I TOLD ONE OF MY CHILDHOOD FRIENDS “WHEN YOU HAVE 10 MINUTES TO PRAY, GIVE THANKS FOR 7 MINUTES”
THANKSGIVING IS GOD’S HOTLINE
YOU CAN PRAY AMISS BUT YOU CAN’T THANK GOD AMISS.
SOME OF THE GREATEST EVENTS IN SCRIPTURES WERE TRIGGERED BY THANKSGIVING.
FAMINE IS THREATENING, IF YOU DON’T KNOW THANKSGIVING YOU WILL RUN DRY.
BISHOP OYEDEPO TO WOMEN: STOP SAYING, “IT IS FINISHED.” YOU ARE THE ONE FINISHING EVERYTHING.
IN MY HOME YOU SAY, “IT’S PLENTY,” SO IT’S NEVER FINISHED.
WITHOUT THANKSGIVING THE BLESSINGS IN YOUR HAND ARE AT A RISK
GOD HEARS THANKSGIVING FASTER THAN INTERCESSIONS SO, THANKSGIVING SECURES ANSWERS FASTER THAN INTERCESSIONS
INTERCESSION THAT IS NOT OF THANKSGIVING CAN’T GAIN ACCESS ON THE Altar Of Prayer
VICTORIES IN BATTLES ARE PRECEDED BY THANKSGIVING
– Bishop David Oyedepo on “UNDERSTANDING THE MYSTERY OF THANKSGIVING” || One Night with the King – Third Word Session || Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota ||
UNDERSTANDING THE MYSTERY OF THANKSGIVING.
Please open your heart because something is breaking forth in your life. We live in a Kingdom that is governed by mysteries, they call them mysteries of the Kingdom of God. No level of intellectualism can access it. Mark 4:11. Those who are outside the Kingdom, whether they have PhD, DD, DSc, as long as you are outside the Kingdom you have no access. Church Gist. There are not principles, they are not theories, they are mysteries. A natural man cannot know the things of God because they are unveiled spiritually. The mystery of thanksgiving is one of the hidden mysteries of the kingdom of God that will change anybody’s story anywhere. It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord. Psalm 92:1-2. It is a mystery. Mark 4:11.
Psalm 47:6-7. Sing ye praises with understanding. It is not entertainment. There is what I call thanksgiving warfare. It is not a display of skill. In praising God we are permitted to make a joyful noise, you don’t need to have any key. Church Gist. God loves melody but it is not a barrier to thanking Him. It is not compulsory that you must sing, you can also speak of His loving kindness. You are thanking Him, you don’t need singing.
It is so important. What is in thanksgiving that makes it a mystery? Some of the greatest events in scriptures were triggered by thanksgiving. Feeding 5000 men – “Father, I thank you..” There was no prayer. John 6:6-11. Church Gist. Famine is threatening, if you don’t know thanksgiving you will run dry. Father, I thank you. A little boy’s lunch fed 5,000 men minus women and children. It is a mystery.
Let’s track this mystery from the same Psalm 92:1-2, 10. My horn shall thou exalt like the horn of the unicorn and I shall be anointed with fresh oil, from thanksgiving. Psalm 92:11. Conquest without putting up a fight. Conquest without throwing a fist or carrying a weapon. Father, I thank you and the enemy goes down. Your enemies just go flat. Church Gist. Do you see the mystery? All stemmed out of thanksgiving. Psalm 92:12. Thanks givers don’t know dry seasons. Psalm 92:13-15. Flourishing in hard times! That is what He does through the mystery of thanksgiving. What a mystery!
Ime Imela! Chineke Imela. O seun oh, O seun Baba. Then you are going up. He keeps changing your level. Fresh oil keeps coming. You don’t know the meaning of fresh oil until you know the mystery of thanksgiving. Otherwise, every time you need fresh oil you will go and fast. You will fast yourself to death. Psalm 92:10. Church Gist. As privileged ministers, we are called upon to do some things that you are not prepared for and there is no time to go and fast. Father, I thank you because you always know the way out. Then it happens!
The unveiling of the mystery of thanksgiving will change anybody’s story forever. One of my childhood friends was here in 1995 thereabout and I told him “When you have ten minutes to pray, give thanks for seven minutes”. Church Gist. We disturb God a lot, there is a shift today from the realm of knowledge to the realm of applied knowledge. There is a shift from the realm of claiming prophecies to the realm of covenants.
Everybody reads that scripture but they have not sat down to find out what does thanksgiving has to do with all of these amazing things. Seven of them! You don’t need to quote scriptures, it is the cheapest way to tune in. Church Gist. You can’t thank God amiss. You can pray amiss and not receive because you prayed amiss. You are quoting the wrong scriptures. You can’t thank God amiss. Father, I thank you. Jesus, I thank you. Let it become an addiction, it will keep adding value to your life.
– From today, your life will never lose value again.
– Nothing goes dry around your life again.
