Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn.
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Please join us today on
Pressing in to His Presence
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as we learn the value
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of starting our
prayers with thanksgiving.
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Welcome to
Pressing in to His Presence.
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Today, we are
going to learn the value
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of starting our
prayer with thanksgiving
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and why this is
such a vital thing.
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If you have been following along
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in your program companion book
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"Pressing in to His Presence"
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we're beginning on
chapter three today.
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Now, on previous programs
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I have shared
how God impressed me
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to spend an hour with
Him each day in prayer
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to overcome backsliding.
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But what God taught me
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I'm going to be sharing with you
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and it is just as
valuable for a shorter prayer.
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So don't think that it
has to be an hour long prayer.
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And although its not necessary
to write out our prayers
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I was trying this process
which is called journaling
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and on that first morning
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I-- that I was trying
to pray the first time
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for an hour journaling
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I typed the date
at the top of my page
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and stared my computer screen.
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That blank white
screen glared back at me
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and it was intimidating.
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So I prayed
Father, where do I begin?
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Teach me how to pray.
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Teach me how to
press into Your presence.
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And the verse
that came to my mind
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was Psalms 100:4, 5
and there Bible says
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"Enter into his
gates with thanksgiving
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and into his courts with praise.
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Be thankful to him
and bless his name."
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That was the answer.
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I was to begin my prayer
with praise and that's what
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we are going to
be discussing today.
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But first let's consider
God's plan to have a people
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who are a royal priesthood.
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The Old Testament reveals that
before God established Aaron
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and his descendents
along with the tribe of Levi
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before He established them
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to carryout the
duties of the priesthood
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God had called all of His people
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to be a kingdom of priest.
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The setting was
the wilderness of Sinai
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where the Israelites were
encamped before the mountain.
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And God instructed
Moses to tell the people
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in Exodus 19:4-6 these words.
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"You have seen what
I did to the Egyptians,
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and how I bore
you on eagles' wings
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and brought you to Myself."
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Can you hear
the language of love
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God is bringing
His people to Himself
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delivering them out of Egypt?
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Bearing them up
like on eagles' wings.
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And He says "Now therefore,
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if you will indeed obey My
voice and keep My covenant,
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then you shall be a
special treasure to Me
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above all people for
all the earth is Mine.
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And you shall be to Me
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a kingdom of
priests and a holy nation."
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Well, we know they didn't obey.
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Although the Israelites of all
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do not follow
God's original plan
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the same call is issued
for God's New Testament people
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under the lordship of
our Savior Jesus Christ.
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We are called to
fulfill this role
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of being a kingdom of priest.
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1 Peter 2:9 say--
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if I can find it here says this.
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"You are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood,
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a holy nation, His
own special people,
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that you may
proclaim the praises of Him
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who called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light,
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you who once were not a people
but are now the people of God,
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who had not obtained mercy
but now have obtained mercy."
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Do you see that Christians
are a royal priesthood,
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a fellowship of
priests who are to come boldly
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into God's presence
through the new and living way
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open for us by
the blood of Jesus?
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You know, as ancient priest
entered into the courtyards
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they had to enter into God's
presence in a specific order.
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First they
entered through a gate
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and when they did
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they were doing this
to reach the outer court
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they walked
through with thanksgiving.
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I thought about
this that first morning
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as I was preparing to
journal my first prayer
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and as I did I
pictured the heavenly temple
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described by the apostle
John in Revelation 11:19.
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It says there, then the temple
of God was opened in heaven
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and the Ark of His
Covenant was seen in the temple.
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The priests of old
drew near to the Lord
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in the earthly sanctuary.
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Now I was
preparing to draw near to Him
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in His heavenly sanctuary.
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God was leading me
press into His presence
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through the heavenly
portal of thanksgiving.
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This would be the
first portion of my prayer
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and would be followed by praise.
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Now, since
thanksgiving is a form of praise
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I just combine
thanksgiving and praise
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under the one label of praise.
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So what is thanksgiving?
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Why should we begin
our prayer in this way?
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Thanksgiving is a joyful
expression of gratitude to God
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for His goodness toward us,
recognizing Him as the giver
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of every good and perfect gift.
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God wants us to
recognize, appreciate
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and acknowledge His goodness
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so that we may proclaim
all of His wondrous works
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with a voice of thanksgiving.
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Why?
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Why does God want
us to give Him thanks?
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It took me some time to realize
how faith building this is.
