Secrets to a Thankful Heart: The Power of Praise!

by Marilynn Chadwick

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV).

The Bible actually speaks more about praise than it does prayer. I call it the “protein of prayer.” Protein comes from a Greek word meaning “of first importance.” And to me, thanksgiving is like “praise in detail.” I am more of a pragmatist than mystic. I can’t tell you why praise lifts my spirits and sometimes turns situations around faster than endless amounts of asking. It just does. Praise is like a one-two punch to the solar plexus of the enemy. Praise prompts breakthroughs in my prayers. 

Willie Myrick is one of my heroes. Nearly a decade ago, the then ten-year-old boy was the victim of a crime that became international news. Willie was kidnapped from his home in Atlanta by a knife-wielding assailant. His kidnapper placed a ten-dollar bill as “bait” at the foot of a tree near Willie’s driveway. When the curious youngster reached down to pick it up, the man came from behind the tree, forced Willie into the car and began to drive.

Speeding across town with the little boy in the back seat, the man spewed profanity and threats. The frightened ten-year-old decided to sing. And not just any song--Willie began to sing his favorite worship song, “Every Praise.” When Willie was later asked why he sang this particular song, he answered, "Well, because I knew that Jesus was gonna be with me and he was gonna take me through the steps of getting out!" 

Willie continued to sing—for three hours! Finally, his kidnapper stopped the car, still cursing and shouting threats, and shoved Willie out unharmed. Just imagine the faith of this young boy. Instead of dissolving into tears or panic, he praised and worshiped God!

I’m inspired by Willie's story. When faced with the worries or fears of daily life, I'm trying to respond with praise. To use annoyances as a trigger to praise God instead of complaining. It’s amazing how quickly my mental climate changes when I begin giving thanks. And when it doesn’t lift right away, I remind myself that Willie kept singing his simple praise song for three hours!

"Rejoice always," the Bible tells us. "Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). 

I want to refresh the habit of being thankful. I invite you to join me as we devote the next few days to thanking God in all circumstances. Thanksgiving is so powerful. Let’s take a lesson from a brave ten-year-old and become people of praise.

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Secrets to a Thankful Heart: Watch for Signs

by Marilynn Chadwick

In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch (Psalm 5:3 NASB 1995).

“Mom, you seem to see God work in the craziest ways,” my daughter Bethany laughed after hearing about my latest answered prayer. My now-grown daughter, who was fifteen at the time, was used to hearing my “God stories.” After all, she herself was the product of a miracle. 

Bethany had grown up hearing the story of how I had experienced a dramatic healing that enabled us to finally have her after many years of waiting and praying. Her two younger brothers were also the result of God’s mysterious healing hand. Our ten grandchildren share in the legacy of this healing miracle as well. 

I’ve often thought back to Bethany’s comment. Why do I seem to see God work in such “crazy ways?” Being the wife of a minister in no way guarantees that I get to see God more clearly. Maybe it’s simply because I’m always watching. 

I have come to believe that God is involved in even the tiniest details of my life. I suppose I’m a bit like the character in a now-classic movie, Fools Rush In, who said, “Signs are everywhere. You just have to watch for them.” And because I am usually watching, I often see God at work in the big moments and the small. Maybe you’re like me—always on the lookout for God. 

The Bible talks a lot about “signs and wonders.” I think they are kind of like God’s fingerprints. I personally believe that when we see a sign from God, we should wonder, “What is he trying to say to me?”

Looking back over my life, I can point to times when God showed up big and did something only he could do. Heal a sick body, rescue someone from danger, send an angel, or answer a prayer. I’ve seen miracles up close and personal—in my own family, my neighborhood, and in faraway places. David and I have served God in the same city for over forty years, but our ministry has taken us to six continents. 

But no matter where I go, I find men and women, boys and girls, who have discovered the amazing grace of Jesus. Many have shared their own stories of how God showed up with a miracle when they cried out for his help. And just like I did, they have seen him move in mighty ways when they reached the end of their rope. That’s why I like to say that the prayer that most often gets God’s attention is simply: “Help!” 

Watching for signs is crucial to seeing God at work. But so is desperation. Praying to him like you really mean it. Even in our modern world, God still speaks through signs and wonders. I’ve had mysterious encounters that convince me that angels are real. That prayer works. That some stories can only be described as miracles.

Over the next few days, I hope you’ll join us as we take time to remember our miracles. May we all pray more, watch more, and especially thank God more—especially during this Thanksgiving season.

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The Power of Thankfulness: Being Thankful Makes Us Happier

by Marilynn Chadwick

The sign in front of a small country church caught my eye: “It’s not happy people who are the most thankful. Rather it’s thankful people who are the most happy.”

The power of giving thanks to transform any situation is still something of a mystery. When someone gave thanks in the Bible, a miracle often followed. Jesus gave thanks before he broke the five loaves and two fish to feed the five thousand (Matthew 14:19-21). He lifted his eyes to heaven and gave thanks to his Father before calling the four-day-dead Lazarus to come forth from his tomb (John 11:38-44).

But gratitude doesn’t always come naturally. Just ask any parent. We have to teach our children to be thankful. In much the same way, God trains his children. We see in the Old Testament that he created rituals and celebrations to teach thankfulness.

When we give thanks to God, we experience something even more powerful—his grace. Our word “grateful” comes from an old English word “grate,” which means “thanks.” “Grateful” is also related to the word grace.

The Greek word commonly translated "grace" in the Bible is charis. Grace describes God’s unmerited favor to us through Jesus Christ. Charis, or grace, can also mean gratitude. “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly…with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude [charis] in your hearts” (Colossians 3:16 NIV).

Charis is the very substance of our salvation. “For it is by grace [charis] you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God..." (Ephesians 2:8 AMP). How exciting to think that as we practice gratitude, we breathe new life into our understanding of God’s amazing grace!

However, it requires somewhat of a fight to remain thankful when life is hard. To walk in God’s grace in our broken and sometimes hostile world. Peter reminded a church that was being heavily persecuted to hold onto “the true grace of God” and “to stand firm” in this wonderful, gratitude-infused grace (1 Peter 5:12).

I believe that as we become more and more thankful, we just might discover that we’re also becoming happier!

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We are excited to share some of our favorite Moments of Hope from the past as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday. If you enjoyed this rebroadcast, please forward this email or share this link with a friend so they can sign up to receive A Moment of Hope every day.