The Power of Thanksgiving

Most of of think of thanksgiving as a courteous, nice thing to do. It has more to do with public relations, rather than an absolute requirement.

• We classify it as proper protocol.
• When people don’t express gratitude, we think they are only being uncouth.
• When people forget to say thanks, we accuse them only of thoughtlessness.
• When we study the scripture, however, a far different profile emerges.
• Thanksgiving actually turns out to be a fundamental spiritual principle.
• True thanksgiving opens the door to deep spiritual healing and experience.

Luke 17:12-19

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

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

14 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.

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

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

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

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

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

(KJV)

There are three words that describe what happened to the leper.

• Cleansed: katharizo=purified
• Healed: iomai=healed, cured
• Whole: sozo=saved, preserved, do well, be whole

There are instances in the Bible where people were blessed, healed and touched, but not made whole.

Luke 6:35

35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

Mark 8:21-25

21 And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?

22 And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.

23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.

24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.

25 After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.

John 6:10-12

10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.

John 6:25-29

25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?

26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

What are the steps to wholeness?

Luke 17:12-19

Prayer of desparation

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

• Those who do not pray should not expect answers to prayer.
• Prayers that move God are effectual and fervent.

Obedience

14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests.

Jesus could have declared them clean because he was a high priest after the Order of Melchezidek. Instead, he sent them to the high priest for evidence of their healing. Why? First of all, it would legitimize their healing to all the people who did not yet recognize Jesus. Second, and more important, if the High Priest declared them clean, it meant that the High Priest would have been forced to recognize the power of Jesus to heal leprosy.

And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

Realization

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

Worship

16 And fell down on his face at his feet,

Worship=shawchaw (prostrate oneself, bow down)

Gen 19:1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;

Gen 42:6 And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.

1 Sam 25:41 And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.

Thanksgiving

giving him thanks: and

Forgiveness

he was a Samaritan.

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

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

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

(KJV)

What did the leper who came back communicate with Jesus?

• You have changed my life for the better.
• I could not have had this healing without you.
• I am forever indebted to you.
• You did not just restore my health for my purposes; you did it for your own purposes.

What is it that the simple act of sincere thanksgiving does to God?

The nine who did not return to give thanks grabbed whatever blessings and advantages they could get from Jesus and ran. They wanted to be healed to get on with their lives, to pursue their own interests. They either had no concept of God’s purpose or they were totally self-indulgent. Whatever they received, they felt like it was a deserved benefit.

It is possible to have enough faith in God to receive miracles and blessings from him. This does not necessarily lead on to true discipleship.

Wholeness requires an attitude of thanksgiving towards God.

• Wholeness is a release of pain.
• Wholeness neutralizes long-standing dysfunctional effects.
• Wholeness makes one comfortable with who they are and what they have.

The most important truth to embrace is your relationship with God supercedes your relationship with yourself, your family, your friends, your acquaintences, your past, or any other person or thing that can be named.

2 Cor 12:7-10

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.