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God prescribed the
practice of thanksgiving
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to open our
hearts like receptacles
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and to be open
vessels ready to be filled
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with a greater
measure of trust and faith.
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Let me illustrate
this with a story.
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The Sunday morning
after my 2004 car accident
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the problems I
confronted set me up
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as the perfect
candidate for complaining.
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Just 24 hours earlier I had
that typical ration of troubles
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that accompany more to life
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but good health had made
it easier to give thanks.
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My pastor was out of
town so I had been scheduled
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that Saturday to
present two church services
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in two different
towns, my home church
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and then another
church that was 30 miles away.
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One service began at 9:30
am and the other at 11 am.
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So when I
concluded the first service
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I departed for the
next without delay.
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And traveling down a four lane
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divided highway
driving southbound
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at the speed limit
of 70 miles an hour
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I saw a white van
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who pulled out from a dirt road.
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He crossed the northbound lines
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and then he came into
the median and he stopped.
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He appeared to be looking
my way so I didn't slow down.
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I was in the outside lane
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but just as I
approached his location
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he soared across the
first southbound land
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and into the second outer lane
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just about 12 feet
directly in front of me.
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There was no
time to hit the brakes
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and that wouldn't have
prevented the collusion anyway.
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I knew that I broadsided
that van someone would die.
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So instinctively I
yank the steering wheel
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sharply to the
right and then I saw
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there was a
deep, deep dirt ditch
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that ran parallel to the road.
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But I was careening directly
toward a concrete culvert
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which had two steel rods just
judging out from its center.
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And I cried out and
I said, Lord, save me.
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But that's the
only words of prayer
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that time would permit.
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And honestly
details from that moment
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are a little bit blurry
but my SUV I know slammed
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nose down into the dirt ditch
missing the concrete culvert
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and I went from 70
miles to 0 on impact.
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So contents from the back
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catapulted to
their front floorboard
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brick is shaking like a bullet
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my SUV lurched into the
air, made a quarter turn
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and bounced
violently to its landing.
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I momentarily lost consciousness
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and when I open my
eyes I was surprised to see
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that I was actually
straddling this V shaped ditch.
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I shut at the door repeatedly
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against the earth
and side of the ditch
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and I managed to
open it just a crack,
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just enough to squeeze through.
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So stumbling upward to the weeds
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I saw the white
van he had pulled off
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to the side of the road
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just a couple of
hundred yards at the highway.
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But when the driver
spotted my head coming up
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he hopped into
his van and sped off.
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So there I was dazed and I
saw a couple of cars pass by
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and I was desperately
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trying to wave
them down but apparently
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they weren't able to
see me down in the ditch.
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I couldn't find my
cell phone to call for help
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so I noticed that ditch actually
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became shallower as
it went further south.
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That appeared to my best option
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was just to try to
maneuver my vehicle
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out of its landing place.
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So with the car
straddling the sloping sides
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I cautiously drove a quarter
of a mile onto the ground
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graduated in
elevation enough to allow me
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to actually
return to the highway.
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And unaware of how seriously
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I had been injured I
reached the second church
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as the song
service was finishing
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and I delivered the
message God had given me
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but boy, now on
the morning after
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I knew my
injures were significant.
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Throbbing pain had robbed me
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of even a wink
of sleep all night
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and my neck
seemed hot and swollen
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and I couldn't turn my head.
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The slightest moment of my arms
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caused nerve pain that just shot
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from the base of my
neck through my fingertips.
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And my fingers were jammed
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and swollen
twice the normal size
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and they were throbbing.
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And I had a torn
ligament in my shoulder
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and it mimic a
knife just being thrust
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through the shoulder blade.
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My feet bottoms were bruised,
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I had an egg size
bump on my forehead
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and that explain my headache.
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There is one thing I knew
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I wouldn't be
writing my prayer this day.
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You know, I could have
murmured against the Lord.
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Wasn't I working
in His harvest fields
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when it happened?
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Hadn't I prayed
for traveling mercies?
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Why would He allow such a
tragic accident to happen?
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My husband JD was out of
town and I was home all alone
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and I was parched and thirsty
00:12:19.11\00:12:20.84
and I couldn't even get out
of bed for a glass of water.
00:12:20.87\00:12:24.66
In my mind I tried to calculate
00:12:24.69\00:12:27.03
how on earth we'll
repay for the medical costs
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that are sure to come.
