What Are You Thankful For?
By Sharyn Culp
Inspired by the Holy Spirit


I could ask 100 people what they are thankful for and no doubt I would receive 100 different answers because God has made us each so individually unique and special in His image.

"For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." (Psalm 139:13-14)

Just ponder for a moment what you are thankful for . . . perhaps, it is your family, job, health, house, wealth, a special relationship. The list of blessings from God could go on and on endlessly couldn't it? All these blessings are wonderful and truly we could not express to the Lord enough in our human efforts how thankful we are for them and we should do so often, very often.

Today, right now, I would like for us to focus on the spiritual blessings Jesus has purchased for us on Calvary. I would like for us to talk about the love of God, His delivering ability, His intimate communion with us, His delight when we praise Him and give Him thanksgiving, His healing of our bodies and souls, His restorative power to us and His anointing that is resident in each of us to do his work. What marvelous blessings He has bestowed upon us as His children and how much we have for which to be thankful!

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:" (Ephesians 1:3)

    1) I believe the first blessing we should be thankful for is the blessing of our salvation.

    "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
    For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."     (John 3:16-17)
Beloved, can you imagine what it would be like to live this side of heaven without hope of an eternal hereafter praising and worshipping Jesus, the One who bled, died and was risen again for us, His children? How very thankful we should be to our Jesus who paid the price on Calvary for our sins and for our eternal salvation.

    2) I believe the second blessing we should be thankful for is the blessing of deliverance through God's Word.

    "He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions."
    Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
    And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing."     (Psalm 107:20-22)
Beloved, what a wonderful blessing it is to serve a God who knows us better than we know ourselves and who knows every struggle we face. Our loving God gave us the Bible, His Holy Word, to comfort us in our affliction, to heal us and deliver us in our time of trouble. Only a God with a heart full of love would have made such a provision through His Word for us.

    3) I believe the third blessing we should be thankful for is the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues.

    "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
    And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sat upon each of them.
    And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."     (Acts 2:1-4)

    "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;" (Mark 16:17)

    "And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied." (Acts:19:6)
Beloved, what a wonderful blessing it is to serve a God who gives us a fuller measure of His Spirit enabling us to be edified and thwart the plans of the Enemy, Satan, as we yield to the Holy Spirit and pray in our prayer languages. Truly, the Master Designer has blessed us with a marvelous outpouring of His love and intimate communion with Him through the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

    4) I believe the fourth blessing we should be thankful for is the ability and liberty to praise God and offer Him thanksgiving.

    "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
    Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;"     (Ephesians 5:19-20)

    "Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the heights.
    Praise ye him, all his angels; praise ye him, all his hosts.
    Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.
    Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.
    Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded and they were created."     (Psalm 148-1:5)

    "Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
    Praise him for his mighty acts; praise him according to his excellent greatness.
    Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
    Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
    Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
    Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord:"     (Psalm 150)

    "Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:" (Psalm 50:14)

    "Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
    For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods."    (Psalm 95: 2-3)

    "O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.
    For He is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today if ye will hear his voice,
    Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness."     (Psalm 95:6-8)
Beloved, it is evident the Lord is pleased when praise and thanksgiving is upon the lips and hearts of His creations. What a wonderful blessing it is for the God of the Universe, Creator of everyone and everything to allow us to express ourselves to Him in praise and thanksgiving.

    5) I believe the fifth blessing we should be thankful for is the healing He gives our bodies and souls.

    "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
    But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."     (Isaiah 53:4-5)

    "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." (I Peter 2:24)

    "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;" (Psalm 103:3)
Beloved, what a wonderful blessing it is to serve a God who gives us healing in our bodies and our souls. Jesus took 39 stripes on his back on Calvary's cruel cross. We should be forever grateful for His appropriation of healing to us, His joint-heirs.

    6) I believe the sixth blessing we should be thankful for is for a God who is a restorer.

    "He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." (Psalm 23:3)

    "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit." (Psalm 51:12)

    "And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in." (Isaiah 58:12)
Beloved, what a blessing it is to serve a God who is a mighty restorer. Whatever the Enemy, Satan, has stolen from you, God has made provision for your restoration in His Word.

    7) I believe the seventh blessing we should be thankful for is for the anointing God has placed in us to do His work upon the earth.

    "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
    To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
    To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified."     (Isaiah 61:1-3)

    "And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues." (I Cor. 12:28)

    "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
    For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
    Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God , unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:"     (Ephesians 4:11-13)
Beloved, God has distributed his offices and gifts within the body of Christ. He has given us a banquet feast! As we submit to leadership and love and fellowship with one another, God can truly bless us with Himself within the body of Christ.

Especially this Thanksgiving Season and then throughout the year, let's meditate on these spiritual blessings and give God all the glory and thanksgiving for them.

Beloved, why don't you access the throne of God through prayer, praise and thanksgiving right now, this moment, and begin to partake from your plate of Thanksgiving blessings?

We truly thank you, Your Majesty, for the bountiful feast of Thanksgiving blessings you have bestowed upon us, your King's Kids!

Friend, if you have never received Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, we invite you to make this the most blessed Thanksgiving you have ever had by saying this prayer to Jesus with us.

"Lord Jesus, I know you love me. I am a sinner and I need a Savior. I repent of my sins and ask you to forgive me and come into my heart as my Savior and Lord. I confess with my mouth you are Lord, Jesus, and believe in my heart God has raised you from the dead. Thank you for shedding your blood for me at Calvary and saving me. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen."

Rejoice now! You are a child of His Majesty and you have a new start in life! Welcome to the family of God!

Happy Thanksgiving from His Majesty!


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