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’re so focused on our hurt and difficult circumstances that we don’t use these soul-healing tools.
You may be thinking, She must be kidding. What is there to be thankful for in this mess? How can I praise God when I’m in such pain?
I’ve had similar thoughts, but I chose to praise God anyway. I was amazed by its transforming power—especially when I don’t 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’s 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.
Through praise and worship, we are literally praying with our heart, soul, and spirit. The result is always an impartation of God’s infinite blessings, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. When we thank Him for the things that cannot change—our salvation, His presence, His power—the Holy Spirit ushers us into God’s 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.
Worship is more than thankfulness for what God has done. It’s 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.
But you may say, “I don’t know where to begin.”
A treasured hymn I sing often is “Amazing Grace.” The words always calm me and help me refocus on God’s goodness. When I’m 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.
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.
“But I’m not a dancer or a singer,” you say.
Then start with God’s hymnbook, the book of Psalms. Two that can prime your thanksgiving and praise are Psalms 103 and 145. Begin by reading through them—aloud. First, offer the psalmist’s words to God. As you speak those words, the Holy Spirit will bring to mind other reasons to praise and thank God. Soon you’ll be worshiping Him, maybe even singing or dancing!
As we cultivate a worshipful spirit, we move deeper into faith. And through our faith, God’s 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.