Sow Gratitude: The Watch Letter

This weekend a song our choir used to sing came up. “In everything give thanks. In everything give thanks. For this is the will of Jesus concerning you.”

Reflections of things I needed to express gratitude to God about throughout my life began to stir up continuously. I know and believe it was the Holy Ghost moving and God answering my heart cry from earlier this week.

A few days ago, I prayed out loud in a way I had not done in a while. I pleaded at the top of my lungs for the Holy Ghost to help me in all things I needed to accomplish, to draw me closer to the Lord, and to blow me up where I had been deflated in certain areas - a prayer taught to me by our pastor and my father Chief Apostle H.C. Gunn. What I needed to strengthen me in my areas of need was a heart of gratitude.

Gratitude changes your outlook. It stirs up your faith. It pulls you in like a magnet to God. It uplifts your countenance. It makes you satisfied and settled.

I can admit that I see where my meter on spending time thanking God for how he has saved, kept, protected, healed, and provided for me has been on the low side. We can get so busy and distracted with life and so focused on what we think we need or don't have that we forget to balance it and approach it with sincere praise. (What we were created to do since the beginning of time.) When we are outside of true worship, nothing else is in place.

• 1 Thessalonians 5:18: In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

• Psalms 118:24: This is the day which the LORD hath made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

• Lamentations 3:22-23: It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

• 1 Samuel 12:24: Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.
  

The Word of God teaches us that the Holy Ghost will remind us of all things and will always testify of God. That is why we need to be filled with His Spirit, without it we will ignore and forget His goodness.

The Holy Ghost reminded me of a car accident I and several others were in as children. It was serious but I came out untouched. He reminded me of some dangerous situations I was in in college where I was led to safety. He reminded me of how throughout my life, I have never lacked anything, no matter how tight things got. He reminded me of the people in my life that have been there for me even when I felt abandoned by others. He reminded me of how when people and situations have said no to things I needed, He said yes.

I repent right now because I know my gratitude has been dry as a desert. I think thousands of thoughts a day and speak thousands of words but of those thousands what percentage has been of gratitude?

So, why is the message called Sow Gratitude? Because in the moment gratitude began to pour out of me God began to remind me of things I needed to do that would be a blessing for me. Things that my too-busy self could not remember on my own began to sprout up. He put things and ideas in my heart and mind that would help me accomplish what I was concerned about. He gave me special encouragement. Simple gratitude sprouted up a provision of direction, clarity, rest, comfort, peace, hope, and joy. Sowing gratitude reaps blessing more valuable than silver or gold.

I went to the Bible just as I was writing this and opened it to Psalms 37, a scripture that the Lord told Chief Apostle Gunn was for me on December 26, 2021, and I was instructed to keep it readily available in my life, but I forgot and let it slip over time. Two of the verses (23-24) read: “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.”

Next to these verses, I wrote that Chief Apostle Gunn told me back then that God gave him a vision of me growing out of the palm of the Lord’s hand and he had given me the ability to walk up a tall building. This is the answer to what I have needed. I have been asking God for stability. I have been asking God for strength. I have been asking God to help me get back to my highest level of service to Him. God showed me he already provided what I need years ago, but was I grateful for His words and His promise if I didn't hold on to it? If I had not been able to express gratitude this weekend, I would never have recovered what the Lord had already spoken over me. I also thank God for this weekend's FORREAL RADIO BROADCAST because it caused me to be more grateful and to remember God's promises. (More about that below.)

Chief Apostle Gunn’s vision I shared above is also a reflection of my life’s story. God has held me in the palm of his hands forever and has nurtured me and shielded me so that my soul would prosper and that I would learn to walk upright. And he has given me abilities, opportunities, perseverance, and fortitude I never knew I could have until I was taught better by the Word, my pastor, and others who love the Lord.

I always thought of myself as less than for so much of my life. And when you take on a mindset of less than nothing is good enough for you. It creates ingratitude and insatiableness. But how can we be less than if our Father in Heaven is greater than?

During this week’s FORREAL RADIO BROADCAST Chief Apostle Gunn reminded us to celebrate and acknowledge the best news we could ever hear or receive: That we can be saved eternally with God. He talked about how he was simply thankful to be in a position to hear and know God's Word and be able to pray in the Name of Jesus. When is the last time we sowed gratitude unto God for the blessing of His Word, salvation, and being able to pray and fellowship with Him? Aren’t these the greatest blessings of all?

Listen to the most recent radio message “Gospel Power” here:

https://www.thebodyofchristinc.com/listen-in?wix-music-track-id=6556060108584012&wix-music-comp-id=comp-lcmqtfhu

Sincerely,

Apostle Kanya