How Thanksgiving Draws Us Near to God

The following is an excerpt from With Thanksgiving that teaches how giving thanks draws us near to God.

We are given an invitation to come near to God—He wants us close to Him. And because of the blood of Jesus, we have been given access to God and can approach Him with confidence.

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19-22, emphasis added)

We have been granted access to the very presence of God. When Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the temple was torn (see Mark 15:37-38). So, the writer of Hebrews admonishes us to draw near to God in sincerity, assurance, and faith, knowing that we have been invited by God Himself and that the blood of Jesus makes the way for us to approach Him.

How to Draw Near

So how do we draw near to God? I believe that there are various ways to approach the Lord, but Psalm 100 gives us a biblical key that we can always use. This psalm is referred to as a psalm of thanksgiving, and in verse 4 it gives us this encouragement:

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
(Psalm 100:4)

Here we see that thanksgiving, coupled with praise, is a scriptural way to draw near to God. We enter His gates with thanksgiving. Giving thanks moves us in God’s direction. Praise draws us closer to Him. While God is omnipresent, we don’t always experience His presence or nearness in the same way. As we respond to the invitation to draw near to God, an attitude of thanksgiving is a must.

Because of the principles I am sharing here, whenever I spend time with the Lord, I always start with thanksgiving and also flow into praise. I give thanks for little things and big things. Not a day goes by that I don’t thank God for the blood of Jesus and for saving me. It is by His grace alone that I am saved—how could I not continually thank Him? But whether giving thanks for eternal life in Christ or for the food you have to eat today, thanksgiving is a means of drawing near to God.

Nearness to God is possible for every believer to experience. We must be intentional to seek Him and pursue to know Him more, but He has promised to draw near to us and to reward those who diligently seek Him (see Hebrews 11:6). If you desire to know God more and be closer to Him, make sure to enter His gates with thanksgiving. Draw near to Him by expressing thanks and praising His name. Like the leper who returned to Jesus to give Him thanks, you will get a closer view of God when you live a life of thanksgiving.

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The topic of thanksgiving can be found woven throughout the pages of Scripture, but we have often not seen its true value and significance in the life of a believer. With Thanksgiving is all about the transforming power of giving thanks. It is a short but powerful study on the topic of thanksgiving.