The Power of Thanksgiving and Praise, Part 1 - Jerry Savelle Sermon. In Psalm chapter 86 David is reflecting on the mercy, compassion, comfort and strength that the Lord had blessed him with and he says to God, “I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore.” David’s thankfulness and praise put him in position to receive an outpouring of God’s favor and blessings in his life. Join Jerry Savelle & his daughter Jerriann Savelle as they teach on the importance of giving God thanksgiving and praise for every blessing in our lives, no matter how big or small, and how to walk in a continuous attitude of gratitude.
Full text of The Power of Thanksgiving and Praise
JERRY: Hello, everyone. I'm Jerry Savelle. Welcome to our broadcast today. Thank you for joining with me. I pray in the name of Jesus that each and every one of you will be inspired today by the Word of God and that your faith will go to another level. You know, the Bible says that the just shall live by faith, and the Bible also says that this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. I'm believing that your faith is going to go to another level today.
I have with me my oldest daughter, Jerriann, and she's going to be teaching the Word right along with me, not only today, but over the next several weeks. We want you to make your plans to join with us each and every week. We're going to be talking about the power of thanksgiving and praise. I believe, praise God, these lessons are going to be a great inspiration to your life. Thank you, Jerri, for being with me today. JERRIANN: I'm excited to be here. I like hanging out with you. JERRY: I like hanging out with you too. I've been doing that for a long time now. JERRIANN: Long time now. JERRY: You know, I just noticed, I see on my notes here that the air date for these broadcasts begin February the 11th and they go through about March the 10th.
February the 11th is a special date for me. JERRIANN: Life-changing. JERRY: A life-changing date. February the 11th, 1969, I surrendered my life to the Lord. That makes now 49 years. I am in my 49th year of ministry and, praise God, what adventures in faith it has been. JERRIANN: Happy birthday. JERRY: Amen. Praise God. JERRIANN: Thank you for your faithfulness. JERRY: You know, you and Terri, your sister Terri, you don't know anything about my life pre-February the 11th. JERRIANN: No, I was only six months old.
JERRY: You were six months old when I surrendered my life to the Lord. Of course, you hear the stories about me owning a paint and body shop and all of that, but the only thing that you two have known is not Jerry the paint and body man, but Jerry the preacher man. JERRIANN: You always said Jerry having all to do stand Savelle. That's how we know you, not a quitter, faithful. JERRY: Yeah, prior to February the 11th 69, I was a quitter, looking for a place to quit, but that all changed the day that I made Jesus the Lord of my life and I got ahold the Word of God. Praise God, quitting has not been a part of my lifestyle since. I pray that you have the same testimony.
Now, today we're going to be talking about the power of thanksgiving and praise. If you have your Bibles with you, I want to invite you to open them, first of all, to Psalm 86. I want to begin reading in verse 11, "Teach me thy way, O Lord. I will walk in thy truths. Unite my heart to fear thy name. I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify thy name forevermore." The Message translation says it this way, "From the bottom of my heart, I'll thank you." Notice David said here, "Teach me thy ways." You know, I just feel like if you learn to walk in God's ways, then you're going to be successful in every endeavor that you pursue. I learned that over the years. If I learn how to do things God's way, then I'm going to win. I'm going to be successful. One of God's ways is praise and thanksgiving. You know, so many people today don't praise God enough. So many people today are not grateful enough for what God is doing. You know, they tend to major on what's not happening rather what God has made happen. I have so many testimonies, dear Lord. 49 years, I have testimony after testimony of how God has brought me through and God has broken through for me, God has blessed me, God has prospered me, God has favored me. I know you have wonderful testimonies as well and reasons to give God praise continually. JERRIANN: Well, I think it should be something every morning when we wake up, that's the first thing we do, is thank him even for breath in our lungs, just to wake up that morning.
I think we're in a generation now that is just natural complainers and grumbling about what they don't have, what they're wanting. Instead, we should just be thankful for what we do have. JERRY: Yeah, in fact, you mentioned of course the Psalm says praise God for having breath in your lungs. That's a starting place. If you woke up this morning, you have a reason to praise God. JERRIANN: Exactly. JERRY: You remember a gentleman that used to work for me years ago. I would say to him, Raymond Shoulders. I'd say, "How you doing this morning?" He said, "Well, Brother Jerry, I woke up again." That simply meant that he was thankful to wake up again. That's a starting place. You know, somebody says, "I don't have any reason to praise God." Yes, you do. You woke up again, praise God. You have breath in your lungs so praise ye the Lord. That's a good starting place.