– Nothing goes lean about your life again.
– You never suffer stagnation all your days.
– Your levels will never stop changing as you keep thanking God.
So I like you to follow as we run through these few things that I will be sharing with you. There are two levels of thanksgiving:
1. Thanking God for what He has done to preserve the blessings.
Ephesians 5:20. Malachi 2:1-2. We thank Him for all His blessings so as to preserve them.
2. In everything give thanks.
They are not the way you want them to be but for you to experience a turnaround give thanks. 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Hebrews 10:36. You need patience, do the will of God. Give Him thanks in that situation and you will obtain the promise. Thanksgiving commits God to perform His Word. That is the second level of thanksgiving that belongs to mature believers. The baby believers: “Father I thank you for giving me a car. I thank you for giving me a house.” That’s okay, the car will last! But there is another thanksgiving that will bring a turnaround that prayer cannot bring. Church Gist. You can pray amiss but you can’t thank God amiss. When you thank God, you are doing the will of God but you have to pray according to the will of God and you have to network the right scriptures. But thanksgiving is itself the will of God. So it is a straight line. I call it ‘hotline’. It is God’s hotline. It is the hotline of heaven on the prayer altar. It is the solid will of God. You can’t do it amiss.
People don’t know that and the devil takes advantage of them. You just look at God and say “God, they say we should sing so I am singing. Is it my problem? I am singing”. You better wake up! Habakkuk 3:17-19. I will rejoice and be glad in Him. I lift my voice to sing praise to Him, this is the day He has made. Don’t let any devil tie you down in the valley. Without your hands lifted, lifeline will not help you. They can’t put lifeline on your neck you will die. Church Gist. You have to raise your hand for Lifeline to be of help. God can’t help you with your hands down. If they throw the thing on your neck, that is suicide. Lift your hands and thank Me, you are grumbling. Okay, I can’t help you. If I throw the rope on your neck, you will die and I don’t want to be a murderer. So when you are ready to raise your hand let me know. Without lifting your hands in the valley, you may end up there.
You better look away from those issues and look unto God the Changer of stories – in everything, give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:18; Hebrews 10:36). Thanksgiving guarantees answers. So let me give you some lines here:
1. God hears thanksgiving faster than intercessions. John 6:11. Elijah prayed with his head in between his two knees and groaned and groaned before the cloud showed up. Church Gist. Thanksgiving secures answers faster than intercessions. Pastors understand Jeremiah 30:19. “I invited 4 people, only one came.” You better start dancing before the one will leave. Thanksgiving is a mystery.
– May we remain thankful all the days of our lives so that our lives will not run empty! It’s your turn for a change of story!
Paul and Silas, they prayed, nothing happened. They sang praises, Heavens came down. Acts 16:25-30. Church Gist. Again, Christ never prayed, he only gave thanks and the 5 loaves and 2 fishes multiplied supernaturally – that’s how I know that food will never finish in your house! Your children children will never beg for bread!
We had a family here that gave thanks as they served water for dinner. Church Gist. You know the meaning of water for dinner? Children, father, mother, “Father thank you.” Following morning, bags of rice at their door. No information with anybody. It’s a mystery.
– You won’t know dryness again!
Every intercession requires thanksgiving to qualify for answers. Intercession that is not of thanksgiving can’t gain access on the Altar of prayer. Philippians 4:6. No intercession flies without thanksgiving. It’s not an appendage, conjunction – no. Church Gist. Conscious thanksgiving that goes on the same frequency as your prayers, supplications and your intercessions – all require thanksgiving for delivery of answers. No thanksgiving, no audience. Philippians 4:6. Thanksgiving enhances our confidence on the Altar of prayer. 1 John 5:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:18. It puts you on a platform of confidence in God, your God confidence is boosted when you become addicted to thanksgiving.
If you watch the testimony of Daniel after God revealed that secret to him, “Father, I thank you for you have hidden these things from the Wise and the Prudent – not that I am wiser than anybody else.” Daniel 2:23-30. You see the attitude of thanksgiving wrapped up from verse 23-30. That was Daniel celebrating God – that’s where the secret is. Confidence is boosted through the mystery of thanksgiving. Church Gist. It is the will of God. 1 John 5:14. You know what Jesus said, “Father I thank you for you have heard me.” As dead as Lazarus was after 4 days, thanksgiving brought him back. John 11:41. God hears thanksgiving faster than he hears prayers. What prayer cannot do in all its potency, thanksgiving will do for free. That’s why we don’t complain in this Church – not once!
In those days I will tell you, “God went to town and brought 2 people – what a great God we serve!” He went to town and could bring 2 people to this kind of place where we are? Jesus who is like unto you! I wasn’t scorning God, I was celebrating him. You better wake up! Without thanksgiving the blessings in your hand are at a risk. Church Gist. Without thanksgiving your situation may not change. So, we owe God thanks to preserve the blessings and to experience a turnaround. We owe God thanks in the morning, afternoon, night. Don’t let any devil rob you of your thanksgiving – it’s the only way forward, the only way out of any unwanted situation.
Lift your right hand and say, “I thank you Jesus.”
Now watch most of the times, victories in battles are preceded by thanksgiving. You’re hedged in all around, you want victory in those battles around your life, more often than not, victories in battles are preceded with thanksgiving. Isaiah 54:1-3; Psalm 92:1. Church Gist. My prayer this early morning is that God will baptize each one of us with the grace for addiction to thanksgiving, that thanksgiving will become your new addiction and things won’t stop changing in your favour, things will keep coming your way that you never imagined!
2 Chronicles 20:23. Most times, our thanksgiving will precede our victory – don’t toy with it! As we have said over and over again this time, thanksgiving facilitates fulfillment of prophecies. Church Gist. It commits God to his Word. After you have done the Will of God, you’re qualified to obtain the promise.
– May the balance of each one’s prophetic package for the Year be fully delivered tonight!
Feet washing is a mystery through which God delivers our missing parts. John 13:8. So by the washing of feet tonight, may the balance of every one’s prophetic package for the Year be fully delivered! Misfortune will be flushed out of every life! Frustration and defeat will be out of the way! Church Gist. Oppression will become a thing of history! … because that is not your lot in Christ, that’s not your portion. 1 John 5:4. Whatever you’re yet to overcome, tonight as you give God thanks intensely for those things, he will show up! You shall no more labour in vain!
Let me speak to the women right now, you know most of the times, “it’s finished; it’s finished.” You’re the one finishing everything. “This one is finished, that one is finished.” Church Gist. Stop saying that! In my home what you say is, “it’s plenty,” so it never finished. It’s plenty, it’s never finished. Psalm 92:2. I will give thanks, I will sing thanksgiving praise and I will speak thanksgiving words. It is a thing to do to keep your life on course.
Jesus was an addicted thanksgiver. Luke 10:21. To feed 5,000, “Father I thank you.” To bring Lazarus back to life, “Father I thank you.” Addiction to thanksgiving changes people’s stories. Church Gist. I told you a story of how a friend of mine and I were coming in from Capernaum (our old Church), between that place and now he said he heard me say, “Father thank you, thank you Jesus” 72 times. It’s the shortest prayer to pray. It’s prayer that God will always answer when it’s coming from the heart. Don’t let the devil set you back, don’t set yourself back, it’s your turn at last!
Something you’re going to do is this: look at that situation that appears not to be responding, you have lived with it now for sometime but that’s not up to 400 years. Israel was in that situation for 400 years but a time came, the Word of the Lord came down and things turned around for them. Church Gist. God’s Word has come down right now, that everlasting mountain will clear off! Lazarus was not sick, he was dead. Thanksgiving brought him back. Your own is only sickness – thanksgiving will clear it out. Say with me, “if thanksgiving could bring Lazarus out from the grave after 4 days, I’m rest assured that with intense thanksgiving, no sickness, disease, disorder will leave this service with me!”
After 4 days he was stinking – John 11:39-43.
– That your age-long joblessness is cleared!
– Your crawling business gains motion!
– Your stranded career experiences a breakthrough!
If you will thank God intensely, intentionally with all intensity, you’re out of it!
We returned from a trip years ago from the UK and then they brought another car to pick me up at the Airport and I have warned them never to inconvenience anybody coming for me at the Airport. We have our own car, it may look like a jalopy, it doesn’t matter. Then on the way coming, “Sir, they took the car away.” I said, “hope no one is hurt?” No Sir. I said, praise the Lord. The one in front never knew I’ve been told – in the same car. Church Gist. No exclamation, “thank you Jesus nobody was hurt.” “What about the Security men?” He said, one of them went with them. “Oh praise God!” A relation visited us that time, spent 5 days, he never knew a car was missing. The thing you’re carrying about on your head, they just get you strangulated. What’s a car in my life today? It can never be relevant till I go to Heaven.
I shared a story with you: we gave out 23 cars one day. What’s a car? If they steal your car and I speak, the robbers will return it – on the spot. What’s a car? One of my relations said, “they stole the car” I said, collect it. You meet with thanksgiving as a way of life. We had issues here during the construction and my response is, “Thank you Jesus; I hope nobody is hurt?” Nobody. Church Gist. Praise the Lord! It ended there, no discussion. They said, let’s find out how much it cost. No no, don’t find out, just keep going forward. Don’t look back or you will become a pillar of salt – go forward! You don’t look backward and be driving forward, you will have accident.
– Grace to meet with any challenge that will come your way with thanksgiving, receive it right now!
The greatest enemy of thanksgiving is murmuring and complaining – in the name of Jesus, be delivered from it! Numbers 11:1
– May no one suffer the wrath of God!
The good news is this: that business is experiencing a turnaround! Your health is experiencing a turnaround tonight!
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