Enter His Gates With Thanksgiving

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.   - Psalm 100:4

Yesterday, I shared that I picked Psalm 100 to be read at our wedding. I had to pick a verse on the spot, and it was the only one that came to mind.  Psalm 100 had come to mind because it had been written on a bookmark my grandfather had given to me before I entered college.  He passed away a few years later. 

I wanted my Papa to be as involved as possible in the wedding, so I used the money he left me to buy my wedding dress, and the Psalm he loved in the ceremony.  I had no idea how much I would appreciate his wisdom twenty-two years later.

Looking back, I see how Psalm 100, this Psalm of thanks, praise, was perfect for us.  Seven years into our marriage, we were doing life on our own, apart from God.  It never dawned on us to thank Him for the things we were working hard to get.  It was right about then that God began to use the 3pm alarm to wake me up to His presence, to teach me to rely on Him, and to renew my faith by giving Him thanks and praise every day.  

When your alarm goes off at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, imagine yourself entering into God’s presence as you stop and give Him thanks.  Imagine that you are in His “gates” or close to Him as you look up, give thanks, and invite Him into your day.  God is with you as you pick up kids from school, finish a project at your desk, or tackle more of today’s challenges.   Isn’t that amazing that such a simple shift in thinking, a quick reminder, can redirect the rest of your day? 

The daily practice of giving God thanks and praise changed my life forever.  I now know that thanking and praising Him is a catalyst for growing in faith, accepting His unconditional love, knowing and becoming more like Jesus, and eventually discovering your purpose.

Do you believe me?  Keep on giving God thanks and praise and watch how God starts entering into your thoughts and moving in your heart more often then just at 3 o’clock in the afternoon.  

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank you for being a part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement