Honor God with Thankfulness

“Giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.” Psalm 50:23 (NLT)

Anytime I thank someone, I honor that person.

For example, if I say to my wife, “Honey, I’m so grateful for that great Thanksgiving dinner you made,” I just honored my wife. When I say to someone, “Thank you for opening the door for me” or “Thank you for coming to the service,” I am honoring that person. 

An expression of gratitude is a way of honoring another person.

The Bible says that I also honor God when I express gratitude to him. God says this in Psalm 50: “Giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me” (Psalm 50:23 NLT).

Why is giving thanks a sacrifice? Because it requires my attention and focus; it takes time and energy to think of things to be grateful for.

When my wife does something thoughtful for me, of course she likes me to say, “Thank you.” But if that’s all I ever did, she might begin to wonder, “Does he really love me, or does he just love me for the things I do for him?”

At some point, I have to start moving to a higher level of thanksgiving—which is not just thanking my wife for what she does but thanking her for who she is. That’s a deeper, more mature kind of thanksgiving.

If all I do is thank God for letting me have something or for giving me this food or for all the things he does for me, it’s worth asking yourself, “Do I really love God, or do I just love the things that God does for me?”

I must learn to thank God not just for what he does but for who he is.

When I thank God for who he is, my prayer might go something like this: “God, thank you that your wisdom is greater than mine. Thank you that you know what will make me happy more than I do. Thank you that you’re consistent when I’m inconsistent. Thank you for your love and your mercy, and that you’re always fair. Thank you that even when I don’t understand something, I know you have my best interests at heart.”

That kind of gratitude goes beyond “Thank you, God, for our food” to “Thank you, God, for who you are.” And it’s the kind of gratitude that honors God and gives me deeper spiritual roots.

In summary:

Giving thanks is a powerful act of honor, not just toward people but toward God himself. Psalm 50:23 teaches that gratitude is a sacrifice because it requires intention, focus, and genuine reflection. While thanking others—or God—for what they do is meaningful, mature gratitude goes deeper by appreciating who they are. In the same way we honor loved ones by valuing their character, we honor God when we thank Him for His wisdom, consistency, love, mercy, and goodness—not just His gifts. This deeper form of thanksgiving strengthens our relationship with Him and deepens our spiritual roots.

Bottom line:

True gratitude honors God—not just for what He gives, but for who He is.

Next step:

Today, thank God for one character trait of His—something about who He is, not just what He has done.

My Emotions Serve a Purpose

“The most important commandment is this . . . ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” Mark 12:29-30 (NLT)

Jesus says in Mark 12:29-30, “The most important commandment is this . . . ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength” (NLT).

Do you hear the emotion in the words of Jesus? He’s saying he doesn’t want me to just kind of love him. He wants me to love him passionately—with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind, and all my strength. God wants more than my head knowledge. He wants an emotional relationship with me.

Here are some things to understand emotions. 

First, God has emotions. God is an emotional God. He feels joy, grief, pain, and hatred toward sin. He gets frustrated with people. The only reason I have emotions is because I'm made in God’s image. If God wasn’t an emotional God, I wouldn’t have any emotions.

Second, my ability to feel is a gift from God. Emotions are what make me human. It is my emotional ability that allows me to love and create and to be faithful, loyal, kind, and generous—to experience all the emotions that are attached to the good things in life. My emotions may not always seem like a gift, but even the negative ones have a purpose in my life.

Third, there are two extremes to avoid. Emotionalism is the extreme of saying the only thing that matters in life is how I feel—not what I think or what’s right or wrong. Everything in life is based on my emotions. Emotions control my life.

On the other hand, stoicism says feelings aren’t important at all, and the only things that matter are my intellect and my will.

There are many differing approaches to emotions. Some people have decided that it doesn’t really matter how I feel. They downplay emotions—but that’s not right.

The Bible says this about God: “You look deep within the mind and heart, O righteous God” (Psalm 7:9 NLT). He really cares about what I think and feel!

God gave me my emotions for a reason, and he wants me to worship him emotionally—with all my heart and all my mind.

In Summary:

Jesus teaches in Mark 12:29-30 that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength—showing that God desires a deep, passionate, and emotional relationship with us, not just intellectual belief. This highlights the importance of emotions in our faith, as God Himself is emotional and created us in His image with the ability to feel. Emotions are a gift that allow me to experience life fully, but I must avoid two extremes: emotionalism, where feelings rule over truth, and stoicism, where emotions are ignored. Instead, God calls me to a balanced, wholehearted worship that involves both my thoughts and my feelings.

How to Hear from God

“O Lord, now I have heard your report, and I worship you in awe . . .” Habakkuk 3:2 (TLB)

God’s not just some distant figure—he wants to be my friend. And like any friendship, that means spending time together and talking regularly. But how do I hear from him? Start with worship.

