They wanted to see the benefits of journaling gratitude for 30 days. They found that the students that were a part of this project found that they:
· Had better sleep
· Fewer symptoms of Illness
· More Happiness
· Less Anxiety and stress
· High self esteem
· Less stress
· Reduced negativity
The only way to move to the next level show gratitude for where you are, showing gratitude will get you to where you want to go quicker
Luke 17:11 (AMP)
Ten Lepers Cleansed
11 While Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing [along the border] between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As He entered a village, He was met by ten lepers who stood at a distance; 13 and they raised their voices and called out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests. “And as they went, they were [miraculously] healed and made clean.15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, glorifying and praising and honoring God with a loud voice; 16 and he lay face downward at Jesus’ feet, thanking Him [over and over]. He was a [c]Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten [of you] cleansed? Where are the [other] nine? 18 Was there no one found to return and to give thanks and praise to God, except this foreigner?” 19 Jesus said to him, “Get up and go [on your way]. Your faith [your personal trust in Me and your confidence in God’s power] has restored you to health.”
LEPROSY is a flesh-eating disease – part of your flesh is missing
· Jesus healed the lepers – it stopped eating their flesh, however they still had some of their body parts missing
· When the one came back, Jesus ask where were the other 9
· The one that came back and said Thank You, Jesus told him you are restored to health – that means that Jesus healed him completely and the part of his body were made whole or grew back
· There is a difference between healing and restoration
Got will make you whole – there will be no sign you went through what you did
· Divorce
· Abuse
· Filed for bankruptcy
· Healing
The children of Israel – they complained about everything, their 11-day journey took 40 years.
· The desert
· Leadership
· Their food
· Their shoes
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (AMP)
18 in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
Psalm 107:22 (AMP)
And let them offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving And speak of His deeds with shouts of joy!
Joyce Meyer said this:
When you complain, you remain
When you praise, you are raised
Here is my challenge:
Gratitude journal / stop complaining