Psalms 26:7 - “That I may publish (proclaim) with voice of thanksgiving, and
tell of all thy wondrous works.”
We are entering
into a season of praise and thanksgiving. In the coming days we will gather with our
families and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving.
People will travel great distances to gather around the table and share
a meal of thanksgiving. This is a
wonderful holiday and we should enjoy the time we spend with our family and
friends.
Worship
involves a number of elements. Two
elements that are closely related are thanksgiving and praise. Though they are similar there are
differences. Praise is a powerful weapon
to be used against the enemy of our soul in spiritual warfare. Praise nourishes the soul, prepares the heart
to become pure, and builds us up in faith.
The twin
sister of praise is thanksgiving. These
two elements of prayer look alike, perform alike and come from the same source,
which is gratitude. Yet they are very
distinct and have different purposes.
Praise adores the Giver of all blessings. We learn in James 1:17 that God is that giver. The verse reads, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is
from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no
variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
Praise
adores the Giver while thanksgiving enumerates the blessings of the giver. One praises God for who He is and the other
thanks God for what He has done. There
is a vast difference in praise, worship and thanksgiving.
We should
allow this to become a season of praise and thanksgiving in our lives. We
should spend this holiday season praising Him for Who He is and giving Him
thanks for the many blessed things He has done for us. Our prayer should be to recognize that we
have much to be thankful for in this season of thanksgiving.
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