I thank him for being a part of my life and for being interested in the details. I thank him for answering my prayers: “O Lord, now I have heard your report, and I worship you in awe . . .” (Habakkuk 3:2 TLB). When God gives me a vision, when God gives me a dream, when God responds to my prayers, thank him! That’s all part of worshiping God.

Stop seeing prayers as a monologue and start seeing them for what they truly are: a dialogue. Prayer is a conversation with God. He hears me when I pray, and he answers me when I ask questions. He wants to talk to me every day. And when I faithfully talk to God, it will revolutionize my life.

It’s hard to recognize God’s voice if I don’t really know him—and there are three levels of knowing God: recognition, acquaintance, and friendship. In the recognition level; I know God is there, but I don't really know him. The acquaintance level: I know God a little bit, but I don't know him very well. 

God wants me to live at the friendship level. He wants to be my friend, and he wants me to be his friend. If I'm struggling to talk with God regularly, as one would talk to a friend, It's been suggested that I pray this prayer:

“Dear God, I'm amazed that you would want me for a friend. I really want to learn to have conversations with you. Help me to spend time with you everyday. Thank you that you care about every detail of my life. Jesus, I want to know you more and more every day and I want to depend on you for guidance in my job, my family, my future, and in every other area of my life. I invite you to be the manager of my life, my Lord and Savior, as I follow you and trust in you. In your name I pray. Amen." 

In summary:

God desires a close, personal friendship with me—not just recognition or acquaintance. Like any meaningful relationship, friendship with God requires regular communication and time spent together. Worship is a powerful starting point; when I thank God for His presence, answered prayers, and guidance, I deepen my connection with Him. Habakkuk 3:2 reflects this attitude of gratitude and awe in response to hearing from God.

Prayer is not a one-sided monologue but a two-way conversation. As I grow in our relationship with God, I move from simply acknowledging His existence to truly knowing Him as a friend. The more I engage with God daily—talking with Him, listening, and inviting Him into every aspect of my life—the more my spiritual life transforms. So I will pray and invite God into a daily friendship, asking for help in building a deeper, ongoing dialogue and trust with every part of my life.

Why I Need Others During Tough Times

In Philippians 1:19 it says, “Because you are praying for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ is helping me, I know this trouble will bring my freedom.” (NCV)

When I experience setbacks, my most common response is my worst response: I want to withdraw, to build a wall around myself, to push people away.

But that’s the last thing I should do.

When setbacks leave my faith weak, I need other people to trust God for me. I need a community to help support me.

When Job lost his family, finances, and health, it was a devastating setback—just as it would have been for anyone.

But here’s what one of Job’s friends told him: “Don’t let your anger and the pain you endured make you sneer at God . . . Others have praised God for what he has done, so join with them” (Job 36:18, 24 CEV).

That’s great advice. When I’m in the midst of troubles, don’t get bitter. Join with others who can pray with, worship with, and support me.

Where do I find that kind of support?

First, join with others for worship at a local church. Worshiping with other people will give me a new perspective on my setbacks.

Second, get involved in some kind of small group Bible study. Most churches are too big to build relationships just through attending worship services. I need a group of 10 to 12 people to gather with, not only to study the Bible, but also to share my pain and pray together.

I may not find a comeback on my own. I need God’s people to build me up and help me focus on God.

Gathering with others will be a huge step toward my comeback. Just ask Paul. As he sat in a Roman prison, Paul wrote this about the support of other Christians: “Because you are praying for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ is helping me, I know this trouble will bring my freedom” (Philippians 1:19 NCV).

With the support and prayers of God’s people, my setback is only temporary. My best days are ahead. 

Make the Choice to Rejoice

In Philippians 1:18-19 I read, “I will continue to rejoice. For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance.” (NLT)

When things are falling apart, don’t try to work it out myself. Let God put the pieces back together.

When I’m facing a problem, I’ve got two options: I can worship, or I can worry. That’s it! This is the faith factor.

Paul says in Philippians 1:18-19, “I will continue to rejoice. For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance” (NLT).

In that one Scripture passage, Paul reveals several sources of strength for staying positive and happy in tough times. 

First, I have to keep God’s perspective about my problems. Paul says, “For I know . . .” It’s what you know that keeps you going. Paul knows God is working in the midst of his struggle, and he keeps God’s bigger perspective that helps him see past his problems.

Second, Paul has people praying for him, and that keeps him going. Knowing I have the support of other believers is like having wind to fill your sails. It keeps me from giving up.

Then he says, “The Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me.” The Holy Spirit also keeps Paul going. And the same Spirit that keeps Paul going is the Spirit that is working in and helping me persevere as a follower of Jesus.

