A teaching by Rev. Barbara Williams, President of the Ministry of the Watchman International
Week of November 18-22, 2019
MONDAY
And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people. And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.
Mark 8:6-9
Jesus has the desire to do good. He is doing the will of the Father at all times. One thing to know about thanksgiving: it pleases the Father. When Jesus sees that there is not enough provision, He takes the need to the Father. Instead of complaining, He gives thanks for what is provided. What is provided is the “seed” for the provision.
The law of seedtime and harvest always works (“…as long as the earth remains…” – Genesis 8:22). Jesus plants the seed by thanking God for it. Thanksgiving is an offering.
Whatever we offer to God with thanksgiving in our hearts will be received by Him. What He receives He ministers over. When He ministers over something, the provision is met abundantly. The remainder is used for seed for the next need.
If you are in need of healing, there is good news! Proverbs 4:20-22 SAYS:
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
So there is life and health in God’s word. Since God’s word is medicine, we must take it like we would a prescription. I suggest three times a day, like you would your food. Remember, healing is the children’s bread. Consider this your “dose” for today. Remember, read, and meditate three times a day the following:
Rx: Proverbs 17:22 ~ A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
2 Timothy 2:15
If you’ve never studied the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, we invite you to join us as we read through the Bible in a year. Read and meditate on these chapters this week:
November 18: 1 Chronicles 11-12, Hebrews 13, Amos 7, Luke 2
November 19: 1 Chronicles 13-14, James 1, Amos 8, Luke 3
November 20: 1 Chronicles 15, James 2, Amos 9, Luke 4
November 21: 1 Chronicles 16, James 3, Obidiah, Luke 5
November 22: 1 Chronicles 17, James 4, Jonah 1, Luke 6
November 23: 1 Chronicles 18, James 5, Jonah 2, Luke 7
November 24: 1 Chronicles 19-20, 1 Peter 1, Jonah 3, Luke 8
TUESDAY
And as He entered into a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
And when He saw them, He said unto them, “Go, show yourselves unto the priests.” And it came to pass that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them when he saw that he was healed, turned back and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks; and he was a Samaritan.
And Jesus answering said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? There are none found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.” And He said unto him, “Arise; go thy way. Thy faith hath made thee whole.”
Luke 17:12-19
Ten lepers ask to be cleansed. Jesus tells them all to go and show themselves to the priest. When one man examines himself, as he has done many times, he finds that he is cleansed. He immediately offers up thanks to Jesus, the one who has answered his prayer.
Jesus marvels that none of the others have stopped to thank God. God immediately confers the blessing of wholeness upon this man. The nine were only cleansed. This man was made whole. Whatever the leprosy destroyed has been restored: body parts, family, finances. To be made whole is to be saved, in peace: nothing missing, nothing broken.
WEDNESDAY
Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me. And I knew that Thou hearest Me always, but because of the people who stand by I said it, that they may believe that Thou hast sent Me.”
John 11:41-42
Thanksgiving is offered up to God. The desire of Jesus’ heart is to glorify the father. When the dead are raised, God is glorified. Jesus thanks the Father for the sake of the people standing nearby. That includes you and me. He thanks the father to show us the way to the miraculous.
Whenever we stop and give God thanks, we open the door to the miraculous. Thanksgiving becomes an offering of a sweet savor in the nostrils of our God. He receives the sacrifice and will grant the request that is upon the altar. We must believe this. God is both able and willing and we know it.
THURSDAY
Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me. And I knew that Thou hearest Me always, but because of the people who stand by I said it, that they may believe that Thou hast sent Me.”
John 11:41-42
Miracle working power is released. Jesus receives the unction to speak forth the words to Lazarus. This is granted because thanksgiving releases the atmosphere for miracles. God gives permission for the Kingdom to be released through the giving of thanks.
When we thank God, we open the floodgates of permission for His kingdom to manifest and subdue the kingdom of darkness. When Jesus stopped to give the Father thanks, the key was turned to open the gates of hell, and let the captive go free. There was a miracle with Lazarus’ name on it. It came to him when God received thanksgiving from the Chief Prophet, the Lord Jesus Christ.
FRIDAY
Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me. And I knew that Thou hearest Me always, but because of the people who stand by I said it, that they may believe that Thou hast sent Me.”
John 11:41-42
The faith of bystanders increases. When a miracle is witnessed, there is an impression made on a person’s spirit. The miracle atmosphere affects the memory of a person’s spirit man. It allows the person to embrace a new knowledge of God.
When we attend a miracle service, we are affected by the atmosphere even if we stand in unbelief. We are not the same, and we will either run away or seek more of God. We will know that a miracle has occurred, however.
Jesus told the Pharisees to believe him for the works sake. From that day forward, persons who were present at the tomb were familiar with the miraculous in a personal way. That’s the power of thanksgiving. It brings God into our midst to do the miraculous. We need to thank Him for that.