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
00:12:19.00\00:12:20.74
and I couldn't even get out
of bed for a glass of water.
00:12:20.77\00:12:24.54
In my mind I tried to calculate
00:12:24.57\00:12:26.91
how on earth we'll
repay for the medical costs
00:12:26.94\00:12:30.05
that are sure to come.
00:12:30.08\00:12:31.88
I knew that
benefits from our auto policy
00:12:31.91\00:12:35.38
would be questionable.
00:12:35.42\00:12:36.92
There had been no
collusion, no police report
00:12:36.95\00:12:40.52
and no witnesses to step forth.
00:12:40.56\00:12:43.26
Now, on our
health insurance policy
00:12:43.29\00:12:45.33
we carried a
$5,000 purposed deductible
00:12:45.36\00:12:48.76
that was gonna be a
big hit to our pocket
00:12:48.80\00:12:52.40
and actually neither
policy seemed too promising
00:12:52.43\00:12:55.64
to help us out of the situation.
00:12:55.67\00:12:58.17
And I realized it could
result in massy medical expenses
00:12:58.21\00:13:02.11
at a time that we
could ill afford it.
00:13:02.14\00:13:05.68
Perhaps, I would have
murmured had I know than
00:13:05.71\00:13:09.15
that it was gonna ultimately
cost us $18,000 out of pocket
00:13:09.18\00:13:13.79
because our
health provider insisted
00:13:13.82\00:13:16.09
the auto insurer should pay
00:13:16.12\00:13:18.43
and auto insurance
it sought otherwise.
00:13:18.46\00:13:23.00
So neither one
paid but the point is
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I didn't murmur and
in that's no glory to me.
00:13:26.94\00:13:31.07
God had so changed my heart
00:13:31.11\00:13:34.08
through the
practice of thanksgiving
00:13:34.11\00:13:36.51
that I sensed His
blessing in every situation.
00:13:36.54\00:13:41.28
He had filled my
heart with trust and faith
00:13:41.32\00:13:44.85
through the experience of
acknowledging His goodness.
00:13:44.89\00:13:50.59
So instead of murmuring
I prayed thank you, Father,
00:13:50.63\00:13:54.46
that I didn't
collided with that van
00:13:54.46\00:13:56.36
and killed someone.
00:13:56.40\00:13:58.03
Thank you Father,
for saving my life.
00:13:58.07\00:14:00.67
Thank You for
sending angels to carry me
00:14:00.70\00:14:04.31
beyond that concrete culvert.
00:14:04.34\00:14:06.74
Had I hit it I
would probably had died.
00:14:06.78\00:14:09.81
Oh, I said
Father, I'm so thankful
00:14:09.84\00:14:11.81
that the impact
was in the dirt ditch.
00:14:11.85\00:14:14.55
Thank You for preventing
my SUV from rolling over.
00:14:14.58\00:14:18.19
Thank You that I
wasn't injured by the tools
00:14:18.22\00:14:22.79
or impaled by the T posts.
00:14:22.82\00:14:25.36
We had fenced T
post in the back.
00:14:25.39\00:14:27.86
And I said oh, Lord,
00:14:27.86\00:14:28.90
I praise You
for your protection.
00:14:28.93\00:14:32.27
Thank You that I can still walk.
00:14:32.30\00:14:35.54
Thank You for blessing me.
00:14:35.57\00:14:37.47
With so many other blessings
I give thanks for I know
00:14:37.51\00:14:41.84
You will work
this out for my good.
00:14:41.88\00:14:44.38
You have a plan for
my life, hallelujah.
00:14:44.41\00:14:49.82
So here I was the
following morning Monday
00:14:49.85\00:14:54.52
and I woke to a severe
post concussion syndrome
00:14:54.56\00:14:59.39
and
uncontrollably raising thoughts.
00:14:59.43\00:15:02.76
They seem true
although they weren't.
00:15:02.80\00:15:05.17
Eventually I learned that
00:15:05.20\00:15:06.77
I had cracked the
access of my spine right here
00:15:06.80\00:15:09.97
where your head
sits on your spine
00:15:10.01\00:15:12.14
and I had two badly
bulging discs in my neck.
00:15:12.17\00:15:15.08
So surgery to repair the damage
00:15:15.11\00:15:17.48
would have left my head
with no range of motion.
00:15:17.51\00:15:20.95
I would have been
turning like this.
00:15:20.98\00:15:23.99
So for the next-- they wanted
to operate but I told them no.
