“Always give thanks for everything to our God and Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:20.

Dear Ones:

Always give Thanks!

A grateful heart in all circumstances is faith in action.

Yes, even in the hard times, singing songs of thanksgiving and praise are powerful change activities.

The example we have is found in Acts 16:16-40 (below) that tells the story of Paul’s and Silas’ imprisonment in Phillipi.

We read in Acts 16:25-26 NKJV, how they responded to being beaten, shackled, and imprisoned.

“But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.”

Although they were faced with dire circumstances, Paul and Silas understood the power of thanksgiving and praise.

They chose to always give thanks in whatever situation they were facing whether good or bad.

They set a powerful example for all believers throughout time. The power of God to change your situation maybe only a hymn of thanksgiving and praise away.

Declare:

“LORD, help me to be like Paul and Silas and to always give thanks to You no matter what I am facing.

I believe that your unfailing love for me, my family, and my nation is always a reason to thank You.

With a grateful heart, I pause today to express my deep gratitude for what You have done and are doing in my life.

Thank You from the depth of my being for the very next breath I take!

Praise The LORD!”

Have a gratitude filled day in Jesus’ name.

Paul and Silas Imprisoned
“Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” 18 And this she did for many days.
But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.
And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.” Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
The Philippian Jailer Saved
“But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”
Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.”
Paul Refuses to Depart Secretly
“And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, “Let those men go.”
So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.”
But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out.”
And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city. So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.” Acts 16:16-40.

Postscript

Consecration

~ Mary B. Dovie
“In God We Trust”
“Let God Arise and Let His enemies be scattered!”

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Mary B. Dovie is an ordained minister of the Gospel under the covering of Joy Christian Church and Gideon Christian Fellowship in New Orleans, Louisiana and operates under a prophetic and teaching anointing and has a YouTube teaching channel and Facebook Page. Mary is married to her high school sweetheart, Paul and lives in Theodore, Alabama. Their family includes son Anthony, who serves in the US Army, and son Matthew, his wife, Jennifer, and daughters, Amelia and Stella.

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