Always Thankful
Always Thankful
Ephesians 5:18-20
Meditate on God’s word today, and use your journal and make notes. Take this time to have a meaningful interaction with God, hear God speak to you, and respond to him. The title of today’s devotion is, “Always Thankful.” I use the NLT Bible.
Ephesians 5:18-20
18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,
19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.
20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It’s funny that this verse starts out with, Don’t be drunk with wine. It’s a contrast verse. But here’s the best way to understand it. Ask yourself what percent of your life does being drunk affect? Every area, right? The way you think, the way you react, the way you respond, the way you move, it affects every area of your body and every area of your mind. And so, Paul uses it as the contrast to being filled with the Holy Spirit because what he’s saying is, the Holy Spirit should affect every area of your life, every thought, every reaction, every response, every part of your body, and your actions. And so, Paul says be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Verse 19 says, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. It’s this picture of joy that’s coming from the inside – from being filled with the Spirit.
And again, verse 20, And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. That “in the name of” just means “according to the character and nature of Jesus Christ.”
Lord, your Word says we are to always be filled with your Holy Spirit. Your Word says, Lord, that we’re to be singing psalms, and hymns, and Spiritual songs among ourselves to one another. Your Word says we should be making music to you in our hearts, and especially, Lord, always giving thanks for everything. Always giving thanks to God the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Heavenly Father, our good, good Father, thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Lord, for everything you have done. Thank you for everything you are doing. Thank you for everything you will be doing, Lord. Thank you for everything you’ve already done in the future that we can’t even see. Thank you for saving me, Lord. Thank you for filling me with your Holy Spirit. Thank you for reserving a place in Heaven and an inheritance with you for eternity.
And please, Lord, please continually keep me being filled. Always be being filled with the Holy Spirit. That’s our desire. That’s what we need, Lord. And we pray that you would do it, that you would continually fill us to overflowing, that we would always have a song in our heart to sing to you. And Lord, may our heart be filled with your psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs so that your Word in song would just be flowing out of us when we are around other people.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
16 Always be joyful.
17 Never stop praying.
18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
It is God’s will that we remain thankful in all circumstances. It’s God’s will that we are always joyful because joy comes from the inside – from being filled with the Holy Spirit. And never stop praying, never stop interacting with God in all circumstances.
Lord, may I always be joyful. And Lord, by the continual filling of your Holy Spirit, may I never stop praying. May you always draw me into that interaction with you. And Lord, may I be thankful in all circumstances. May I always be thankful, Lord, because this is your will for us, that we would always be thankful. That we would always be joyful. That we would never stop praying because, Lord, our true life is hidden in Christ with you, God. And so, we can always be thankful in all circumstances.
Lord, wherever I’m at today, whatever hill I’m climbing, whatever struggle I’m facing, whether I’m abounding or abasing, whether I have plenty or am suffering need, may I always be thankful. May I be thankful for who you are, may I be thankful for all you’ve done in my life, and may I be thankful for what you are doing in my life. Always and forever thankful to you God. Thankful for all I see, thankful for all that I know that you’re doing, and thankful for all that I don’t know you’re doing.
Lord, I know by faith that you’re working in my life and I’m thankful for it, even if I can’t see it, Lord. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you always and forever, my Lord. Thank you in your mighty name, Jesus, amen.
Would you take a minute and respond to God in light of these verses and our time together and this command, this will of God for us to always be thankful? Maybe grab a journal and write down all that you are thankful for. Guys, somehow, in some way, would you respond to God, right now?
I pray that you would continue to be thankful, that you would continue to be joyful. I pray that you genuinely connected with God on this thought, this subject of being thankful, today. I pray you’ve heard him speak to you in his Word, and by his Spirit, and I pray that you’ve responded to him in thankfulness.
I know that that the Word of God, lit alive by the Holy Spirit, will absolutely transform your life. And I absolutely know that always being thankful to God in all circumstances will transform your life.
Get more information about this ministry and contact us at MyDailyChurch.com.
Ephesians 5:18-20
18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,
19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.
20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It’s funny that this verse starts out with, Don’t be drunk with wine. It’s a contrast verse. But here’s the best way to understand it. Ask yourself what percent of your life does being drunk affect? Every area, right? The way you think, the way you react, the way you respond, the way you move, it affects every area of your body and every area of your mind. And so, Paul uses it as the contrast to being filled with the Holy Spirit because what he’s saying is, the Holy Spirit should affect every area of your life, every thought, every reaction, every response, every part of your body, and your actions. And so, Paul says be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Verse 19 says, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. It’s this picture of joy that’s coming from the inside – from being filled with the Spirit.
And again, verse 20, And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. That “in the name of” just means “according to the character and nature of Jesus Christ.”
Lord, your Word says we are to always be filled with your Holy Spirit. Your Word says, Lord, that we’re to be singing psalms, and hymns, and Spiritual songs among ourselves to one another. Your Word says we should be making music to you in our hearts, and especially, Lord, always giving thanks for everything. Always giving thanks to God the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Heavenly Father, our good, good Father, thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Lord, for everything you have done. Thank you for everything you are doing. Thank you for everything you will be doing, Lord. Thank you for everything you’ve already done in the future that we can’t even see. Thank you for saving me, Lord. Thank you for filling me with your Holy Spirit. Thank you for reserving a place in Heaven and an inheritance with you for eternity.
And please, Lord, please continually keep me being filled. Always be being filled with the Holy Spirit. That’s our desire. That’s what we need, Lord. And we pray that you would do it, that you would continually fill us to overflowing, that we would always have a song in our heart to sing to you. And Lord, may our heart be filled with your psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs so that your Word in song would just be flowing out of us when we are around other people.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
16 Always be joyful.
17 Never stop praying.
18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
It is God’s will that we remain thankful in all circumstances. It’s God’s will that we are always joyful because joy comes from the inside – from being filled with the Holy Spirit. And never stop praying, never stop interacting with God in all circumstances.
Lord, may I always be joyful. And Lord, by the continual filling of your Holy Spirit, may I never stop praying. May you always draw me into that interaction with you. And Lord, may I be thankful in all circumstances. May I always be thankful, Lord, because this is your will for us, that we would always be thankful. That we would always be joyful. That we would never stop praying because, Lord, our true life is hidden in Christ with you, God. And so, we can always be thankful in all circumstances.
Lord, wherever I’m at today, whatever hill I’m climbing, whatever struggle I’m facing, whether I’m abounding or abasing, whether I have plenty or am suffering need, may I always be thankful. May I be thankful for who you are, may I be thankful for all you’ve done in my life, and may I be thankful for what you are doing in my life. Always and forever thankful to you God. Thankful for all I see, thankful for all that I know that you’re doing, and thankful for all that I don’t know you’re doing.
Lord, I know by faith that you’re working in my life and I’m thankful for it, even if I can’t see it, Lord. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you always and forever, my Lord. Thank you in your mighty name, Jesus, amen.
Would you take a minute and respond to God in light of these verses and our time together and this command, this will of God for us to always be thankful? Maybe grab a journal and write down all that you are thankful for. Guys, somehow, in some way, would you respond to God, right now?
I pray that you would continue to be thankful, that you would continue to be joyful. I pray that you genuinely connected with God on this thought, this subject of being thankful, today. I pray you’ve heard him speak to you in his Word, and by his Spirit, and I pray that you’ve responded to him in thankfulness.
I know that that the Word of God, lit alive by the Holy Spirit, will absolutely transform your life. And I absolutely know that always being thankful to God in all circumstances will transform your life.
Get more information about this ministry and contact us at MyDailyChurch.com.