The Thanksgiving season beckons us into a spirit of praise, worship, and thanksgiving. God yearns for His people to cultivate these habits, but often we\u2019re so focused on our hurt and difficult circumstances that we don\u2019t use these soul-healing tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You may be thinking, She must be kidding. What is there to be thankful for in this mess?<\/em> How can I praise God when I\u2019m in such pain?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve had similar thoughts, but I chose to praise God anyway. I was amazed by its transforming power\u2014especially when I don\u2019t feel like doing it. When we are weighed down by stress and discouragement, the Enemy tries to destroy our hope and our confidence in God\u2019s promises. But when we worship Him through praise songs and thanksgiving, we discover God is the shield that protects us from the Enemy and God is the balm for our hurting heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through praise and worship, we are literally praying with our heart, soul, and spirit. The result is always an impartation of God\u2019s infinite blessings, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. When we thank Him for the things that cannot change\u2014our salvation, His presence, His power\u2014the Holy Spirit ushers us into God\u2019s sanctuary of peace. And when we focus on who He is, we can more easily trust Him to take care of our loved ones and bring them back to His loving embrace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Worship is more than thankfulness for what God has done. It\u2019s praising God for who He is without asking questions or seeking answers. Worship is submitting to God so we can enter His presence with an obedient, humble heart and receive refuge, strength, and healing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But you may say, \u201cI don\u2019t know where to begin.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n A treasured hymn I sing often is \u201cAmazing Grace.\u201d The words always calm me and help me refocus on God\u2019s goodness. When I\u2019m home alone, worshiping through music and dancing becomes a tender time of fellowship between me and God. As I dance, joy seems to burst into my heart, and I feel so connected to the One who loves me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n God wants to shower us with an outpouring of His miraculous healing and blessings. Praise, worship, and thanksgiving can help us draw closer to Him. And, for me, the louder I sing and the more I move, the closer I feel to Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut I\u2019m not a dancer or a singer,\u201d you say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then start with God\u2019s hymnbook, the book of Psalms. Two that can prime your thanksgiving and praise are Psalms 103 and 145. Begin by reading through them\u2014aloud. First, offer the psalmist\u2019s words to God. As you speak those words, the Holy Spirit will bring to mind other reasons to praise and thank God. Soon you\u2019ll be worshiping Him, maybe even singing or dancing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we cultivate a worshipful spirit, we move deeper into faith. And through our faith, God\u2019s healing Spirit is able to work within us. Offer Him the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, then see what He does in your life. I believe you will experience a closeness that brings healing for your heart and soul.<\/p>\n