This past Sunday’s message reminded us that gratitude isn’t just a polite response to God’s blessings — it’s a powerful spiritual weapon. When we give thanks in the middle of difficulty, we are doing far more than expressing appreciation; we are declaring faith, aligning our hearts with Heaven, and silencing the voice of the enemy.
Too often, we treat thanksgiving as something we do after God moves. But Scripture shows us that thanksgiving is meant to come before the breakthrough. It’s an act of faith that releases power into our circumstances. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Notice he didn’t say “for everything,” but in everything. Gratitude doesn’t deny reality — it declares that God is greater than it.
In Acts 16, Paul and Silas were beaten, chained, and thrown into the inner prison. But at midnight, they began to pray and sing praises to God. They didn’t wait until they were free to be thankful — they used thanksgiving as a weapon in their darkest hour. The Bible says that as they praised, the foundations of the prison shook, the doors flew open, and every chain fell off. Their thanksgiving didn’t just set them free — it set everyone around them free too.
That’s the power of praise and gratitude. When you choose to thank God in the middle of your struggle, you are shaking the foundations of the enemy’s stronghold. You’re declaring, “My circumstances don’t define my faith — my faith defines my circumstances.” Thanksgiving is spiritual warfare. It confuses hell because the enemy doesn’t know what to do with a believer who can praise God in the storm.
When we grumble, we give strength to fear. But when we give thanks, we strengthen our faith. Gratitude realigns our perspective and reminds us of who is truly in control. It shifts our focus from what we’ve lost to what we still have, from what’s broken to what’s being built, and from what’s missing to what’s on the way.
You may be waiting for your breakthrough, but what if the key to it is already in your hands — the key of thanksgiving? Open your mouth and give God praise, not just for what He’s done, but for what He’s about to do. Let thanksgiving rise in your heart like a battle cry. It’s not weakness — it’s warfare.
Your blessing becomes breakthrough when gratitude becomes your language.
With a heart full of thanks,
Pastor Chris Tullis
Grace Christian Center
“Empowered by Grace, Living in Faith, Growing in Christ”