00:15:24.02\00:15:29.39
So for the next 42 months
constant pain was my companion
00:15:29.42\00:15:34.93
yet I rarely
murmured about my condition
00:15:34.93\00:15:38.00
and again that's no glory to me.
00:15:38.03\00:15:41.30
Because I was tempted to murmur
00:15:41.34\00:15:43.47
but when I was tempted
the Holy Spirit reminded me
00:15:43.51\00:15:47.21
to continue thanking God
00:15:47.24\00:15:49.48
for His mighty
hand of protection.
00:15:49.51\00:15:52.85
Here is our wake up call.
00:15:52.88\00:15:55.18
If we murmur and complain
against our circumstances
00:15:55.22\00:16:00.42
we are actually murmuring
and complaining against God
00:16:00.46\00:16:05.69
and forgetting
all of His benefits.
00:16:05.73\00:16:08.73
In Psalm 103:2-4 this
is what King David wrote.
00:16:08.76\00:16:15.24
He said, "Bless
the Lord, O my soul,
00:16:15.27\00:16:19.64
and forget not all His benefits
00:16:19.67\00:16:23.45
who forgives all
your iniquities,"
00:16:23.48\00:16:26.38
and boy, that's enough
for thanksgiving right there
00:16:26.41\00:16:28.72
if we didn't go any further.
00:16:28.75\00:16:31.49
"Who heals all your diseases,
00:16:31.52\00:16:34.39
who redeems your
life from destruction,
00:16:34.42\00:16:38.79
who crowns you
with loving-kindness
00:16:38.83\00:16:41.76
and tender mercies."
00:16:41.80\00:16:44.17
You know, that Bible
passage was my constant prayer.
00:16:44.20\00:16:49.47
Thanksgiving had made my
heart like an open receptacle
00:16:49.50\00:16:54.54
into which God could
pour out His blessings.
00:16:54.58\00:16:58.31
And one morning
three and half years
00:16:58.35\00:17:00.48
after my accident
00:17:00.52\00:17:02.18
there was a stunning
reversal of my situation.
00:17:02.22\00:17:05.72
I woke up and the pain
was gone, completely gone.
00:17:05.75\00:17:09.62
I had trusted in God's goodness
00:17:09.66\00:17:11.93
and He and His delight
of mercy removed my torment.
00:17:11.96\00:17:17.03
It's never returned.
00:17:17.07\00:17:18.63
So I agree with what Paul
wrote to the Thessalonians.
00:17:18.67\00:17:23.14
He said in 1
Thessalonians 5:16-18.
00:17:23.17\00:17:28.51
"Rejoice always,
pray without ceasing,
00:17:28.54\00:17:33.35
in everything give thanks
00:17:33.38\00:17:36.62
for this is the will of
God in Christ Jesus for you."
00:17:36.65\00:17:41.66
And then David
said in Psalm 95:2,
00:17:41.69\00:17:46.53
"Let us come before His
presence with thanksgiving.
00:17:46.56\00:17:51.73
Let us shout
joyfully to Him with Psalms."
00:17:51.77\00:17:57.41
It isn't easy to give thanks
00:17:57.44\00:17:59.21
in everything as Paul
had many issues to do.
00:17:59.24\00:18:01.48
It's not easy but
it is their beauty.
00:18:01.51\00:18:04.41
You may have heard the story
of the man who was complaining
00:18:04.45\00:18:08.18
because he had no
shoes until the day
00:18:08.22\00:18:09.95
he saw a man who had no feet.
00:18:09.98\00:18:12.22
In every situation
00:18:12.25\00:18:13.99
you and I have something
more for which to be thankful
00:18:14.02\00:18:17.56
than does about 90 percent
of the world's population.
00:18:17.59\00:18:21.10
You know, I have a
long standing friendship
00:18:21.13\00:18:22.83
with a dear sister in Christ
00:18:22.86\00:18:24.57
whom I've never
met but we Skype weekly
00:18:24.60\00:18:28.00
and she watch 3ABN for
years to improve her English.
00:18:28.04\00:18:32.97
And so a number of years ago
this resulted in her conversion
00:18:33.01\00:18:36.68
from the Muslim religion
she lost her prestigious job,
00:18:36.71\00:18:40.55
she lost-- she suffered
abuse from here husband.
00:18:40.58\00:18:44.15
He eventually
divorced her and unfortunately
00:18:44.19\00:18:46.65
he got custody
of their children.
