Thankfulness to God, and Taking on Humility Before God

Thankfulness to God, How to Start Praying and Living with Humility and Trust in God

1. Question for Discussion: How Important is it to be thankful to God?

Answer: The Importance can be seen by the emphasis on this in the New Testament and also the Psalms.

Give thanks to the Father. He has made you able to have what he has promised to give all his holy people, who live in the light.
Colossians 1:12 (ERV)

“Enter into His Gates with Thanksgiving, and into His Courts with Praise” (Psalm 100:4)

“And be thankful” (Colossians 3:15)

“In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Many, many, many Scriptures exist that tell us to be thankful, especially when we pray. For example Philippians 4:6.

2. Question for Discussion

What are some of the things you can be thankful for.

1. From your personal situation

2. Because of the promises of God

Spend time now in a group giving thanks to God

Benefits of Thanksgiving

1. More Provision. Jesus was thankful to the Father and miracles happened – like the feeding of the five thousand.

Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves of bread and the two fish. He looked into the sky and thanked God for the food. Then he broke the bread into pieces, which he gave to the followers, and they gave the food to the people. (Matthew 14:19)

When you seem to lack things in life, start by giving thanks to God for what you already have. You will be amazed how God the Father arranges to give you MORE!

2. Happiness

When you are grateful, you are happy. When you are ungrateful, you are unhappy. There are many millionaires in this world who are unhappy, because they are not thankful to God. Some millionaires always want more, so they are not grateful and not happy even though they have so much.

Even if we ocassionally lack some things, we can give thanks for so much. In the end, we as children of God will inherit everything. So start to be thankful as a lifestyle!

Thankfulness in life makes even very difficult situations much more bearable, and attracts the blessing of God. Complaining attracts further problems. If you want to see a biblical example of this, look at the story of the children of Israel in the wilderness.

Question: What is the Opposite of Thankfulness?

Answer: Complaining. Telling God and others how unfair and bad things are in your opinion. Focusing on the negative things. Thinking and talking about the things you do not like regularly.

Question: Have you Been Complaining? Would you like to confess that as a sin to God?

Humility

To begin to understand the matter of humility, you must understand and recognise some basic truths.

1. You are not God. You did not make yourself. Any good thing you have ultimately comes from Him. Think about it. You did not make your brain, your body, your eternal soul. You don’t understand how even your own thoughts work.

2. If we have light, it is light that is reflected from God, just as the moon reflects the light of the sun. The moon does not create its own light. Neither are we the source of light. God is.

3. We don’t yet love like God and Jesus.

4. We don’t understand anything near as much as God who has given us His Word. Our knowledge is quite limited.

5. We therefore need to let God be God in our life, and willingly submit to His direction, in loving trust. To think we have a better way, and can work it out ourselves, is pride, one of the root sins that take people ultimately to hell.

The opposite of humility is PRIDE. Pride is something we can see in others, but it is hard to see in ourselves.

What are some of the signs of pride?

Strife. By pride comes nothing but contention.By pride comes nothing but strife,
But with the well-advised is wisdom. Proverbs 13:10

You talk about yourself too much

You live and focus on your own glory, honor and reputation.

The Word of God doesn’t touch your heart. You are unmoved.

You are too critical of others.

You don’t spend enough time asking God to show you and deal with your own character flows.

You think and act as if you can save yourself, or that you don’t need saving.

You don’t listen when others correct you.

Results of Humility

God gives grace to the humble. You get close to God through humbling yourself.

God gives wisdom to the humble. And wisdom leads to many, many blessings.

God will promote, exalt and honor humble people.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time (1 Peter 5:6)

How Can you Humble Yourself?

Talk less. Take an an attitude where you give God his right place in your life.

Confess your sins to God.

Fast – go without food and certainly without distractions for a period of time so you can evaluate yourself in God’s light

Confess your faults to others. Ask for forgiveness from others.

Forgive others who have wronged you.

Pray more. Recognise you need God every day.

Thank God more.

Depending on God

Recognise that God will give you all you need – in fact, in one sense, He already has!

You can draw on the infinite resources of God if you live under His authority

You can therefore afford to give, forgive and be honest.

You can ask, you can receive and God wants us to do this.

You cannot live the Christian Life in Your Own Power, but you Can in God’s