Title: The Door to Happiness
1 Thessalonians (22) The door of happiness (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
< Heaven opens when you give thanks >
Above all, God wants a grateful heart. Even when we pray, prayers overflowing with gratitude move the heart of God. Why can't people experience the blessings of prayer? It's because they care too much about the 'response'. People say that they will be grateful if they give them an environment to be thankful for, but God says, “You must first give thanks and pray for an answer.” Now pray a lot of thanksgiving. Gratitude is the first condition that makes prayer powerful.
The most successful politician in the Bible is Daniel. Joseph served as the prime minister of Egypt, but Daniel served as the prime minister of the three empires that conquered the world at the time. What is the secret to his greatest success? Not because of political power or personal connections, but because of constant prayer of thanksgiving. At that time, his enemies learned of Daniel's prayer life and made the king give the command, "If anyone asks anything from a god or a person other than the king, he will be thrown into the lions' den." Still, Daniel continued to kneel three times a day in prayer and thank God (Daniel 6:10).
At that time, Daniel's most important prayer topic was 'thank you'. So he was eventually thrown into the lions' den, but God protected him from the lions' den and made him more prosperous (Daniel 6:28). When he prays with such a grateful heart, God will turn it into a powerful prayer, and the blessing and joy of Eden will overflow in his life.
One day, a pastor in Chicago, USA, went to visit a grandmother's house with an elder. However, the apartment was so dirty that it smelled dirty from the entrance and there was no elevator. The elder grimaced, then the pastor said. “Elder! It gets better when you go up.”
< The door to happiness >
Whatever difficulties you encounter, do not blame others. Think of the delay in blessing not because of a lack of money or opportunity, but rather because of a lack of gratitude. And even if you receive even a small grace, you will be greatly moved and grateful. Gratitude is the first secret of blessing that quickly brings God's answer, and it is a spiritual shift key that dramatically transforms unhappiness into happiness.
Two years ago, the house I was living in as a monthly rent was sold and I had to move, and in the next house I moved to, the owner of the house said that I had to move again after two years. In such a situation, when the rent rose and the reality of having to move houses frequently, the sad thoughts were just about to break into your thoughts, you immediately switched the mode of thought to gratitude mode. Then I had a lot to be thankful for.
First, I was grateful that I met good landlords and lived without much inconvenience. Second, I was grateful to be living with a rich heart even though I was not rich. Third, I was grateful that my family did not complain about the lack of reality. Other than that, 4 or 5 things to thank you for came to mind. Then the soul quickly became bright.
As faith increases, so does gratitude. Do not brag about your faith in any other way. What is the use of fasting and prophesying prayers if complaints do not leave the mouth? A grateful person is a much better believer than a person who fasts often. Happiness depends almost absolutely on gratitude. Happiness enters through the door of gratitude and goes out through the door of resentment. Therefore, be a person whose gratitude is on your mouth and on your body.
Some people don't like to be owed, but they don't give well. However, you also need to be properly taken care of if necessary. Do not beg for love, but do not reject the love that gives. Instead, say a lot of thanks. The number of words of thanks reflects his character and, by extension, his beliefs. Especially in the midst of suffering and trials, “God! If you say, “Thank you!”, that will be the way to glorify God the most, and from then on, God will unfold a road of blessings that is not rough in his life.