Billy Joe Daugherty - Praise and Thanksgiving

Praise and Thanksgiving

Keys to Victorious Living

By

Billy Joe Daugherty

Contents

The Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

Hebrews 13:15

Jesus opened the way to heaven for us. He removed the barrier between God and us so we can enter into His very presence. That's why Verse 15 says, "By Him," which means "By Jesus," we can go directly to God.

The writer of Hebrews says, "...Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God...." Offer means it is a willing deal. No one is going to make you praise the Lord. Praise that is forced upon you is not really praise. Offer means it is a free will offering .

Psalm 34:1 says , I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Give Thanks

Ephesians 5:20 says, "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

These three scripture references say that we are to offer praise and thanksgiving to the Lord continually, at all times, always. The fruit of our lips is to be offered up to the Lord as a continual sacrifice.

In the Old Testament, offerings were regularly given to the Lord. When people sinned, they had to offer a sacrifice. As I was thinking about it, I could just imagine them going continually to offer the innocent blood of animals to cover for their sin.

Aren't you glad the Lamb of God paid, once and for all , for our sin? But we are still in the offering business. We are still bringing sacrifices, but this time it's not a dead animal. It is living praise that we are to bring continually to God with the fruit of our lips.

The fruit of our lips means the words that we speak of what is in our hearts. Some people say, "I've got praise in my heart." If it is in your heart, it will come out of your mouth. The fruit, or the produce, of your lips are the words you speak in praise and thanksgiving to God.

Praise and Thanksgiving Evidence of a Transformed Life

Praise and thanksgiving go together. Hebrews 13:15 talks about offering the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. They are used interchangeably. We need to have an attitude of gratitude, praising God and thanking Him on a continual basis.

Evidence of a transformed life is that praise and thanksgiving come out of our lips. When the men on death row at McAlester Prison are born again and baptized with the Holy Spirit, they lift their hands, bound in handcuffs, in praise to the Lord. I think about those guys locked in that little cell, some 10 or 12 feet wide and maybe 15 or 20 feet long. They are out one hour a day, and during that hour, they are isolated in a cage. They call it the dog run, where they simply go back and forth and get some exercise outside. They aren't allowed to be with anyone else.

Many of these men praise God in those cells day after day, yet there are others who are cursing, mad at the world and filled with hate . But when Christ comes in, He changes what's in their hearts from cursing to praise.

The Spirit of God within can give you revelation knowledge of God's Word that will fill your life with praise regardless of the circumstances. If men on death row can praise God, you certainly can do it where you are.

Taking On An Attitude of Gratitude

You need to take on an attitude of gratitude. You have more to praise God for than you do to complain about. Some say, "If you knew all my problems, you wouldn't be talking like that!" People with far worse problems than you have found a way to praise God. You can rejoice!

The way out of negative situations is not by rehearsing the bad things that have happened or the bad things that are against you. The way out of defeat, pressure, sickness and disease and problems in your marriage or in other relationships is to get your eyes back on Jesus! "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith..." (Hebrews 12:2). Begin to praise and magnify God.

We are called to be a thankful peopleto have an attitude of thanksgiving in our hearts at all times. I'm not talking about occasionally thanking God for something. I'm talking about being thankful as a lifestyle.

Thankfulness will change frowns into smiles. It will change depressed days into joyful ones. It will change a pessimistic attitude into one of optimism. It will turn lack into manifested blessings. It will turn confusion into peace. It will break through the works of darkness, causing God's light to abound. When you have an attitude of gratitude, things which you have lacked seem to find their way to you!

God provides many things for us which we often take for granted, such as our daily protection, deliverance and provision. We need to begin to thank God each day for His intimate care in these areas.

David gave thanks to God for His daily benefits.

Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagles .

Psalm 103:1-5

It is God's will to give you good things. We serve a good God. He is a God who lifts and gives. Psalm 84:11 says, "...No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly."

A thankful heart sets the stage for the manifested presence and power of God, which is more than enough to meet every need. Hallelujah!

Only one of the ten lepers who were healed apparently had an attitude of gratitude. Let's read this account in Luke 17:12-19:

And as he [Jesus] entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God.

And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

When a leper was cleansed , traditionally he was to go to his priest, have an examination to make sure he was cleansed and only then would he be restored to his village, home and family.

When Jesus said, "...Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?" He apparently expected them to give thanks. I believe Jesus is looking for people today who will respond to Him with gratitude.

Jesus said to the one who returned and gave thanks, "...Go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole." Wholeness speaks of the complete man receiving the ministry that is needed . In this case, the leper was healed in his body; he was given soundness and peace of mind; and he received cleansing, forgiveness and righteousness in his spirit. Having a thankful heart is a key to being made whole.

In Everything Give Thanks

For what should you thank and praise God? First Thessalonians 5:18 says, "In every thing give thanks.... " You can thank God that Jesus has already paid for your sins. No matter what is going on around you, that fact always remains the same. He has already paid for your sins in full. You can thank God for all of His promises.

In everything give thanks. We don't thank God for what the devil does, but we thank Him that He is with us when the devil comes against us. We thank God He can get out of us what the devil put in us, get off of us what the devil put on us, and get back in us what the devil took out. Hallelujah!