Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published (saying that anyone who prays to any “god” except the king would be thrown into the lions’ den), he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Daniel 6:10
As we saw last time, when God tells us to give thanks in everything (Eph 5:20), He is actually prescribing the way for us to position ourselves to receive what He promises us.
Daniel is a great example of this. When he got down on his knees and thanked God he actually released the power of God into his dire situation. He released the favor of God upon himself.
Thankfulness releases blessing. It is an access to anointing God gives us to do great things for Him…to receive great things from Him…and to facilitate the fulfillment of His promises. Just like parenting children, it’s difficult to get into a situation where we’re rewarding an entitlement spirit by giving our children things they don’t appreciate.
Maybe this homely illustration will help: When my eldest son turned 5 we decided to get him his first bicycle for his December birthday. We took him and his 3-year old sister to the bike store. While choosing his new bike, my daughter began riding a little scooter-bike around the store and fell in love with it. She wanted it. I had to explain to her that it wasn’t her turn to get a bike. She handled the decision with a stiff upper lip.
In fact, she handled it so well that I went back to the bike store the next day and got her a better bike than the one she desired so I could give it to her for Christmas. And lest you think this was just the sentimental act of a little girl’s soft-hearted daddy, the store clerk, having expected a melt-down the night before, having seen how well she handled it, gave me a discount. Her gracious attitude gave her favor with the clerk as well as with me.
As Daniel found, the greater the cost of thanksgiving, the greater the release of the Father’s heart. In other words, the harder it is or the more of a sacrifice it is to give thanks—the more our heart moves the Father’s heart; our heart-felt thanksgiving releases something that gives pleasure to the Father.