11/23/2017 Thanksgiving: The Key to Fruitfulness | CDM International

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THANKSGIVING: THE KEY TO FRUITFULNESS

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by Cre o Dollar | 23 Nov 2016

SUMMARY

If we want to see and experience God’s blessings in our lives, we must embrace an attitude of deliberate thankfulness. This involves glorifying God even when we do not
physically see what we believe Him for, which is an act of faith. We have a strong example in Abraham, who refused to believe anything that contradicted the Word of God.
Because of his faith, Abraham was mightily blessed. We have another example in Jesus giving thanks for a few loaves of bread and a few sh, just before He fed the multitudes
with them. There is real power involved in being thankful, because giving thanks is the key to fruitfulness. We are accustomed to hearing the world’s murmuring and complaining,
but proactively thanking and praising God in advance will activate increase.

A. An attitude of gratitude is pleasing to God. Being grateful to Him brings blessings.

1. Thankfulness and giving glory to God open the door to unlimited prosperity in every area of our lives. We must give thanks even when we do not see anything happening.

a. Listen to me, you who follow righteousness, you who seek the Lord. Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you. I called him alone, and blessed and
increased him (Isaiah 51:1, 2).
b. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, so shall your seed be. Not being weak in
faith, he did not consider his own body when he was about a hundred years old, neither the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not stagger at the promise of God
through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God (Romans 4:18-20).

2. Let the people praise you, O God. Then the earth will yield her increase, and God will bless us. All the ends of the earth will fear him (Psalm 67:5-7).

a. We must not wait to praise God until our increase has come—we must do it beforehand. Praise causes the increase.
b. When Jesus blessed the loaves and the shes, the miracle of multiplication caused the small snack the boy o ered to feed large crowds (Matthew 15:32-38; Mark 8:1-8;
Luke 9:12-17; John 6:5-13).
c. Likewise, if we want to see multiplication in our lives, we must learn to pause and give thanks to God for what we have.

3. I have planted and Apollos watered, but God gave the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6).

a. Working and trusting are part of planting, and giving thanks is part of watering. Until we do these things, God will not commit to bringing increase our way.

4. Thanks be to God, who always causes us to triumph in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14).

a. We can thank God in advance for our victory. He causes us to win even when we do not deserve it.

5. Always giving thanks for all things to God and the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:20).

a. This Scripture does not mean to give thanks for bad things that happen to us. It does mean that, regardless of whatever befalls us, we must nd something for which to
be thankful in the midst of the situation.

6. He who raised up the Lord Jesus shall also raise us up by Jesus. Abundant grace through the thanksgiving of many will be to the glory of God (2 Corinthians 4:14, 15).

a. If we are not careful, we can murmur ourselves away from God’s grace. The act of thanksgiving brings us into an abundance of unmerited favor.

B. When we take the time to re ect, we can always nd something to be thankful for.
1. They took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. Jesus lifted his eyes and said, Father, I thank you that you heard me. I know you always hear me, but I
said it because of the people, that they may believe that you have sent me. After he spoke that, he cried out in a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth (John 11:41-43).

a. This was just before the great miracle of Lazarus being raised from the dead.

2. Giving thanks is a sure re way to get on God’s side. There is much power in doing this.

a. Prayer and thanksgiving can turn the heart of the king toward God (Proverbs 21:1).
b. No matter what it looks like, we are protected because we dwell in the secret place of the Most High (Psalm 91:1, 2, 7).
c. We can be thankful to God for keeping His promises to us concerning healing (Isaiah 53:5) and eternal life (2 Corinthians 5:8).
d. We do not need to limit ourselves to just thanking Him for our past. We must also thank Him for our bright future. We have the power to call things that are not as
though they were (Romans 4:17).

3. Give thanks to God, not just for the big things, but also for the small things.

a. When we thank Him regardless of our circumstances, He will bring us out of our pit and put our feet on solid ground (Psalm 40:2, 3).
b. Jesus is our joy. When we let Him arise, our enemies will be scattered (Psalm 68:1).
c. Our help comes from God, on Whom we must focus (Psalm 121:1, 2).

4. When we praise Him for what we consider the little things in our lives, we realize that, in God’s eyes, there are no insigni cant little things.

a. We can thank God for using us wherever we are. We must not allow shame to stop us from being all He has called us to be. When we believe in Him, we will not be put
to shame (Romans 10:11).
b. We should also encourage each other in the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
c. No matter where we have been or where we are going, God has promised never to leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

https://www.creflodollarministries.org/Bible-Study/Study-Notes/Thanksgiving-The-Key-to-Fruitfulness?returnUrl=%2FBible-Study%2FStudy-Notes%3Fp… 1/2
11/23/2017 Thanksgiving: The Key to Fruitfulness | CDM International

   

Isaiah 51:1, 2 John 11:41-43

Romans 4:18-20 Proverbs 21:1

Psalm 67:5-7 Psalm 91:1, 2, 7

Matthew 15:32-38 Isaiah 53:5

Mark  8:1-8 2 Corinthians 5:8

Luke 9:12-17 Romans 4:17

John 6:5-13 Psalm 40:2, 3

Luke 10:2 Psalm 68:1

1 Corinthians 3:6 Psalm 121:1, 2

2 Corinthians 2:14 Romans 10:11

Ephesians 5:20 1 Thessalonians 5:11

2 Corinthians 4:14, 15 Deuteronomy 31:6

               

https://www.creflodollarministries.org/Bible-Study/Study-Notes/Thanksgiving-The-Key-to-Fruitfulness?returnUrl=%2FBible-Study%2FStudy-Notes%3Fp… 2/2