Finally, he says, “This will lead to my deliverance.” Paul has faith that God will work his problems for good. God is going to do his good work, no matter what I decide. But he also wants to see me growing in faith and showing him that I believe he can do it.

Because he has God’s perspective, the prayer of friends, the Holy Spirit, and faith, Paul chooses to “continue to rejoice.”

Make the choice to rejoice.

In summary, when things are falling apart, I shouldn’t try to work it out on my own. Rather, let God put the pieces back together. When I’m facing a problem, I’ve got two options: worship, or worry. So “continue to rejoice and as others pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, I’ll be delivered. In one Scripture passage, Paul reveals several sources of strength for staying positive and happy in tough times. First, keep God’s perspective about my problems. God is working in the midst of his struggle, and keeps God’s bigger perspective that helps him see past his problems. Second, Paul has people praying for him. Knowing I have the support of other believers is like having wind to fill my sails.“The Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me.” The same Spirit that keeps Paul going is the Spirit that is working in and helping me persevere as a follower of Jesus. Finally, he says, “This will lead to my deliverance.” Paul has faith that God will work his problems for good. God is going to do his good work, no matter what I decide. But God wants to see me growing in faith and showing him that I believe he can do it. Because he has God’s perspective, the prayer of friends, the Holy Spirit, and faith, Paul chooses to “continue to rejoice.” I can as well.

I can choose to rejoice, for I have the Spirit of Christ helping me and the prayers of others. When it seemed everything was against him, Paul accepted it. He knew and trusted that he was in a place where God could use him. So when things appear to be falling apart, I shouldn't try to work it out on my own. Rather I need to let God put the pieces back together. I have two options, worship or worry. So keep God's perspective on my problems. Know that God is working in the midst of my struggle. Second, use the prayers of others to keep me going and know that God will work out my problem for my good.  

Worship is the Antidote for Worry

In 2 Corinthians 5:14 I read, “[Christ’s] love has the first and last word in everything we do. Our firm decision is to work from this focused center.” (The Message)

God made me for five purposes: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism. But I can’t fulfill those purposes on my own. Life is not a solo act. I was created to be in community.

The only way I can fulfill God’s five purposes in my life is with people giving me spiritual input. I need a church family! Why? Because the church helps me center my life around God.

God didn’t put me on Earth to live a self-centered life. He wants to be at the core of my life. He made me to love me, and he wants me to love him back. In a sense, God says, “I want to be the hub of your heart. I want to be the focus of your attention. I want to be the center of your life. I want to be the axis of your existence.”

The Bible says, “[Christ’s] love has the first and last word in everything we do. Our firm decision is to work from this focused center” (2 Corinthians 5:14 The Message).

How can I tell that Christ is at the center of your life? I stop worrying. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life” (The Message).

There’s a word for this: worship. When I focus my life on God, I worship. And worship is the antidote for worry. If I want to worry less, worship more.

When am I supposed to worship? The Bible says, “You have six days when you can do your work, but the seventh day of each week is holy because it belongs to me. No matter where you live, you must rest on the Sabbath and come together for worship” (Leviticus 23:3 CEV). Once a week, God wants me to come together with other believers to refocus, re-calibrate, and recenter my life on him.

Where am I supposed to do it? Acts 2:46 says, “They worshiped together regularly at the Temple” (TLB).

God meant for me to be part of a church family? A church family helps me focus and center my life around God so that I can fulfill his purpose for me.

In summary, Christ’s love has the first and last word in everything I do. My decision is to work from this focused center. God made me for five purposes: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism. But I can’t fulfill those purposes on my own. I was created to be in community with others. I need others to give me spiritual input. The church helps me center my life around God. God didn’t put me on Earth to live a self-centered life. He wants to be at the core of my life. God says, “I want to be the hub of your heart, the focus of my attention, and the center of my life. How can I tell that Christ is at the center of my life? I stop worrying. There’s a word for this: worship. When I focus my life on God, I worship. And worship is the antidote for worry. When am I supposed to worship? Once a week, God wants me to come together with other believers to refocus, re-calibrate, and recenter my life on him. Where am I to worship,  at the church. God meant for me to be part of a church family? A church family helps me focus and center my life around God so that I can fulfill his purpose for me.

Everything that Paul and his companions did was to honor God. Not only did fear of God motivate them, but Christ's love controlled their actions. The word for "controls'' means "to hold fast." In other words, the love of Christ was constraining them to certain courses of action. They knew that Jesus, out of his great love, had given up his life for their sake. He had not acted out of his own self-interest, selfishly holding on to the glory of heaven that he already possessed. Instead, Jesus had willingly "died for everyone." Because Christ died for me, I’m also dead to my old life. Like Paul, I should no longer live to please myself; I should spend my life pleasing Christ.