Then on that day David first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the Lord by Asaph and his brothers. 1 CH 16.7

David’s first order of business after bringing the ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, was to get the worship team singing thanks.

This agrees with Psalm 100:

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name! (v4)

Coming to God with thanks is a great principle.  Obviously there are times we come to God with cries for help, mercy, or wisdom on our lips.  But there are great benefits to coming to the Lord with gratitude before starting to ask him for things.

I’ve found that giving thanks first lifts my eyes off my circumstances and onto the One who controls my circumstances.  By thanking the Father for all he did for me in sacrificing his Son on the cross, it gives me confidence he’ll meet all my lesser needs.  When I preface my requests with praise to Jesus for his power, love, and wisdom, it strengthens my trust in him to care for me.  By recalling and thanking him for past mercies and faithfulness, it bolsters my faith for his future faithfulness.

Some morning soon try this, spend your whole “prayer” time thanking Jesus for things.

Start with spiritual blessings – salvation, forgiveness, justification, adoption, the gift of eternal life.  Then move on to material and temporal blessings – your family, health, eyes, ears, strength, food, home, car, etc.

Let thanksgiving be your first order of business.  It’s a happy exercise.

So look for our first post before Thanksgiving, and then keep track!