“Thank (God) in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus…”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (AMP)

DECEMBER 20 - “You didn’t have to,” the snowy-haired woman gaped at the beautifully-wrapped package, a tiny tear starting in the corner of her eye. “Grandma, it’s not that I had to, I want to. You’ve done so much for me—helping with my tuition, chipping in on the car. This gift is just a small token of my gratitude.” Bending down to hug the wheelchair bound woman, there was nothing in the world that could have stopped him from showing his thanks. And there is nothing in the entire world that can conceal the heart of a thankful individual. Gratitude is the one attribute that carries with it the ability to live open before all of Heaven and earth. It has the power to protect an individual from the temptation of pride and discouragement. Those who truly possess a thankful heart are granted access to both the power and presence of God.

In Luke 17:15, Jesus curiously questioned the lone leper who returned to offer his thanks, “Were there not nine others who were made well? Where are they?” Remember, Heaven searches for men and women who are eager to proclaim their praise for the things God does. As we cultivate a heart of gratitude and live a life of  thanksgiving, we soon experience a favorable response from Heaven.

Daily Confession

I bless the Lord at all times and thank Him for all He does in my life.
The Lord is good; I do not forget all His benefits. I have a favorable response
from Heaven because I possess a heart of thanksgiving.

Family Scripture Reading

Revelation 18

Featured Resource

You Are Healed - Book

From God’s perspective, health is not something that we lack and must try to attain. Rather, it is a possession that is already ours – but the thief is trying to steal it!

Jesus went to the cross to deliver us, once and for all, from the curse of sickness and disease. So, why does divine healing often seem to be so elusive? It’s because the only proof we have of our healing, until it is manifested, is the written Word of God.

Nevertheless, God’s Word is all the proof we need! Dr. Thompson shows you how to apply the principles of God’s Word to your life, until you experience the divine health in which God intends you to walk. This book equips you with the spiritual prescription needed to attain health, wholeness, and vitality in your body.

Table of Contents

Introduction

1 Man’s Opinion or God’s Word on Healing?
2 Healing Must Be Pursued
3 Different Ways Jesus Heals
4 Believing God For Yourself
5 Adjusting Your ‘Receiver’

Posted under Gratitude

“When I learn Your righteous laws, I will thank You by living as I should!”
Psalm 119:7 (NLT)

DECEMBER 15 - Taking the bread, His disciples’ eyes were locked upon the Master. Before parting the bread, distributing the symbol to each one, Jesus stopped; He needed first to give thanks to God. And David understood thanksgiving as much, if not more, than any other man in all of scripture. David said this when writing Psalm 119, “…I will thank You by living as I should.”

We cannot repay God for what He does for us in our lives. There is nothing we can do to fully return all God bestows upon us. Our gratitude is not a repayment; it is a declaration and recognition that we owe God our very lives. Please consider these two questions concerning gratitude:

• Is gratitude too much for God to ask of us?
• How are we going to properly return our gratitude?

Just as David did, we must also thank the Lord by living as we should. There is no greater pleasure Heaven can receive when one has a heart of gratitude.

Daily Confession

Father, I am thankful for all that You do for me. I know I cannot repay You, but I choose to show my gratitude through living as I should. I desire to prove to all of Heaven that I am grateful for the sacrifice of Christ Jesus my Lord.

Family Scripture Reading

Proverbs 29

Featured Resource

Character: Building A Godly Foundation for A Successful Life - CD Series

A house built on a faulty foundation soon becomes unfit to live in. Shifting soil causes cracks in the foundation, and those cracks lead to costly damage. Think of the trouble that could be avoided if only the foundation were repaired!

Character is the foundation of your life; you can save yourself a lifetime of grief if you will honestly inspect your character, making sure it is built firmly upon the strong, immovable foundation of God’s principles. Dr. Robb Thompson shares many of these valuable principles in this dynamic series – principles such as:

• It’s not what you say that matters, but what you do that makes all the difference.
• Character prefers the rejection of men to the disappointment of Heaven.
• It is impossible for your life to produce anything beyond the strength of your moral fiber.