00:18:46.69\00:18:48.72
But through it all
she learned the lesson
00:18:48.76\00:18:51.36
that you and I need to,
she keeps her heart open
00:18:51.39\00:18:55.06
before the Lord
through thanksgiving.
00:18:55.10\00:18:57.20
She recognizes and
acknowledges God's goodness
00:18:57.23\00:19:00.97
and therefore she approaches
her loving heavenly Father
00:19:01.00\00:19:04.57
with a heart
filled with expectation.
00:19:04.61\00:19:07.21
And God daily gives
her evidences of His love
00:19:07.24\00:19:11.21
and presence in here life.
00:19:11.25\00:19:13.15
This trusting
daughter is just like Job.
00:19:13.18\00:19:17.52
She is saying though he slave me
00:19:17.55\00:19:21.99
yet will I trust Him.
00:19:22.02\00:19:25.89
Her faith serves as a
spiritual telescope that
00:19:25.93\00:19:29.23
lets her look
ahead to a better day
00:19:29.26\00:19:31.90
and such faith inspires me.
00:19:31.93\00:19:34.77
Thanksgiving is a faith builder.
00:19:34.80\00:19:36.91
It takes our eyes off self
00:19:36.94\00:19:38.51
and puts them--
our vision on the Lord.
00:19:38.54\00:19:41.24
And as we contemplate His
love for us it awakens our awe.
00:19:41.28\00:19:45.81
The act of thanksgiving
alters our attitudes,
00:19:45.85\00:19:48.35
it prevents the
poor pitiful me party.
00:19:48.38\00:19:51.32
Are you in
emotional turmoil right now?
00:19:51.35\00:19:53.62
This is how concepts
seem pouring to your mind.
00:19:53.66\00:19:56.42
I understand
because I have shared
00:19:56.46\00:19:58.39
your feelings in the past.
00:19:58.43\00:20:00.26
Have you lost a loved one,
00:20:00.30\00:20:01.90
it is difficult to discover
reasons for thanksgiving
00:20:01.93\00:20:05.20
when your heart is
gripped with grief.
00:20:05.23\00:20:08.00
But consider thanking God
for being capable of loving
00:20:08.04\00:20:11.54
which means, you're
capable of grieving,
00:20:11.57\00:20:14.71
you're capable of
loving consider thanking Him
00:20:14.74\00:20:17.58
for the time shared
with that special person.
00:20:17.61\00:20:20.82
Perhaps you've been
victimized suffering cruelties
00:20:20.85\00:20:24.85
at the hands of the
unsympathetic abuser.
00:20:24.89\00:20:27.96
I can tell you
from personal experience
00:20:27.99\00:20:30.19
I know this can
scribal the heart
00:20:30.23\00:20:32.43
and stifle thanksgiving.
00:20:32.46\00:20:34.36
But if this is your
case please consider
00:20:34.40\00:20:36.87
thanking God for His mercies
which are new every morning
00:20:36.90\00:20:40.84
and for the better plan
that He has for your life
00:20:40.87\00:20:43.94
which He will reveal
as you seek His face.
00:20:43.97\00:20:48.51
Maybe you've been
diagnosed with a fatal disease
00:20:48.54\00:20:51.18
causing your heart to
squeeze like a wise with fear.
00:20:51.21\00:20:56.35
Consider thanking God
00:20:56.38\00:20:57.89
for the blessed
hope of eternal like
00:20:57.92\00:21:00.09
and for the
opportunity to know in advance
00:21:00.12\00:21:03.59
so you can put
your fears in order.
00:21:03.63\00:21:06.29
Thank Him for the
peaceful rest ahead of you
00:21:06.33\00:21:09.00
as you will wait
resurrection morning
00:21:09.03\00:21:11.33
when you hear His
voice and come forward
00:21:11.37\00:21:14.37
from the grave
to everlasting life.
00:21:14.40\00:21:17.77
Thanksgiving can
quell your feel adding joy
00:21:17.81\00:21:20.94
and quality to
each remaining moment.
00:21:20.98\00:21:23.58
Learning to live
with your condition
00:21:23.61\00:21:25.78
is better than
learning to die with it.
00:21:25.81\00:21:28.35
Maybe you are facing serious
but more mundane problems,
00:21:28.38\00:21:32.19
Perhaps, there
are financial problems
00:21:32.22\00:21:33.86
or someone is spreading
malicious rumors about you.
00:21:33.89\00:21:37.16
James 1:2 says count it all joy
00:21:37.19\00:21:41.30
when you fall
into various trials.
