The doorway to the heart of the Father, is thankfulness. And the doorway to a happy heart in man, is gratitude.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. Psalm 100:4
When I choose to ‘enter His gates with thanksgiving and come into His courts with praise’, I am rightly acknowledging the King of Kings. I am seeing and addressing Him for who His is, A Good Father. No matter what I may feel like or what my situations may be saying.
When the disciples asked Jesus ‘how should we pray?’ He answered them..
“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.”
Matthew 6:9-10 NKJV
You might ask, What does prayer have to do with worship?
I will say, that worship is the very first step in prayer, it’s how to approach the Lord, these verses are Jesus teaching His disciples that.
He taught us to seek and worship Him before we petition Him for anything. To seek Him as being our Father. Our Good Father. And to seek will above our own. With honor and reverence.
To Worship is to Rejoice!
In Philippians it says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:4-7 NKJV
We have a two fold promise in these verses. That if we arrest our anxious hearts and bring them under submission to the knowledge of His goodness, and then, offer up our prayers and petitions with a heart of gratitude, The Lord will then, in turn, bless us with His insurmountable peace, guarding our hearts and minds from a fearful, anxious spirit. It’s a privilege and an exchange that belongs only, to the children of God. In right right standing with God we keep our peace. Holding fast to what is lovely, good, right, pure and holy. We steward it well. We abide. We stay in His peace. In this way, we enter into the fruit of true worship, His peace which brings joy. The presence brings joy. If your worship doesn’t bring you here. It’s time to reevaluate it. For, In the presence of the Lord is fullness of joy.
“You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Psalms 16:11 NKJV
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”
Philippians 4:8-9 NKJV
The heart posture and decision to Rejoice, and not let the enemy get the best of you, tells the enemy and the spirit realm to Back Off! This is a child of God, and we will worship Him. It brings confusion to the enemies camp. And It also ushers in the Presence of God. For He comes where He is honored.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”
Philippians 4:4 NKJV
Thanksgiving is a Sacrifice
‘And when you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord, offer it of your own free will. Lev 22:19
Thanksgiving should be of our own free will, let it be your choice, sometimes its a sacrificial act. To worship and to give thanks. Sometimes we must speak to our own spirits, and encourage ourselves in the Lord, as David did…
“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.”
Psalms 42:5 NKJV
Giving thanks was mentioned in the Old Testament as a specific type of offering..And when you sacrifice an offering of thanksgiving to the Lord, sacrifice it so that you may be accepted. Leviticus 22;29
Psalm 27:6 And now shall my head be lifted up above my enemies round about me; in His tent I will offer sacrifices and shouting of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
“Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the Lord.”
Psalms 4:5 NKJV
Thanksgiving is Ministry to the Lord
People were chosen and appointed for the soul purpose of giving thanks to God. It was their job. Worship was not about a talented or famous person, a beautiful song or an anointed worship leader, it was about honoring the Lord. It is suppose to be about giving Him what is due His name. The praise and thanksgiving that’s due Him, by the leading of His Spirit, with the angels and with consistency, skill and purpose. If its happening in heaven, why is it not happening here more frequently and with greater purpose and seriousness?
1 Chronicles 16:7 Then on that day David first entrusted to Asaph and his brethren the singing of thanks to the Lord [as their chief task]:
1 Chronicles 16:41 With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest who were chosen and expressly named to give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.
2 Chronicles 7:6 The priests stood at their posts, and the Levites also, with instruments of music to the Lord, which King David had made to praise and give thanks to the Lord—for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever—whenever David praised through their ministry; the priests blew trumpets before them, and all Israel stood.
David led, the priests knew their position, and the people honored by following and standing when the trumpets were blown. They were all of one mind and one accord, to worship Him, to give THANKS to the Lord. Not to receive anything from Him. Although they would receive, because God responds to praise.
2 Chronicles 20:21 When he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers to sing to the Lord and praise Him in their holy [priestly] garments as they went out before the army, saying, Give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!
Certain people were appointed, only the priests. They were anointed to do this, God is the one who chooses, clothes and appoints and anoints people to serve as priests to offer sacrifices of praise to Him.
Not only that, but it was worship that preceded military might. God went first.
Exodus 29:28 It shall be for Aaron and his sons as their due portion from the Israelites perpetually, an offering from the Israelites of their peace and thanksgiving sacrifices, their offering to the Lord.
Thanksgiving creates gratitude in the giver
There is a saying ‘You become what you behold’. I actually named a painting this a few years ago. But the fact is, we cannot behold His face in gratitude and thanksgiving and go away empty handed, unchanged. The mere act of worship changes us. It changes our brain chemicals. Increases our joy and builds our faith. Rightly seeing the Lord automatically inspires worship. We see Him as He is, and we become what we behold. We reflect Him. Just as the moon reflects the sun.
This is the painting. ‘ You become what you behold’
Stephanie Weir
Stephanie Weir Ministries 