How Important

Is Thankfulness

To God?

Dan Corner

[Permission is granted to duplicate this article in its entirety,

but only without additions, alterations or omissions of any kind,

including the author and ministry name and address at the end.]

How important is thankfulness to God? How common was it in the early church? Was Jesus himself thankful when he walked the earth? Are you thankful to God now? You might be surprised to read how common thankfulness was in the first church and its connection with other spiritual things.

To show how God wants to be thanked for what he has done for us, ponder the truths in Lk. 17:12-19—where the Lord healed 10 lepers, but only one returned to thank Jesus. The Lord said:

Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:17-19)

The General Command To

All Christians To Be Thankful:

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. (Col 3:15)

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. (Col 4:2)

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (Col 2:6,7)

We Should Worship

God With Thanksgiving:

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, (Heb 12:28)

One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. (Rom 14:5,6)

The Lord Jesus Himself
Thanked The Father For

Food About To Eaten:

And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. (Mat 14:19)

Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. (Mat 15:36)

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” (Mat 26:26)

Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.” (Mat 26:27)

Paul Thanked God For

Food In Front of Hundreds

of Ungodly People:

After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. (Acts 27:35)

(**Do you thank God in a restaurant before you eat?)

People are Unthankful To

God Before They Get

Spiritually Darkened:

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. (Rom 1:21)

Thank God for What

He Has Done

for You Spiritually:

But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. (Rom 6:17)

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Cor 9:15)

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor 15:57)

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. (2 Cor 2:14)

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph 5:19,20)

give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Th 5:18)

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col 3:17)

giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. (Col 1:12)

Thank God for

Gifts Given to You:

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. (2 Cor 9:12)

Thanksgiving Goes

with Prayer:

I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. (Eph 1:16)

God Is Thanked

in Heaven:

Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, (Rev 4:9)

saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” (Rev 7:12)

saying: “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.” (Rev 11:17)

The Unthankful Help Make

The Terrible Times:

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. (2 Tim 3:1-5)

The Unthankful Are Placed

Next to the Wicked:

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. (Luke 6:35)

Final Comment:

**NOTE: For someone to say, “Thank goodness ....” is to take away from what belongs to God. Who or what is goodness that he or she or it should get our thanks instead of God? Amen! Let’s unashamedly thank God for he is the one worthy.

Return to Evangelical Outreach
PO Box 265, Washington PA 15301
www.evangelicaloutreach.org