Let Dr. Thompson help you explore what God has to say about pursuing excellent character. Then start building a rock-solid, Godly character that will lead you to God’s highest for your life!

Posted under Gratitude

“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.”
Psalm 139:14 (NKJV)

SEPTEMBER 14 - “Cha-ching, Cha-ching,” proclaimed the pretty suburban mother of two young boys, retaining a smug snicker. The aunts, uncles, nieces, and in-laws who gathered around the Thanksgiving table stared in disbelief. “When I saw him downtown that night, I knew I couldn’t let that one get away.” Rosy-cheeked with embarrassment, her mother-in-law smiled with a hollow grin, yet inwardly she seethed like a trounced alley cat. Now everyone knows—she only married my son for the money!

I’ll never forget the day someone I once trusted sat across the desk from me and ominously declared, “The only reason I wanted a relationship with you was because I knew what it would do for me.” That statement revealed to me that all along, I was in relationship with a taker and a user. Those words crushed me, causing me to understand how important it is to never allow the gifts that have been bestowed upon you to ever eclipse the one who bestowed them.

Celebrate the people who deposit goodness into your life and take you to a place of success and favor. Celebrate your mentors in huge fashion, since this “attitude of gratitude” and humility keeps you from proudly thinking about the particular gifting of your own life.

• Consistently refuse the temptation to seek the gift more than the giver.
• Treasure those whom God brings into your life.
• Never let those people go.

Father, I thank You and praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works; my soul knows them very well.

Family Scripture Reading

Ephesians 6

Featured Resource

Victory Over Sin - DVD

“It’s A Lot Easier Said Than Done.”

• God has called you to walk in victory. But what steps must you take to get there?
• How do you walk away from the things that hold you back?
• How do you shift from being conquered to becoming more than a conqueror?

If you have ever asked yourself these questions, then this DVD is your ticket to freedom!

In his candid style, Robb Thompson gives you the keys you need to walk free and become all God has called you to be. So why not begin today? Your victory is only a DVD away!

Posted under Gratitude

“So when He saw them, He said to them, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks.”
Luke 17:14-16 (NKJV)

April 1 - Olive oil—considered an engaging gift from God to His people, was one of the most neglected oils until recently. In the past few years, doctors around the world have begun promoting the usage of one of Palestine’s main agricultural crops, grateful for the olive and its priceless oil, which serves a variety of purposes. One of the most neglected virtues in all of humanity is that of sincere gratitude. Throughout the ages, individuals have become increasingly ungrateful for their present condition—the people they have and the things they share together.

God is a good God; He is faithful to meet every one of our needs. Let us practice being thankful for what we have. The more we focus on appreciating what we have, the more we cultivate a true and sincere heart of gratitude. As we focus upon that which is good, joy rises within our hearts. God does not need our thanksgiving; but we are in need of being thankful to Him. God understands the unrivaled benefits thanksgiving achieves inside a person’s life.

In the passage above, Jesus showed mercy to ten lepers by healing them of leprosy. Only one returned to offer Jesus gratitude for what He did. That one man possessed the proper response mercy required. He was rewarded for his gratitude by being made completely whole, free from any scars or any trace of the limb-deforming disease called leprosy. Heaven continuously responds favorably to those who regularly
respond with heartfelt gratitude.

Daily Confession

Father, I thank You for all You do. I shout with joy; I worship You with gladness; I come before You with singing and joy.

Family Scripture Reading

Ecclesiastes 13

Featured Resource

Stronger Everyday - Confession CD

In the times we live in, the temptation for us is to become weaker in most areas of life. Pressure to compromise is coming from every direction. God’s Word encourages us to stand and be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Philippians tells us to press toward God’s mark. The Proverbs 31 woman is energetic and strong. Now is not the time to grow weary in well-doing.

Our strength is from the Lord. As you listen to and confess these scriptures you will be empowered with strength and able to face the pressures that come your way.

Posted under Gratitude