00:12:30.17\00:12:31.98
I knew that
benefits from our auto policy
00:12:32.01\00:12:35.50
would be questionable.
00:12:35.53\00:12:37.01
There had been no
collusion, no police report
00:12:37.04\00:12:40.63
and no witnesses to step forth.
00:12:40.66\00:12:43.35
Now, on our
health insurance policy
00:12:43.38\00:12:45.43
we carried a
$5,000 purposed deductible
00:12:45.46\00:12:48.88
that was gonna be a
big hit to our pocket
00:12:48.91\00:12:52.53
and actually neither
policy seemed too promising
00:12:52.56\00:12:55.75
to help us out of the situation.
00:12:55.78\00:12:58.27
And I realized it could
result in massy medical expenses
00:12:58.30\00:13:02.22
at a time that we
could ill afford it.
00:13:02.25\00:13:05.78
Perhaps, I would have
murmured had I know than
00:13:05.81\00:13:09.26
that it was gonna ultimately
cost us $18,000 out of pocket
00:13:09.29\00:13:13.88
because our
health provider insisted
00:13:13.91\00:13:16.20
the auto insurer should pay
00:13:16.23\00:13:18.52
and auto insurance
it sought otherwise.
00:13:18.55\00:13:23.13
So neither one
paid but the point is
00:13:23.16\00:13:27.01
I didn't murmur and
in that's no glory to me.
00:13:27.04\00:13:31.20
God had so changed my heart
00:13:31.23\00:13:34.19
through the
practice of thanksgiving
00:13:34.22\00:13:36.62
that I sensed His
blessing in every situation.
00:13:36.65\00:13:41.39
He had filled my
heart with trust and faith
00:13:41.42\00:13:44.95
through the experience of
acknowledging His goodness.
00:13:44.98\00:13:50.70
So instead of murmuring
I prayed thank you, Father,
00:13:50.73\00:13:54.56
that I didn't
collided with that van
00:13:54.59\00:13:56.49
and killed someone.
00:13:56.52\00:13:58.14
Thank you Father,
for saving my life.
00:13:58.17\00:14:00.79
Thank You for
sending angels to carry me
00:14:00.82\00:14:04.42
beyond that concrete culvert.
00:14:04.45\00:14:06.85
Had I hit it I
would probably had died.
00:14:06.88\00:14:09.93
Oh, I said
Father, I'm so thankful
00:14:09.96\00:14:11.93
that the impact
was in the dirt ditch.
00:14:11.96\00:14:14.65
Thank You for preventing
my SUV from rolling over.
00:14:14.68\00:14:18.30
Thank You that I
wasn't injured by the tools
00:14:18.33\00:14:22.90
or impaled by the T posts.
00:14:22.93\00:14:25.46
We had fenced T
post in the back.
00:14:25.49\00:14:27.95
And I said oh, Lord,
00:14:27.98\00:14:29.01
I praise You
for your protection.
00:14:29.04\00:14:32.37
Thank You that I can still walk.
00:14:32.40\00:14:35.65
Thank You for blessing me.
00:14:35.68\00:14:37.57
With so many other blessings
I give thanks for I know
00:14:37.60\00:14:41.95
You will work
this out for my good.
00:14:41.98\00:14:44.50
You have a plan for
my life, hallelujah.
00:14:44.53\00:14:49.92
So here I was the
following morning Monday
00:14:49.95\00:14:54.62
and I woke to a severe
post concussion syndrome
00:14:54.65\00:14:59.49
and
uncontrollably raising thoughts.
00:14:59.52\00:15:02.88
They seem true
although they weren't.
00:15:02.91\00:15:05.30
Eventually I learned that
00:15:05.33\00:15:06.90
I had cracked the
access of my spine right here
00:15:06.93\00:15:10.09
where your head
sits on your spine
00:15:10.12\00:15:12.25
and I had two badly
bulging discs in my neck.
00:15:12.28\00:15:15.17
So surgery to repair the damage
00:15:15.20\00:15:17.60
would have left my head
with no range of motion.
00:15:17.63\00:15:21.05
I would have been
turning like this.
00:15:21.08\00:15:24.08
So for the next-- they wanted
to operate but I told them no.
00:15:24.11\00:15:29.49
So for the next 42 months
constant pain was my companion
00:15:29.52\00:15:35.03
yet I rarely
murmured about my condition
00:15:35.06\00:15:38.11
and again that's no glory to me.
