The power in "Thank You"

God's talking this morning so I'm writing....

I'm so very blessed to work for a great "boss" - she's kind, she's a hard worker, she's a good listener, and most importantly, she's confident in her staff and trusts us to do what we know is right for children everyday.  My boss' name is Lydia.  She and I plan school wide events and tasks constantly.  We have to work together to divide up the daily tasks that need to be done.  As we divide the work and we decide what parts I will take care of, Lydia always says "Thank you" to me.  My "to do" list that we have just discussed is still sitting there - incomplete - but Lydia still says, "Thank you."  Throughout this entire year, she has done that and not until this morning did I realize how awesome this is and how spiritually profound it is.

You see....when Lydia says "Thank you" to me for a task that has not yet been completed, she is telling me that she trusts me, that she is confident that I am going to accomplish what she has requested, she is not doubting me but is believing in me for the final product.

So, I think of this scripture...

"Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes (trusts and is confident) that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted to him." (Mark 11:23-24)

Jesus is telling us in this scripture that we can be confident in Him BEFORE we see the mountain moved. We can go ahead and say "Thank you" to Jesus for moving that mountain because we believe and trust in Him to grant our request.

God tells us to pray with thanksgiving - "I will praise God's name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving." (Psalm 69:30)

God wants us to be so confident that He hears us and will answer our prayer that we say "Thank you" BEFORE we see the final product.  We boldly proclaim the request as DONE with the simple words - "Thank you."

Jesus has already accomplished all that we ever need - with Jesus' death and resurrection' - all the power we ever need was released onto this Earth and is now IN us when we have been baptized in Jesus.  It is our responsibility to cooperate with God and release that power.

In John Chapter 11 when Lazarus is still dead in the tomb - his family is mourning and even reminds Jesus that Lazarus may stink because he has been in the tomb for four days, Jesus calls out to His Father, "Father, I thank you that you have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me..."

What an example!  BEFORE Jesus saw Lazarus move - Lazarus was still lying there lifeless, Jesus thanked His Father and THEN the power of the living God manifested and Jesus commanded Lazarus back to life.  What a miracle!  Jesus never doubted His Father or the power He had in Him. He knew His Father's Will was for Lazarus to live and Jesus cooperated with that Will and that power and brought life to the situation.

Oh, Jesus...help us to be that confident in YOU....help us to say "Thank you" BEFORE we see the power manifest or BEFORE we see the circumstances change.

As you read...I can hear some of you wondering/thinking....I just don't have this confidence in my prayers....Where do I get this confidence in Jesus?  How can I be confident enough to say "Thank you" for something I can't see?

Here's some encouragement...
Read God's Word constantly - daily!  Meditate on it - ask the Holy Spirit to reveal more and more of God's Will through His Word.  You see...my boss and I worked together at another school before our current one. We had the blessed opportunity to get to know each other and each other's ways.  Lydia knows how I operate and how I am able to get things accomplished so this helps her to confidently say "Thank you" knowing that a task will be completed because it always has been in the past.  When we read God's Word and we learn God's Will and His Ways, we will become more confident in WHO HE IS and what He desires for us and for our situations.  Then, when we need God's power for a situation, we remind Him of what His Word says and then we say "Thank you" as we trust in Him.

We always remember that God's Word never changes, His Will remains the same today as it did when Jesus walked this Earth - God's will is still complete healing, deliverance, and is always to work for our good - just as an Earthly Father would do for his own children - God wants to do for us.

So...friends, I encourage you...if you are facing a situation that needs healing, deliverance, or revelation...remind God of His Word, then call out loud, "Thank you Jesus....Thank you Jesus....Thank you Jesus....that YOUR will is already done" and then watch Jesus' power manifest...He will...oh, He will...

"This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His Will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him." (John 5:14-15)

And...before I go...let me give a praise report... there are so many, many times that I've seen the power of saying "Thank you..." to Jesus manifest but this morning I want to tell Him "Thank you for my healing...." I am never sick but for over a month, I have struggled with sinus junk and an aggravating cough. I know Jesus took that mess to the cross so for the past month I've coughed and then said "Thank you Jesus that I am well" and then I lost my hearing in my right ear and I said, "Thank you Jesus that I am well!" and then I lost my voice and I said "Thank you Jesus that I am well!" and then I coughed some more and I said "Thank you Jesus that I am well!"  Some people said...go to the doctor...I said, "I've been to Jesus and that's all the healing I need!"  And, now, just in the last few days...that healing that I've been saying "Thank you" for...it's officially here.  The cough is gone, I can hear, and I can talk! Praise Jesus!  Jesus is alive, my friends!!!  He's so alive!  :) Just trust Him....

Love,
Toddy