00:21:41.33\00:21:43.53
Now that's difficult counsel
00:21:43.57\00:21:45.30
but learning to
heed it has its reward.
00:21:45.33\00:21:48.00
Why should we give
thanks for fiery trials
00:21:48.04\00:21:51.44
the apostle James
continues by telling us
00:21:51.47\00:21:54.21
that trials produce patience
00:21:54.24\00:21:56.58
and when patience
is worked out in us
00:21:56.61\00:21:58.88
we are perfect
and we lack nothing.
00:21:58.91\00:22:01.58
Crises reveals character.
00:22:01.62\00:22:03.99
So God sees a
greater potential on us
00:22:04.02\00:22:06.52
and He trust us with the trial
00:22:06.55\00:22:08.52
in order that He may
polish our potential.
00:22:08.56\00:22:11.43
He engineers our circumstances
for our eternal benefit
00:22:11.46\00:22:15.83
working all things together
for our good to conform us
00:22:15.86\00:22:18.80
to the image of our
Lord and Savior Jesus.
00:22:18.83\00:22:22.14
As we are tried in
the fiery furnace of trial
00:22:22.17\00:22:26.07
our faith is purified
and it's used with patience.
00:22:26.11\00:22:31.48
Faith eliminates
the fog of circumstances
00:22:31.51\00:22:34.75
and we see God's
goodness more clearly
00:22:34.78\00:22:37.79
and it is something
00:22:37.82\00:22:39.62
that establishes
peace in our hearts.
00:22:39.65\00:22:42.59
Ephesians 5:20, Paul says,
00:22:42.62\00:22:45.56
"Giving thanks for all
things to God the Father
00:22:45.59\00:22:50.70
in the name of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ."
00:22:50.73\00:22:54.94
You know the luster
of our faith life is mod
00:22:54.97\00:22:59.01
when we murmur
about our circumstances.
00:22:59.04\00:23:02.08
Did our circumstances
escape the attention of the one
00:23:02.11\00:23:04.95
who know the end
from the beginning?
00:23:04.98\00:23:07.32
Instead of
focusing on the problems
00:23:07.35\00:23:09.65
we should be
focusing on the goodness
00:23:09.68\00:23:11.85
and mercy of the problem solver.
00:23:11.89\00:23:14.29
He will hear from heaven
and will reward your faith.
00:23:14.32\00:23:17.49
He will keep you
in perfect peace.
00:23:17.53\00:23:20.20
The obvious point
here is to develop
00:23:20.23\00:23:22.63
and maintain a thankful heart.
00:23:22.66\00:23:24.67
Make a list of your blessings
00:23:24.70\00:23:27.04
and at the top of your
list should be thanksgiving
00:23:27.07\00:23:30.14
for His perfect
indescribable gift
00:23:30.17\00:23:33.74
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
00:23:33.78\00:23:35.74
and the gift of salvation.
00:23:35.78\00:23:37.58
Thank Him for
strengthening you with the power
00:23:37.61\00:23:40.48
through His Holy
Spirit living in you.
00:23:40.52\00:23:42.75
Thank Him for the
transforming power of His word
00:23:42.78\00:23:45.85
which implanted in your hearts,
00:23:45.89\00:23:47.59
James says is able
to save your souls.
00:23:47.62\00:23:50.66
Remember
thanksgiving build faith.
00:23:50.69\00:23:54.30
And Hebrews 11:6 says,
00:23:54.36\00:23:56.53
"Without faith it is
impossible to please Him,
00:23:56.56\00:24:00.17
for he who comes to God
must believe that He is,
00:24:00.20\00:24:03.54
and that He is a
rewarder of those
00:24:03.57\00:24:06.41
who diligently seek Him."
00:24:06.44\00:24:10.05
When we enter His
gates with thanksgiving
00:24:10.08\00:24:12.81
remembering His rewards
00:24:12.85\00:24:15.18
we will pray more boldly
with increased assurance.
00:24:15.22\00:24:19.29
Building on the
foundation of trust
00:24:19.32\00:24:21.59
our faith mounts up on wings
00:24:21.62\00:24:23.76
and we are ready
to approach the Lord
00:24:23.79\00:24:26.09
in a manner that pleases Him
00:24:26.13\00:24:28.53
and we won't risk being
guilty of grieving the Lord
00:24:28.56\00:24:31.57
through
ingratitude and disbelief.
00:24:31.60\00:24:34.64
You know, just
consider this for a moment.
