Psalm 100:4 (KJV)
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
The approach determines response. It is a spiritual and natural law that the way and manner in which you approach someone determines the response you will receive. God is both our Father and our God; we, therefore, must understand the necessity of approaching Him as such. Reverence, Praise, and Worship are biblical and reveal manners by which we must approach God. Giving of thanks and a pure, sincere heart are ways by which we must approach God, our Father.
Thanksgiving is not an event for the believer; rather, it is a way of life. Praise is not an activity we do in the church; it is a way of life. Worship is not songs we sing in religious settings; it is a way of life for the believer. When we truly understand who God is and what He has done, we will embrace these ways as fundamental principles by which we live.
May we like the psalmist in Psalm 103 vs. 1 – 7 underscore the many reasons why we must be thankful. The very truth that God is unto us all things should provoke thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a heart and soulish response to an amazing God who has done so much for us, even when we don’t deserve it. In the world of men, when you appreciate someone for who they are and what they have done, it provokes a favorable response from such a person.
When people thank you for who you are and what you did, and they are doing so heartily and sincerely, something arises in you called good feeling. Even so, when we are thankful to God. Philippians 4 vs. 6 underscores the importance of thanksgiving, and it is a demonstration of your faith in God and His ability to answer your prayers. Marinade all you do for God, all you offer to God in thanksgiving and your life will never lose sweetness. You are blessed and highly favored.