“ENTERING GOD’S PRESENCE WITH GRATITUDE.”
Psalm 100:4 is part of a hymn of praise attributed to David, reflecting his deep gratitude and joyful worship of God. David’s life was filled with both triumphs and trials, and through it all, he consistently
turned to God with thankfulness.
This verse captures the essence of David’s approach to worship: entering God’s presence with a heart full of gratitude and praise, acknowledging His steadfast love and faithfulness. It’s a call to celebrate God’s
goodness and recognize His sovereignty, echoing David’s own experiences and unwavering devotion. It invites us to adopt a similar attitude of joy and thankfulness in our own worship.
And reminds us to approach every day with a heart full of thankfulness, celebrating the abundant blessings and enduring love of God.”
In one of our workshop Session from the conference facing the future 2023 that I attended, one of the lecturers shared about Gratitude Squares; He said we are wired with negatives. By speaking positive thoughts in a conscious state, we communicate positivity. Our subconscious which does not think for itself, but rather, takes directives from the conscious. If we attach gratitude to real time experiences, even in moments of adversity, we internalize the experience with positivity. Which will have tremendous benefits for our mind, body and spirit in the long term. Stepping into a gratitude square our brain processes differently before the color that we see is gray now it turns into red. Because our brain is interpreting and taking up the circumstances, how we deal with it and gives us the ability to move on.
If you do focus on the blessings in your life, then you’ll cultivate a positive outlook and resilience, even in tough times. If you don’t practice gratitude, then it’s easy to get bogged down by negativity and miss out on the joy that comes from recognizing God’s goodness.
Picture a small village preparing for its annual harvest festival. Every year, the villagers come together, bringing their best crops and produce to celebrate and give thanks. One year, a severe drought threatens the harvest, leaving the villagers worried about their festival and their livelihoods.
Despite the bleak situation, an elderly woman named Sarah remains steadfast in her faith. Each morning, she enters the village square with a basket of whatever she can gather—be it a few fruits, some herbs, or a handful of vegetables. She always enters with a smile, saying, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.” Inspired by Sarah’s unwavering gratitude, the villagers begin to adopt her attitude. Instead of focusing on the lack, they start appreciating and sharing what little they have. Miraculously, their spirits lift, and they discover that their collective gratitude brings them closer together, making the harvest festival more meaningful than ever before.