00:15:38.14\00:15:41.41
Because I was tempted to murmur
00:15:41.44\00:15:43.59
but when I was tempted
the Holy Spirit reminded me
00:15:43.62\00:15:47.32
to continue thanking God
00:15:47.35\00:15:49.59
for His mighty
hand of protection.
00:15:49.62\00:15:52.94
Here is our wake up call.
00:15:52.97\00:15:55.29
If we murmur and complain
against our circumstances
00:15:55.32\00:16:00.51
we are actually murmuring
and complaining against God
00:16:00.54\00:16:05.78
and forgetting
all of His benefits.
00:16:05.81\00:16:08.86
In Psalm 103:2-4 this
is what King David wrote.
00:16:08.89\00:16:15.35
He said, "Bless
the Lord, O my soul,
00:16:15.38\00:16:19.75
and forget not all His benefits
00:16:19.78\00:16:23.54
who forgives all
your iniquities,"
00:16:23.57\00:16:26.48
and boy, that's enough
for thanksgiving right there
00:16:26.51\00:16:28.82
if we didn't go any further.
00:16:28.85\00:16:31.59
"Who heals all your diseases,
00:16:31.62\00:16:34.50
who redeems your
life from destruction,
00:16:34.53\00:16:38.87
who crowns you
with loving-kindness
00:16:38.90\00:16:41.88
and tender mercies."
00:16:41.91\00:16:44.30
You know, that Bible
passage was my constant prayer.
00:16:44.33\00:16:49.58
Thanksgiving had made my
heart like an open receptacle
00:16:49.61\00:16:54.65
into which God could
pour out His blessings.
00:16:54.68\00:16:58.41
And one morning
three and half years
00:16:58.44\00:17:00.58
after my accident
00:17:00.61\00:17:02.30
there was a stunning
reversal of my situation.
00:17:02.33\00:17:05.82
I woke up and the pain
was gone, completely gone.
00:17:05.85\00:17:09.73
I had trusted in God's goodness
00:17:09.76\00:17:12.03
and He and His delight
of mercy removed my torment.
00:17:12.06\00:17:17.16
It's never returned.
00:17:17.19\00:17:18.75
So I agree with what Paul
wrote to the Thessalonians.
00:17:18.78\00:17:23.24
He said in 1
Thessalonians 5:16-18.
00:17:23.27\00:17:28.63
"Rejoice always,
pray without ceasing,
00:17:28.66\00:17:33.45
in everything give thanks
00:17:33.48\00:17:36.73
for this is the will of
God in Christ Jesus for you."
00:17:36.76\00:17:41.76
And then David
said in Psalm 95:2,
00:17:41.79\00:17:46.62
"Let us come before His
presence with thanksgiving.
00:17:46.65\00:17:51.85
Let us shout
joyfully to Him with Psalms."
00:17:51.88\00:17:57.53
It isn't easy to give thanks
00:17:57.56\00:17:59.32
in everything as Paul
had many issues to do.
00:17:59.35\00:18:01.58
It's not easy but
it is their beauty.
00:18:01.61\00:18:04.52
You may have heard the story
of the man who was complaining
00:18:04.55\00:18:08.30
because he had no
shoes until the day
00:18:08.33\00:18:10.06
he saw a man who had no feet.
00:18:10.09\00:18:12.33
In every situation
00:18:12.36\00:18:14.09
you and I have something
more for which to be thankful
00:18:14.12\00:18:17.65
than does about 90 percent
of the world's population.
00:18:17.68\00:18:21.21
You know, I have a
long standing friendship
00:18:21.24\00:18:22.95
with a dear sister in Christ
00:18:22.98\00:18:24.67
whom I've never
met but we Skype weekly
00:18:24.70\00:18:28.11
and she watch 3ABN for
years to improve her English.
00:18:28.14\00:18:33.08
And so a number of years ago
this resulted in her conversion
00:18:33.11\00:18:36.77
from the Muslim religion
she lost her prestigious job,
00:18:36.80\00:18:40.64
she lost-- she suffered
abuse from here husband.
00:18:40.67\00:18:44.26
He eventually
divorced her and unfortunately
00:18:44.29\00:18:46.76
he got custody
of their children.
00:18:46.79\00:18:48.81
But through it all
she learned the lesson
00:18:48.84\00:18:51.44
that you and I need to,
she keeps her heart open
00:18:51.47\00:18:55.17
before the Lord
through thanksgiving.
