Supernatural Thanksgiving
FOUNDATION STATEMENT: Supernatural
thanksgiving is above natural & therefore thanks God prior to the victory
manifesting and in doing so it will access the supernatural power of God.
I.
Thanksgiving that takes
place prior to the victory is supernatural thanksgiving
A. 1 Corinthians 15:57-This
does not says “who has given,” but “who gives”
1. If you wait to see it
before you give thanks, that’s walking by sight, not by faith
2. “Giveth”
refers to now and the future (He gives me his rent check every month)
B. 2 Corinthians 2:14-“Who
causes” not “who has caused”
1. “Always causes” is now
and perpetually causes
C. People have understood
thanking God after something happens, but most have not seen the power in
thanking God for something that hasn’t happened yet
1. Isaiah 55:11-God’s
thoughts and ways are higher (above) ours
2. It’s natural to thank
someone for something they’ve done; it supernatural to thank somebody for
something that’s not done yet
II.
There’s a connection
between thanksgiving and faith b/c thanksgiving pleases God and if it pleases
God there must be faith in it
A. You can’t please God
without faith-Hebrews 11:6
1. If thanksgiving were
without faith it wouldn’t please God (Heb 13:16,
Psalm 69:30)
2. This sacrifice of praise
pleases him b/c this is faith
B. Hebrews 11:1-Faith is seeing
something as real fact that’s not revealed to the senses
1. It takes little to no
faith to thank God for the victory that just showed up-that’s no sacrifice of thanksgiving
2. It takes faith 2 thank
God for the victory that looks like it’s never going to show up; that’s a
sacrifice of thanks that pleases God b/c there’s faith in that
3. One of the highest levels
of faith and thanksgiving is not thanking God for what has happened, but thanking
God for the victory that hasn’t manifested yet
a. Faith thanks God because
it believes it has the victory, when it doesn’t see it
C. Thanksgiving is the voice
of faith-Mark 11:24
1. If you believe you have
it as your present possession then there’s no need ask anymore; the only thing
left to do is say thank you Lord
2. The voice of faith isn’t
a crying begging voice, but it’s one that says thank you Lord because it
believes it has received
D. Real faith has
thanksgiving with it-Col
2:7-If ur faith is real thanksgiving will b overflowing
1. Faith that doesn’t have
thanksgiving with it, it’s
not really faith
E. Philippians 4:6-7-Let
your requests be made known to God with thanksgiving
1. You make your requests known
to God in every thing by 1) Prayer-Believing you received 2)
Supplication-Passionate 3) Thanksgiving-Thank you I have it
III.
Faith (with thanksgiving)
is the way we access supernatural power/grace
A. Faith is how we access
supernatural power (Gal 5:6, Rom 1:16, Eph 1:19, Mt
14:24)
B. Grace is not just
unmerited favor, but it is divine empowerment
1. 1 Corinthians 15:15,
Hebrews 12:28
C. Romans 5:2-We access that
grace by faith (with thanksgiving)
1. Hebrews 4:14-16-Hold fast
to our confession (giving thanks, saying the same thing) and come boldly to the
throne of grace and obtain grace
2. In a time of need you
need grace to help
D. Faith w/o thanksgiving
with it is incomplete and will not access this supernatural power
1. When you are not thankful
you are resisting the very grace you need to win
2. Thanksgiving 4 the
victory b4 the victory is a grace connector b/c it’s an act of faith
3. One of the main reasons
defeat lingers is b/c you have yet to give God thanks in that area for the
victory that you can’t see
IV.
Supernatural power to do
the “impossible” is tapped when people thank God for the victory before the
victory
A. Joshua 6:16-They thanked
God before their victory for the victory
1. There two walls one at
the bottom of the hill and one at the top; approximately 40 feet high 6 to 12
fee thick (Deuteronomy 9:1)
2. Joshua 2:15-Rahab lived
in the wall and she was to be spared
3. 6:2-I have given you
Jericho
4. 6:16-They shouted because
they believed the Lord had given them the city
5. Hebrews 11:30-By faith
(with thanksgiving) the walls fell
B. It’s interesting that one
of the things we Jesus do in the midst of an impossible situation is he engages
thanksgiving to access the supernatural power of God; he didn’t beg or cry out
to God
1. Matthew 14:15
a. 15-It’s not possible 4 us
2 feed them out here, that’s not even a place to get food
b. 17,21-They got two pieces
of faith, five loaves of bread and approx 15,000
people
c. 19-John 6:11-He thanked
God not just for what he had, but for the victory
2. John 11:39-44-He’s been
dead four days; this is impossible
a. 4-Jesus believes &
speaks & it’s supposed to come to pass
b. 41-This is the voice of
faith because it doesn’t look like God heard him in verse 4
1)
He’s
thanking him for the victory that he, can’t see & isn’t manifested yet
2)
He’s
not complaining about what hasn’t changed, what hasn’t manifested,
3)
He
speaks to a man who is dead like he’s a live b/c that’s what he believes
3. Jesus responded to
impossible situations with thanksgiving faith
C. Romans 4:16-21
1. 16-Inheriting the promise
is through faith-Faith has thanksgiving with
it
a. If ur
going 2 receive the promise you’re going 2 have 2 say thank u beforehand
b. The end of the promise
proceeds your faith; faith precedes manifestation and therefore so to does
thanksgiving
c. Thanksgiving should not
only proceed your victory, it should precede it
2. 16-Inheriting the promise
is by grace
a. You didn’t earn it and
you don’t deserve and God doesn’t owe it to you
b. Romans 4:4-If you worked
for it, then it’s not grace, but it’s owed to you
1)
If
it’s owed to you there’s no need for thanksgiving b/c you earned/deserve it
2)
Get
out of this mentality that I did what the Word said b/c I did you owe me
3. All things that pertain 2
life and godliness are being offered 2 us by grace and me must receive/take
them by faith (2 Pet 1:4)
a. 17-Abraham took the
promise by faith by calling things that be not
4. 20-He’s not staggering
through unbelief, but his faith had thanksgiving with it
a. He’s thanking God 23
years in 4 a victory that looks like it’s never going to happen
1)
He
had thanksgiving w/ is faith b/c he believes he’s the Father of many nations
b. Thanksgiving faith
accessed the supernatural power of God that supersedes time, space and matter and
went inside a 90 year old woman and a 100 year old man and supernaturally
accomplished something that never should have been able to happen
V.
1 John 5:4-Faith is the
victory that overcomes the world & thanksgiving is voice of faith