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Friends, greetings in Jesus Name! Today I will be sharing with you what I title, “The Act of Praise and Thanksgiving.” It is so easy to glue our minds to what God has not done for us rather than what He has done, and is still doing for us. Listen, the air that we breathe is enough to praise and give thanks to God. If you doubt, visit the nearest hospital and see how much some people pay daily for the oxygen they need to survive another day. I was in the US recently, and in one of the cities that I visited, there were accidents almost on a daily basis. In fact, the entire road will be blocked, with ambulances and the police rushing to help. There was a particular case where a beautiful lady was lying lifeless on the road, and I started praying for God to resuscitate her back to life. Then my friend who was in the car with me said, “Elvis, this is what we experience on a daily basis in this city.” The question is: Are we better than those who lose their lives every day? Of course not! It’s just by God’s mercy that we are not consumed. Therefore, we should not take his goodness for granted.

You see, our relationship with God is reciprocal. One major thing that keeps our relationship with God going is the act of “Praise and Thanksgiving”. Our praises to God attract His presence in our lives. The bible declares that, “God inhabits the praises of His people” (Psalm 22:3). This is one secret that King David understood early in life. You will hear him say, “I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalm 34:1). It doesn’t matter what you are going through right now. In fact, your case cannot be worse than that of Paul and Silas who were bound in chains, and left for dead in the prison. But the bible declares that, “At midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. You know what? God showed up, their chains were broken, and they got released (Acts 16:25-26). Their faith-filled praises drew God’s attention.

Really, I have come to realize that if the devil can shut your mouth from praising God, then he has succeeded in shutting you down from getting God’s attention and help that you need. You have to learn how to shout for joy in the midst of problems. Yes! The bible declares in Psalm 47:1, “O clap your hands, all ye people; Shout unto God with the voice of triumph.” It goes further to tell us, “Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing” (Psalm 100:1-2). What these scriptures are telling us is that, you cannot come before the Lord with a frustrated, gloomy and disfigured look on your face. When you lack joy in your life, you wither. The book of Joel 1:12 declares, “The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languishes; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men.” Listen, the absence of joy in a man’s life brings dryness in every area of his life.

According to Proverbs 17:22, “A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.” Really, a lot of sicknesses and diseases that many are suffering today can easily be eradicated simply by maintaining an attitude of praise and joy in God’s presence. Indeed, “For the joy of the lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). Satan knows it so well. That’s why he gets so mad anytime he sees you joyful and praising God in the midst of trials and challenges of life. The devil wants you to carry a long face – frustration, despair, joylessness, and depression. Why? Each time you carry a long face, it shows how long you will remain in your situation. According to one of the foremost heroes of faith in the 20th century, Lester Sumrall, he said there was a time when things were so tough for his family. To eat was a huge challenge for them. But his mother, who was rugged in faith, knew how to pray and praise God.

According to Lester, his mum will call for a family dinner, set an empty plate before everyone with glasses of water – and then say – let us pray. Lester said before they would finish praying, a neighbor or family friend would knock at their door and say: The Lord told me to get these food stuffs to your family. What is the essence of this story? It means when you maintain an attitude of praise and faith in God, in the midst of trials of life, God will always show up for you. Psalm 34:1-7 declares, “I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.” Hallelujah! Remember, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” (Psalm 150:6). Have a Blessed and Praiseful Week. With love, Elvis!