Does God seem distant to you? Others claim to have a relationship with God, but somehow you can’t seem to find those fuzzy feelings.

Philippians 4:6-7 tells us: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.“ (NIV)

Giving thanks can be difficult at times, especially if you feel like you have been slighted in life for one reason or another. Feelings of resentment can creep in and steal your joy. When we keep looking inward it only makes these feelings all the more intense as we seek justification for our negative attitudes.

But if we will lift our eyes to God, the one who created us and who knows us through and through, he will meet our needs and fill our spirits with his joy. But we must believe he can and will. We must know in our hearts that he wants to help us.

Jesus has come down to us in love, leaving his home in heaven, to suffer and die on a cross. Then he was resurrected to prove for all time that he is indeed One with God – just so you and I could be forgiven and could know him and believe in him. This was no small favor, he sacrificed his life through the most gruesome death man had ever contrived, leaving us no reasonable doubt concerning his love for us.

This is why it helps to look to Jesus. The struggles you and I may deal with may seem huge, and I don’t mean to trivialize them, but when we compare our troubles to what Jesus went through to reach down to you and me when we were still in rebellion against him, it truly does help us to gain some perspective.

Read Philippians 4:6-7 again for the remedy to our anxious thoughts. We are to pray with thankfulness in our hearts. Perhaps it is our rights to cling to our grievances that we need to sacrifice to God, to free our spirits so they can soar in thankfulness and praise.

Hebrews 13:15 tells us: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.” (NIV)

Psalm 100:4 says “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” (NIV)

What is the gate we are use to enter God’s presence? Thanksgiving and praise. Let us seek to grow in this area and to offer thanksgiving and praise in every situation we find ourselves in.

Confession… I’ve just preached a sermon to myself.

Father God, help us to cast out of our hearts any and all negative spirits that steal our joy. May we sacrifice our rights to be first in . . . and to get our way. Fill us to overflowing with thanksgiving and praise. We are willing to step out in faith in this area. Thank you for . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amen

 We Bring the Sacrifice of Praise sung by Mana International Ministries