Attitude of Gratitude

Attitude of Gratitude

Why are many people who are materially rich so empty inside?

On the other hand some who are poor in this world 

are so full of life and love?

We love because GOD first loved us: 

We give because He has given us His very best.

The attitude of gratitude is what enables you to bring forth

 the fruit of the spirit from within you.

If you have a problem with giving to GOD and the work of His Kingdom, you probably haven't received from the LORD!

Imagine your friend giving you a gift.

You would say "Thank You" as you receive the gift.

One of the first things we teach our little ones is to say 

'Thank You'.

Then you open up the bronze coloured wrapping paper.

You find a silver box.

You open the silver box and find a beautiful gold coloured 

winter jacket!

You say to yourself, "This will surely keep my body warm this cold winter season".

Your mind goes to your friend who gave you the gift. 

You contact her and thank her again for the lovely useful gift.

when you meet her you embrace her and look for an opportunity to give her a gift. Your loving relationship is being built up.

Then you remember that every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from the Father of Lights with Whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

GOD is the source Who resources you through people.

When you recognise, this you start thanking the LORD for the gift.

Your Heavenly Father knows your every need

and the desires of your  heart. 

It is GOD Who led your friend to purchase that particular jacket.

He guided her to that exact colour which is your favourite.

As you take time to thank your loving Heavenly Father, your heart starts filling up with the love of GOD.

Your eyes open to the ways of GOD. 

By faith you see His loving hand guiding others on your behalf.

Your relationship with GOD is built up and your faith strengthened.

Only now are you completely receiving that gift 

and totally benefiting by it, body, soul and spirit.

When you wore that jacket, your body benefited.

When you showed gratitude to your friend 

and your relationship of love was built up, 

your soul was nourished.

When you acknowledged GOD in this blessing 

and were grateful to Him

Your spirit was strengthened.

Once the LORD JESUS healed ten lepers

 who came to Him desperately.

JESUS asked them to go their way and show themselves to the high priest, so that he could pronounce them healed.

On their way they realised that they were healed.

While nine of them continued on their way happily,

one returned to JESUS to thank Him.

He not only received physical healing,

but also received the spiritual blessing of the love of GOD

and went with joy!

Taking the jacket and making use of it is like

just opening the bronze wrapping paper.

Showing gratitude to your friend is like

opening the silver box.

Showing gratitude to the LORD is like 

going to the extent of putting on the golden jacket!

Now you are in a position to give to GOD a wholesome gift!

As your heart wells up with gratitude to GOD, your mouth opens with the offering of thanksgiving. This is the first and most important part of your offering to GOD.

I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, 

And will call upon the name of the LORD. 

 Psalm 116:17 

As you receive GOD'S wonderful grace and forgiveness, 

and your heart is filled with His love,

you are able to extend grace to others,

release forgiveness and show love.

This is the second part of your offering to GOD.

"Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,

 "leave your gift there before the altar,

 and go your way. 

First be reconciled to your brother, 

and then come and offer your gift. 

 Matthew 5:23-24 

You also surrender your life to your Saviour

and give of your time, energy, skills and talents

to serve Him and live for Him.

You would desire to seek His will

and do His will each moment of your life.

This is the next part of your offering.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,

 that you present your bodies a living sacrifice,

 holy, acceptable to God, 

which is your reasonable service. 

 Romans 12:1 

Then lastly, you bring your offering in your hand,

as money or in kind to the Church.

Such giving is a wholesome offering to the LORD

with which He is pleased.

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart,

 not grudgingly or of necessity;

 for God loves a cheerful giver. 

 2 Corinthians 9:7 

GOD loves all people.

Some people receive GOD'S love into their hearts more than others.

One way of receiving GOD'S love is to give to GOD

a wholesome gift from your heart.

Then your heart is in a position to receive His love.

We receive gifts from the outside in.

GOD values our offerings from the inside out.

As your heart fills with His love, once again you are filled with gratitude to Him for each and every little gift of GOD...

and so the precious cycle continues...

of receiving and giving!

You don't need riches to enjoy life.

You need to develop an attitude of gratitude 

to richly enjoy

 every little blessing that you already have!

Pray For The Nations

Pray For The Nations

Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion;

And to You the vow shall be performed.

O You who hear prayer,

To You all flesh will come.

 Psalm 65:1-2

By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us, O God of our salvation,

You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth, And of the far-off seas;

Who established the mountains by His strength, Being clothed with power;

You who still the noise of the seas,

The noise of their waves,

And the tumult of the peoples.

Psalm 65:5-7

Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!

Sing out the honor of His name;

Make His praise glorious.

Say to God, "How awesome are Your works!

Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.

All the earth shall worship You And sing praises to You;

They shall sing praises to Your name."  

Psalm 66:1-4

Righteousness exalts a nation,

But sin is a reproach to any people.

Proverbs 14:34

God be merciful to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon us,

That Your way may be known on earth,

Your salvation among all nations.

Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You.

Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy!

For You shall judge the people righteously,

And govern the nations on earth.  

Psalm 67:1-4

But God will wound the head of His enemies,

The hairy scalp of the one who still goes on in his trespasses.

Psalm 68:21

They have closed up their fat hearts;

With their mouths they speak proudly.

They have now surrounded us in our steps;

They have set their eyes, crouching down to the earth,

As a lion is eager to tear his prey, And like a young lion lurking in secret places.

Psalm 17:10-12

Let God arise, Let His enemies be scattered;

Let those also who hate Him flee before Him.

As smoke is driven away, So drive them away;

As wax melts before the fire, So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

But let the righteous be glad; Let them rejoice before God;

Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.

Sing to God, sing praises to His name;

Extol Him who rides on the clouds,

By His name YAH,

And rejoice before Him.

Psalm 68:1-4

The LORD is high above all nations,

His glory above the heavens.

Psalm 113:4

O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongs--

O God, to whom vengeance belongs,

shine forth!

Rise up, O Judge of the earth;

Render punishment to the proud.

LORD,how long will the wicked,

How long will the wicked triumph?

They utter speech, and speak insolent things;

All the workers of iniquity boast in themselves.

Psalm 94:1-4

Understand, you senseless among the people;

And you fools, when will you be wise?

He who planted the ear, shall He not hear?

He who formed the eye, shall He not see?

He who instructs the nations, shall He not correct,

He who teaches man knowledge?

Psalm 94:8-10

The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;

He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

The LORD of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our refuge.

Psalm 46:6-7

The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."

The LORD shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion.

Rule in the midst of Your enemies!

Psalm 110:1-2

For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest On the land allotted to the righteous,

Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity.

Psalm 125:3

With the pure You will show Yourself pure;

And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.

For You will save the humble people,

But will bring down haughty looks.

 Psalm 18:26-27

Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel,

Who only does wondrous things!

And blessed be His glorious name forever!

And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.

Amen and Amen.

Psalm 72:18-19

Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,

Nor stands in the path of sinners,

Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

And in His law he meditates day and night.

He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water,

That brings forth its fruit in its season,

Whose leaf also shall not wither;

And whatever he does shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,

Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,

But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Psalm 1:1-6

Have you not known? Have you not heard?

Has it not been told you from the beginning?

Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,

And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,

Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,

And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

He brings the princes to nothing;

He makes the judges of the earth useless.

Scarcely shall they be planted, Scarcely shall they be sown,

Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth,

When He will also blow on them, And they will wither,

And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble.

Isaiah 40:21-24  

Why do the nations rage,

And the people plot a vain thing?

The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together,

Against the LORD and against His Anointed,

saying, "Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us."

He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;

The Lord shall hold them in derision.

Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,

And distress them in His deep displeasure:

"Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion."

"I will declare the decree:

The LORD has said to Me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.

Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance,

And the ends of the earth for Your possession.

You shall break them with a rod of iron;

You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.'

" Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth.

Serve the LORD with fear,

And rejoice with trembling.

Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,

And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little.

Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

Psalm 2:1-12

'This decision is by the decree of the watchers,

And the sentence by the word of the holy ones,

In order that the living may know That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men,

Gives it to whomever He will,

And sets over it the lowest of men.'

Daniel 4:17

"I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out knowledge and discretion.

The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;

Pride and arrogance and the evil way

And the perverse mouth I hate.

Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding,

I have strength.

By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice.

By me princes rule, and nobles, All the judges of the earth.

I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me.

Riches and honor are with me,

Enduring riches and righteousness.

Proverbs 8:12-18

The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me:

'He who rules over men must be just,

Ruling in the fear of God.

And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises,

A morning without clouds,

Like the tender grass springing out of the earth,

By clear shining after rain.'

2 Samuel 23:3-4  

And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven,

and my understanding returned to me;

and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever:

For His dominion is an everlasting dominion,

And His kingdom is from generation to generation.

All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing;

He does according to His will in the army of heaven

And among the inhabitants of the earth.

No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, "What have You done?"

At the same time my reason returned to me,

and for the glory of my kingdom,

my honor and splendor returned to me.

My counselors and nobles resorted to me,

I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me.

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven,

all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice.

And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.

Daniel 4:34-37

He rules by His power forever;

His eyes observe the nations;

Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah

Psalm 66:7

So the nations shall fear the name of the LORD,

And all the kings of the earth Your glory.

Psalm 102:15

Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him;

All nations shall serve Him.

Psalm 72:11

Then the seventh angel sounded:

And there were loud voices in heaven, saying,

"The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ,

and He shall reign forever and ever!"

And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,

The One who is and who was and who is to come,

Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.

The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come,

And the time of the dead, that they should be judged,

And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints,

And those who fear Your name, small and great,

And should destroy those who destroy the earth."

Revelation 11:15-18