00:18:55.20\00:18:57.32
She recognizes and
acknowledges God's goodness
00:18:57.35\00:19:01.07
and therefore she approaches
her loving heavenly Father
00:19:01.10\00:19:04.68
with a heart
filled with expectation.
00:19:04.71\00:19:07.31
And God daily gives
her evidences of His love
00:19:07.34\00:19:11.33
and presence in here life.
00:19:11.36\00:19:13.26
This trusting
daughter is just like Job.
00:19:13.29\00:19:17.62
She is saying though he slave me
00:19:17.65\00:19:22.09
yet will I trust Him.
00:19:22.12\00:19:25.97
Her faith serves as a
spiritual telescope that
00:19:26.00\00:19:29.34
lets her look
ahead to a better day
00:19:29.37\00:19:32.03
and such faith inspires me.
00:19:32.06\00:19:34.88
Thanksgiving is a faith builder.
00:19:34.91\00:19:37.03
It takes our eyes off self
00:19:37.06\00:19:38.61
and puts them--
our vision on the Lord.
00:19:38.64\00:19:41.36
And as we contemplate His
love for us it awakens our awe.
00:19:41.39\00:19:45.93
The act of thanksgiving
alters our attitudes,
00:19:45.96\00:19:48.46
it prevents the
poor pitiful me party.
00:19:48.49\00:19:51.42
Are you in
emotional turmoil right now?
00:19:51.45\00:19:53.73
This is how concepts
seem pouring to your mind.
00:19:53.76\00:19:56.52
I understand
because I have shared
00:19:56.55\00:19:58.48
your feelings in the past.
00:19:58.51\00:20:00.34
Have you lost a loved one,
00:20:00.37\00:20:02.03
it is difficult to discover
reasons for thanksgiving
00:20:02.06\00:20:05.31
when your heart is
gripped with grief.
00:20:05.34\00:20:08.12
But consider thanking God
for being capable of loving
00:20:08.15\00:20:11.65
which means, you're
capable of grieving,
00:20:11.68\00:20:14.83
you're capable of
loving consider thanking Him
00:20:14.86\00:20:17.70
for the time shared
with that special person.
00:20:17.73\00:20:20.91
Perhaps you've been
victimized suffering cruelties
00:20:20.94\00:20:24.95
at the hands of the
unsympathetic abuser.
00:20:24.98\00:20:28.05
I can tell you
from personal experience
00:20:28.08\00:20:30.27
I know this can
scribal the heart
00:20:30.30\00:20:32.51
and stifle thanksgiving.
00:20:32.54\00:20:34.49
But if this is your
case please consider
00:20:34.52\00:20:36.99
thanking God for His mercies
which are new every morning
00:20:37.02\00:20:40.94
and for the better plan
that He has for your life
00:20:40.97\00:20:44.05
which He will reveal
as you seek His face.
00:20:44.08\00:20:48.61
Maybe you've been
diagnosed with a fatal disease
00:20:48.64\00:20:51.27
causing your heart to
squeeze like a wise with fear.
00:20:51.30\00:20:56.45
Consider thanking God
00:20:56.48\00:20:57.98
for the blessed
hope of eternal like
00:20:58.01\00:21:00.17
and for the
opportunity to know in advance
00:21:00.20\00:21:03.68
so you can put
your fears in order.
00:21:03.71\00:21:06.40
Thank Him for the
peaceful rest ahead of you
00:21:06.43\00:21:09.12
as you will wait
resurrection morning
00:21:09.15\00:21:11.46
when you hear His
voice and come forward
00:21:11.49\00:21:14.48
from the grave
to everlasting life.
00:21:14.51\00:21:17.90
Thanksgiving can
quell your feel adding joy
00:21:17.93\00:21:21.05
and quality to
each remaining moment.
00:21:21.08\00:21:23.70
Learning to live
with your condition
00:21:23.73\00:21:25.89
is better than
learning to die with it.
00:21:25.92\00:21:28.45
Maybe you are facing serious
but more mundane problems,
00:21:28.48\00:21:32.30
Perhaps, there
are financial problems
00:21:32.33\00:21:33.94
or someone is spreading
malicious rumors about you.
00:21:33.97\00:21:37.26
James 1:2 says count it all joy
00:21:37.29\00:21:41.43
when you fall
into various trials.
00:21:41.46\00:21:43.66
Now that's difficult counsel
00:21:43.69\00:21:45.43
but learning to
heed it has its reward.
