God, I Thank You

Have you been still this week? When I found myself sitting in silence it was hard some days not to think about what needed to be done for the day.  I found myself wanting to pray out loud or make requests that He needed to hear again in case He forgot.

Wednesday He began showing me in my stillness to just Thank Him.  Thank Him for what He brought me through.  To thank Him in where I’ve been and where He has me going.  He brought up past circumstances…God, I Thank You. He reminded me of decisions I made that were not His decisions…God, I Thank You. He showed me the ordinary moments that took extraordinary faith…God, I Thank You. It was in the thankfulness that my stillness turned to praise.

Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.   Psalm 103:1-5

What’s the difference between praise and thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving – being thankful at what God has done historically in your life.

Praise – the acknowledging of His perfections, works, benefits and excellences. You are focusing on who He is.

We have to live a life of praise.  It doesn’t mean singing a praise song, it means that learning to praise Him activates the fullness He has for you.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalms 100:4

When you thank God it opens the gates. It begins to remind you of what He has done. When you praise Him it takes your focus off you and puts it on Him.

Did you spend time in the stillness of God this week?

What did God reveal to you?