FIRST GIVE THANKS

MEMORY VERSE: and he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the fives loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples and the disciples to the multitudes, Matthew 14:19

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 20, Ps 107, Isa 47, Rev 17

BIBLE STUDIES: Matthew 14:19-21

In our bible studies is a very familiar story. Jesus was in the desert with his disciples, some people heard about it and they told their friends. Before you know it the desert was jam-packed with people who were seeking solution to the thorny issues of their lives. When Jesus saw them he was filled with great compassion and began to heal them. By the time it was evening everyone was very hungry and there was nothing to feed them with. The disciples suggested that they send the people away to go and get food themselves, but Jesus was against the idea. With five loaves of bread and two fishes, He fed five thousand men not counting women and children.

If your ministry is facing challenges, I want to inform you that the ministry of Jesus faced challenges too. Your ministry is not the first to face challenges and it will not be the last. The challenges Jesus had was He had to feed around 30,000 people with only five loaves of bread and two fishes. The bible only mentioned 5000 men but we know that the number of woman always triples the number of men in the church and the number of children always quadruples the number of men. Jesus needed food to feed this crowd. To make matters worse it was in the evening which meant that virtually all the shops in the villages nearby were already closed for the day. Since there was nothing He could humanly do, He looked to heaven.

 When the going got tough for Jesus, He looked up to His Father in heaven. The mistake most of us do when the going gets tough is that we look down and bow our head in shame. We feel sorry for ourselves and some even begin to cry. Brethren, Jesus looked up to Heaven so I admonish you to look up to heaven for that ministry need. The first words that came out His mouth when He looked to heaven were father I thank you. The bible records in Matthew 14:19 that He blessed in other words he said a prayer of thanksgiving. The first thing you must always do when you go to God is thank Him. Thank Him for His faithfulness and other things He has done in the ministry. Thank Him because it could have been worse but He did not permit it. Thank Him for the salvation of your soul and the gift of life. After all only the living has challenges, the dead don’t have challenges. After Jesus blessed the Lord, He took a step of faith. Brethren after you must have blessed the Lord and tabled your request before Him, take a step of faith.

ACTION: Thank God first before you table your request before Him.