Password

"On your feet now—applaud GOD! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence.

Enter with the password: 'Thank you!' Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
Thank him. Worship him." (Psalm 100:1, 4, MSG)

Ever have one of those days where you can’t feel God’s manifest presence, but you’d like to? There’s a secret for coming into God’s presence—thanksgiving.

“Enter with the password: ‘Thank you!’” (Psalm 100:4, MSG)

Begin by counting your blessings.

If someone in your family did something nice for you, you’d thank them, either on the phone or in person, right? Either way, it’s a personal thank you. When you approach God with specific thanks to offer, you get personal with Him.

God is a personal God. He creates things around you, forming them in your life, just for you. Favorite foods, gorgeous land- or seascapes in nature, family to love you. When you thank Him, you realize just how personal He is. And your heart softens toward Him. And when your heart softens, you enter into His presence.

When we thank Him personally, we connect with the real Him. We remember how much He cherishes us (which melts our hearts even more).

Thankfulness is humbling—another helpful heart state to have when approaching God.

And thankfulness endears us to Him. We see His goodness in our lives; He knows us so well and answers our prayers specifically. What's not to love?

So, let’s start thanking Him—it’s the key to entering His presence. He’s given us the password. Now, let’s enter.

“Lord, I thank you for breath today, for another day to worship and serve you, for…”