00:21:45.46\00:21:48.13
Why should we give
thanks for fiery trials
00:21:48.16\00:21:51.55
the apostle James
continues by telling us
00:21:51.58\00:21:54.31
that trials produce patience
00:21:54.34\00:21:56.70
and when patience
is worked out in us
00:21:56.73\00:21:59.00
we are perfect
and we lack nothing.
00:21:59.03\00:22:01.67
Crises reveals character.
00:22:01.70\00:22:04.07
So God sees a
greater potential on us
00:22:04.10\00:22:06.61
and He trust us with the trial
00:22:06.64\00:22:08.61
in order that He may
polish our potential.
00:22:08.64\00:22:11.51
He engineers our circumstances
for our eternal benefit
00:22:11.54\00:22:15.94
working all things together
for our good to conform us
00:22:15.97\00:22:18.93
to the image of our
Lord and Savior Jesus.
00:22:18.96\00:22:22.24
As we are tried in
the fiery furnace of trial
00:22:22.27\00:22:26.17
our faith is purified
and it's used with patience.
00:22:26.20\00:22:31.59
Faith eliminates
the fog of circumstances
00:22:31.62\00:22:34.84
and we see God's
goodness more clearly
00:22:34.87\00:22:37.89
and it is something
00:22:37.92\00:22:39.72
that establishes
peace in our hearts.
00:22:39.75\00:22:42.70
Ephesians 5:20, Paul says,
00:22:42.73\00:22:45.64
"Giving thanks for all
things to God the Father
00:22:45.67\00:22:50.83
in the name of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ."
00:22:50.86\00:22:55.05
You know the luster
of our faith life is mod
00:22:55.08\00:22:59.11
when we murmur
about our circumstances.
00:22:59.14\00:23:02.18
Did our circumstances
escape the attention of the one
00:23:02.21\00:23:05.06
who know the end
from the beginning?
00:23:05.09\00:23:07.42
Instead of
focusing on the problems
00:23:07.45\00:23:09.75
we should be
focusing on the goodness
00:23:09.78\00:23:11.94
and mercy of the problem solver.
00:23:11.97\00:23:14.39
He will hear from heaven
and will reward your faith.
00:23:14.42\00:23:17.58
He will keep you
in perfect peace.
00:23:17.61\00:23:20.30
The obvious point
here is to develop
00:23:20.33\00:23:22.75
and maintain a thankful heart.
00:23:22.78\00:23:24.78
Make a list of your blessings
00:23:24.81\00:23:27.14
and at the top of your
list should be thanksgiving
00:23:27.17\00:23:30.26
for His perfect
indescribable gift
00:23:30.29\00:23:33.86
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
00:23:33.89\00:23:35.84
and the gift of salvation.
00:23:35.87\00:23:37.70
Thank Him for
strengthening you with the power
00:23:37.73\00:23:40.57
through His Holy
Spirit living in you.
00:23:40.60\00:23:42.85
Thank Him for the
transforming power of His word
00:23:42.88\00:23:45.96
which implanted in your hearts,
00:23:45.99\00:23:47.67
James says is able
to save your souls.
00:23:47.70\00:23:50.74
Remember
thanksgiving build faith.
00:23:50.77\00:23:54.42
And Hebrews 11:6 says,
00:23:54.45\00:23:56.65
"Without faith it is
impossible to please Him,
00:23:56.68\00:24:00.28
for he who comes to God
must believe that He is,
00:24:00.31\00:24:03.66
and that He is a
rewarder of those
00:24:03.69\00:24:06.53
who diligently seek Him."
00:24:06.56\00:24:10.16
When we enter His
gates with thanksgiving
00:24:10.19\00:24:12.91
remembering His rewards
00:24:12.94\00:24:15.27
we will pray more boldly
with increased assurance.
00:24:15.30\00:24:19.38
Building on the
foundation of trust
00:24:19.41\00:24:21.69
our faith mounts up on wings
00:24:21.72\00:24:23.86
and we are ready
to approach the Lord
00:24:23.89\00:24:26.19
in a manner that pleases Him
00:24:26.22\00:24:28.64
and we won't risk being
guilty of grieving the Lord
00:24:28.67\00:24:31.70
through
ingratitude and disbelief.
00:24:31.73\00:24:34.76
You know, just
consider this for a moment.
