PART 1

God’s best is ours when we have the attitude of gratitude! Pastor’s series, Benefits of Gratitude will help you have all of God’s blessings including restoration, discovering His will, receive answers to your prayers and more! We can’t remain full of joy and ungrateful at the same time. We believe, as you read these notes, God’s Word is working in and through you.

The Benefits of Gratitude

• The healthiest emotion we can have is gratitude
• Thankfulness takes us into the presence of God
• Without joy we will not find, follow, or fulfill the will of God for our life
• We will not finish strong without the joy of the Lord

2 Timothy 3:2-4 KJV

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

• We are in the last days
• In the last days people will be more ungrateful

Gratitude brings:

1. Restoration
2. Discovering God’s will for your life
3. Answered prayer
4. Increase and blessing
5. Resilience / Bounce back

Luke 17:11-19 KJV

11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 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.

• There is a difference between being healed and made whole
• Restoration comes with thankfulness and gratitude
• An attitude of gratitude brings favor
• Thankfulness will reveal God’s plan for your life

1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV

18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

• In everything give thanks to God, not for it, but in it
• Make a list of what you are thankful for
• The will of God is giving God thanks

1 Thessalonians 5:18 AMP

18 Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will].

• Develop an attitude of gratitude
• God mediates His will by putting us together with the right people, at the right time

Philippians 4:6 NLT

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.

• Don’t panic, but pray
• Tell God what you need, He wants us to ask
• Asking gives God permission to work in our life
• Thank Him for what He has done in the past
• Always end your prayer by thanking God for what He has already done
• When you thank God for what He has done it makes room for more

Deuteronomy 28:47-48 KVJ

47 Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; 48 Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.

• Serve God with joy and gratefulness
• Ungratefulness closes an open heaven
• Gratefulness opens the windows of heaven, bring a spirit of increase
• Ungratefulness and sadness go together
• Gratefulness and joy go together

Colossians 1:11-13 AMP

11 [We pray] that you may be invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, [to exercise] every kind of endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance) with joy, 12 Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified and made us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (God’s holy people) in the Light. 13 [The Father] has delivered and [b]drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,

• The more thankful I am, I can bounce back
• Thankfulness gives me the right perspective
• No joy we won't have resilience, endurance, or patience