Thanksgiving: What, When and How

this is the second half of the post started here...

 

WHAT WE SHOULD GIVE THANKS FOR

We should give thanks for other Christians and churches.  1Thessalonians 1:2   We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;

We should thank the LORD for deliverance from the world.  1Chronicles 16:35  And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise.

We should give thanks for salvation and sanctification.  2Thessalonians 2:13  But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

We should give thanks to the LORD that he has made us fit to share in the inheritance of the saints.  Colossians 1:12    Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:  

WHEN WE SHOULD GIVE THANKS

We should give thanks to the LORD when it is not convenient.  Psalm 119:62   At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.

We should give thanks to God when we pray.  Philippians 4:6   Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

We should give thanks to God continually.  Hebrews 13:15  By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

We should give thanks the God at all times.  Ephesians 5:20   Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

We should give thanks to the LORD into eternity.  Psalm 30:12   To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

WHERE WE SHOULD GIVE THANKS

We should give thanks to God when we come together with other Christians to worship.  Psalm 35:18   I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.

We should give thanks to the LORD when we are among non-Christians.  2Samuel 22:50 & echoed in Psalm 18:49   Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.

We should give thanks to God when we are with the younger generation.  Psalm 79:13   So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations. 

HOW WE SHOULD GIVE THANKS

We should give thanks to the LORD by singing songs dedicated to him. Psalm 95:2   Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

We should give thanks to God by praising him and blessing his name.  Psalm 100:4   Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

We should give thanks to God by joyfully declaring what he has done.  Psalm 107:22   And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.

We should give thanks to the God by calling on his name.   Psalm 116:17   I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.

We should give thanks to the LORD by doing everything in his name.  Colossians 3:17  And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. 

These are just some of the thing that scripture tells us about the thanks giving.  If I were to summarize, I would say that the biggest reasons why we should give thanks to God are who he is and what he has done.  The when and where are that we should give thanks to God wherever we are and constantly.  How we should give thanks to our Lord is by praising his name and living for him.  And what we should give thanks for are all things, but especially for salvation.  God provided a means by which sinners like you and me could be saved from both the bondage of sin and the penalty of our sin.

That salvation is found in the sinless life of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who paid the price for all of our sins, past present and future, on the cross at Calvary.  He suffered and died in our place, then rose again from the dead on the third day, that we might be declared righteous before God and live a life of thanksgiving to him.