00:24:34.79\00:24:37.65
Have you ever given good things
00:24:37.68\00:24:40.54
and perform special
favors of-- for someone
00:24:40.57\00:24:44.00
who repeatedly takes
your generosity for granted.
00:24:44.03\00:24:47.77
How do you feel
with little to know
00:24:47.80\00:24:49.46
appreciation is expressed?
00:24:49.49\00:24:51.70
Be honest.
00:24:51.73\00:24:52.86
If you've come into contact
00:24:52.89\00:24:54.81
with an ungrateful
wretch like this the day arrives
00:24:54.84\00:24:58.53
when you weigh the benefits
of withholding your faith
00:24:58.56\00:25:01.81
or to teach the
good lesson of gratitude.
00:25:01.84\00:25:04.30
Isn't that true?
00:25:04.33\00:25:05.81
It grieves the heart
of the giver of every good
00:25:05.84\00:25:08.85
and perfect gift
when we fail to thank Him
00:25:08.88\00:25:12.60
for His undeserved
goodness toward us.
00:25:12.63\00:25:15.70
In Luke 17:17, 18,
00:25:15.73\00:25:19.37
Jesus healed ten lepers
and only one a Samaritan
00:25:19.40\00:25:24.27
returned to offer
the thanksgiving to him.
00:25:24.30\00:25:27.12
"And Jesus asked,
'were there not any found
00:25:27.15\00:25:31.14
who returned to give glory
to God expect this foreigner.'
00:25:31.17\00:25:35.71
" I wonder if God
delays answering our prayers
00:25:35.74\00:25:38.96
because of our
lack of thanksgiving
00:25:38.99\00:25:41.27
just to teach us a lesson
of showing appreciation for all
00:25:41.30\00:25:45.84
He has done for us
through Christ Jesus.
00:25:45.87\00:25:49.20
Though provoking, isn't it?
00:25:49.23\00:25:51.40
Hebrews 13:15
says, "Therefore by him
00:25:51.43\00:25:56.45
let us continually offer
the sacrifice of praise to God,
00:25:56.48\00:26:03.63
that is, the fruit of our lips,
00:26:03.66\00:26:07.80
giving thanks to His name."
00:26:07.83\00:26:12.02
oh, thanks is something--
that thanksgiving is something
00:26:12.05\00:26:17.89
that we sure take for granted.
00:26:17.92\00:26:23.00
Today, we have
learned the importance
00:26:23.03\00:26:26.69
of being like the priests of old
00:26:26.72\00:26:29.49
who entered into the gates of--
00:26:29.52\00:26:33.78
I say they were pressing
into the presence of God
00:26:33.81\00:26:36.88
they entered into the gates
00:26:36.91\00:26:39.11
with
thanksgiving in their hearts
00:26:39.14\00:26:42.13
and if we would just do
this what it will do for us
00:26:42.16\00:26:48.50
is it will change our attitudes.
00:26:48.53\00:26:52.40
We won't be
having that pity party
00:26:52.43\00:26:55.54
and remember self pity is
straight from the pits of hell.
00:26:55.57\00:27:00.25
But as we start off our
prayer with thanksgiving
00:27:00.28\00:27:05.31
it changes the way we
think, it changes our attitude,
00:27:05.34\00:27:10.01
it opens up our heart before God
00:27:10.04\00:27:12.83
and we can receive from
Him and we are pleasing Him
00:27:12.86\00:27:18.28
because we are
coming before Him with faith
00:27:18.31\00:27:22.62
and without faith it's
impossible to please Him.
00:27:22.65\00:27:26.73
It is so important
00:27:26.76\00:27:28.83
that we learn to be
like the priests of old.
00:27:28.86\00:27:33.06
You and I we were
called as the people of God
00:27:33.09\00:27:36.65
to be a kingdom of priest
so as we approach our Lord
00:27:36.68\00:27:42.00
let us enter into His
gates with thanksgiving.
00:27:42.03\00:27:46.29
Let us find plenty of reason.
00:27:46.32\00:27:50.42
We can always find
reason to thank God.
00:27:50.45\00:27:54.61
Now, I pray that you
will be joining us next time
00:27:54.64\00:27:58.39
as we will be
learning how to enter
00:27:58.42\00:28:02.24
after entering
through thanksgiving
00:28:02.27\00:28:04.77
we will press into His presence
00:28:04.80\00:28:06.80
and enter His courts with praise
00:28:06.83\00:28:10.01
and that will
change our mental purpose.
00:28:10.04\00:28:12.27