Thanksgiving: Why Not Thank God Daily?

Why is it that we celebrate Thanksgiving only one time a year? Thanksgiving is a day to celebrate and gives thanks for the harvest and the preceding year. It is a national holiday and celebrated in United States, Canada, Brazil, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Liberia; at various times of the year.

In the United States, Thanksgiving is rooted in English tradition and started from the Protestant Reformation and has evolved into a national holiday where families get together and enjoy a meal together. Although it has religious roots, it is now considered a secular holiday.

Let us look at the definition of “thanksgiving.” According to Dictionary.com, thanksgiving is defined as:

the act of giving thanks; grateful acknowledgment of benefits or favors, especially to God.
an expression of thanks, especially to God.
a public celebration in acknowledgment of divine favor or kindness.
a day set apart for giving thanks to God.

Three out of the four definitions mentioned pertains to giving thanks to God, our Heavenly Father. According to Dave Earley, “Prayers of thanksgiving are some of the most common prayers of the Bible. Many men and women in the Bible opened their mouths and thanked God for the things He had done for them.” [1]

Although we celebrate Thanksgiving once per year, we should be praying prayers of thanksgiving every day. Prayers of thanksgiving should be part of our daily lives and daily prayer life. Even in a time of adversity, we should continue to give thanks to God. An example of this was when in the Book of Daniel, Daniel faced sure death when he learned that he was going to be thrown into the lion’s den as a punishment. See Daniel 6:10, “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.”

When it came time for Daniel to be thrown in the Lion’s den, God had heard Daniel’s prayers and He shut the lion’s mouths and his accusers were executed instead. See Daniel 6:24, “At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.”

This gave Daniel much more to be thankful for. His life was spared and God had saved his life by sending an angel to shut the lion’s mouths. Giving thanks to God every day has eternal consequences. In Psalm 106, we are to give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. See verse 1, “Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever.

The Bible is full of Scripture verses telling us to give thanks to God. After all, our Heavenly Father is Infinite, Almighty, Majestic, the only One True God, Sovereign, Trustworthy, Faithful, Holy, Loving, True, Righteous, Just, Merciful, Gracious, Worthy of Worship, Redeemer, Savior, Deliverer, King of Kings, Lord of lords, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Good Shepherd, Great Physician, Maker of Heaven and Earth, Way Maker, Promise Keeper, and Miracle Worker. These are just a few of His names and attributes.

I have a challenge for each of you reading this. Why not incorporate thanksgiving and praise into your daily prayer life? Instead of only praying when there is an emergency or when something urgent comes along, pray every day, at least three times a day. Pray in the morning, pray at noon time, and pray in the evening. These times of prayer and thanksgiving should last longer than a four or five sentence prayer. Take time with the Father to dwell on Him and enter worship with Him. If you are not used to praying, start out thanking Him for everything that happened in the day. Include the small stuff, even if you think that it is not worth mentioning. Talk with God as if you were talking to a close friend. Give thanks for everything.

I pray that you will make “Thanksgiving” an everyday occurrence and that the Living God will mold you into the man or woman that He wants you to become. After all, God deserves to be praised and thanks every day until we go to meet Him at the end of life on earth.

References:

Dave Earley, 28 Days to Powerful Prayer (Uhrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing, 2020)49.

Dictionary.com

Photo Credit: Jean Leon Gerome Ferris: The First Thanksgiving

[1] Dave Earley, 28 Days to Powerful Prayer (Uhrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing, 2020)49.

Share this:

Like this:

Related

Leave a Reply Cancel reply