00:24:34.67\00:24:37.54
Have you ever given good things
00:24:37.57\00:24:40.44
and perform special
favors of-- for someone
00:24:40.48\00:24:43.88
who repeatedly takes
your generosity for granted.
00:24:43.91\00:24:47.68
How do you feel
with little to know
00:24:47.72\00:24:49.35
appreciation is expressed?
00:24:49.38\00:24:51.59
Be honest.
00:24:51.62\00:24:52.75
If you've come into contact
00:24:52.79\00:24:54.72
with an ungrateful
wretch like this the day arrives
00:24:54.76\00:24:58.43
when you weigh the benefits
of withholding your faith
00:24:58.46\00:25:01.70
or to teach the
good lesson of gratitude.
00:25:01.73\00:25:04.17
Isn't that true?
00:25:04.20\00:25:05.70
It grieves the heart
of the giver of every good
00:25:05.73\00:25:08.74
and perfect gift
when we fail to thank Him
00:25:08.77\00:25:12.47
for His undeserved
goodness toward us.
00:25:12.51\00:25:15.58
In Luke 17:17, 18,
00:25:15.61\00:25:19.28
Jesus healed ten lepers
and only one a Samaritan
00:25:19.31\00:25:24.19
returned to offer
the thanksgiving to him.
00:25:24.22\00:25:27.02
"And Jesus asked,
'were there not any found
00:25:27.06\00:25:31.06
who returned to give glory
to God expect this foreigner.'
00:25:31.09\00:25:35.60
" I wonder if God
delays answering our prayers
00:25:35.63\00:25:38.83
because of our
lack of thanksgiving
00:25:38.87\00:25:41.17
just to teach us a lesson
of showing appreciation for all
00:25:41.20\00:25:45.74
He has done for us
through Christ Jesus.
00:25:45.77\00:25:49.08
Though provoking, isn't it?
00:25:49.11\00:25:51.28
Hebrews 13:15
says, "Therefore by him
00:25:51.31\00:25:56.35
let us continually offer
the sacrifice of praise to God,
00:25:56.38\00:26:03.53
that is, the fruit of our lips,
00:26:03.56\00:26:07.66
giving thanks to His name."
00:26:07.73\00:26:11.90
oh, thanks is something--
that thanksgiving is something
00:26:11.93\00:26:17.77
that we sure take for granted.
00:26:17.81\00:26:22.88
Today, we have
learned the importance
00:26:22.91\00:26:26.58
of being like the priests of old
00:26:26.61\00:26:29.38
who entered into the gates of--
00:26:29.42\00:26:33.69
I say they were pressing
into the presence of God
00:26:33.72\00:26:36.79
they entered into the gates
00:26:36.83\00:26:39.03
with
thanksgiving in their hearts
00:26:39.06\00:26:42.00
and if we would just do
this what it will do for us
00:26:42.03\00:26:48.37
is it will change our attitudes.
00:26:48.40\00:26:52.27
We won't be
having that pity party
00:26:52.31\00:26:55.44
and remember self pity is
straight from the pits of hell.
00:26:55.48\00:27:00.15
But as we start off our
prayer with thanksgiving
00:27:00.18\00:27:05.22
it changes the way we
think, it changes our attitude,
00:27:05.25\00:27:09.92
it opens up our heart before God
00:27:09.96\00:27:12.73
and we can receive from
Him and we are pleasing Him
00:27:12.76\00:27:18.17
because we are
coming before Him with faith
00:27:18.20\00:27:22.50
and without faith it's
impossible to please Him.
00:27:22.54\00:27:26.61
It is so important
00:27:26.64\00:27:28.71
that we learn to be
like the priests of old.
00:27:28.74\00:27:32.95
You and I we were
called as the people of God
00:27:32.98\00:27:36.55
to be a kingdom of priest
so as we approach our Lord
00:27:36.58\00:27:41.89
let us enter into His
gates with thanksgiving.
00:27:41.92\00:27:46.19
Let us find plenty of reason.
00:27:46.23\00:27:50.30
We can always find
reason to thank God.
00:27:50.33\00:27:54.50
Now, I pray that you
will be joining us next time
00:27:54.54\00:27:58.27
as we will be
learning how to enter
00:27:58.31\00:28:02.14
after entering
through thanksgiving
00:28:02.18\00:28:04.68
we will press into His presence
00:28:04.71\00:28:06.68
and enter His courts with praise
00:28:06.72\00:28:09.92
and that will
change our mental purpose.
00:28:09.95\00:28:12.25