I found if you start there, then you'll begin to think of more and more reasons. Someone said many, many years ago, I mean, I heard it even as I was a kid, "Count your blessings. Name them one by one." God is in the business of blessing people. Even though you may not have everything you need right now and even though you may not have everything you want right now, but certainly you can think of reasons to give God praise. He has blessed you in many, many ways. Just stop and think about the many times that blessings have come your way. You should forever be grateful. JERRIANN: You know what I was thinking too, Dad, about this is when I was the CFO here at Jerry Savelle Ministries, I started a gratitude journal for the financial victories that we went through because you can easily forget them when you're waiting for your next financial breakthrough. I started writing them down every time God miraculously came through for us in a financial way. I had it on a little Rolodex kind of thing. I would just flip that and read those financial breakthroughs to remind myself of what he had done and what he could do because you tend to forget when you're right in the middle of needing something again, you forget what he's done for you. JERRY: You know, that's really the way David was able to slay Goliath. He remembered the lion and the bear that came against him. He said, "This uncircumcised Philistine will be no different than the lion and the bear." What is he doing? He's remembering how God brought him through in times past. JERRIANN: Recalling.
JERRY: Just remembering how that God gave him supernatural ability to overcome that situation. His attitude is if God could do that for me then, why can't he do that again now? JERRIANN: Right. JERRY: There's always a reason to praise God. God is constantly bringing us through impossible-looking situations.
I know many of you that are watching right now, you may be facing something that looks utterly impossible, but, hey, you've been there before and you remember that it looked as though God was nowhere to be found. It looked as though your prayers are not getting any higher than the ceiling, but somehow someway, God brought you through. If he's ever brought you through before, he'll do it again and again and again. I've learned to be thankful for what he's done. I've also learned to be thankful for what I believe he's about to do. JERRIANN: Right. Well, I have a phrase and a saying in my life. I praise him in the storm. It's not for the storm, but what I know that he's going to bring me through.
There's victory and there's breakthrough on the other side. I'm not praising him because of the storm, but I'm praising him for what I know he's done in my life in the past and what he will do. JERRY: Well, that's what David learned to do. David not only praised God for what he'd already done, but he'd learned to praise God forever more he says here. In other words, it was something that was a natural response for him. I believe that's one of the reasons why God said, "David is a man after my own heart," because he was quick to praise God. David made mistakes. David even sinned. I mean, he you could say let God down, but he was quick to repent and he was quick to praise God for forgiveness. God says about David, "He was a man after my own heart." I believe the primary reason was simply because he was quick to praise God in every situation. JERRIANN: Well, last night I was reading the Psalms because they're full of praises from David. He was saying, "O why soul are you so downcast? Why are you so depressed?" He was going down that dark road, but then it says, "But I will praise you. But I will recall, but I will remember what you've done. He always stirred himself back up in praise. JERRY: Yeah, and a lot of times, his Psalms start with kind of being down or depressed, but they all end in him being up and lifting up God and praising God. In fact, I said jokingly one time I think David might have been the originator of country-western music. It starts out, you know, with somebody's got my baby and gone, and then before it's all over with they're happy again.
David, he was a singer you know, he could have been the originator of country-western music. JERRIANN: That's funny. JERRY: You know, everyone likes to know that they're appreciated, even God. He likes to know that He's appreciated. He likes to know that we're grateful. You know, your mom and I, we're givers. We love to give, we live to give. It's particularly my love language, I mean, it's something I love to do. When I want to express my love to someone, it's usually in the form of not only words, but in gifts. At the same time, even though I'm a giver, you appreciate being told that the person that you gave to is grateful for it. I've given to a lot of people that they never even said thank you, not even in my presence, they never said thank you. Now, we taught you girls growing up that when somebody blessed you or somebody did something for you, gave you something, that you were to say thank you and even write a thank you note. JERRIANN: I still do, don't I? JERRY: You still do. I'm really thrilled, too, because you've taught your children that. I mean, my grandchildren, I love blessing them, I love doing things for them. Madison, you know, your daughter that I hardly can believe is in college now.
JERRIANN: A freshman, yep. JERRY: Freshman in college, she came home for Thanksgiving, so we got to spend a little time with her before she left. I just reached over and said, "Here's some pocket change to take back to school with you." "Papa, I don't need that." "Yes, this is yours, take it with you." "Papa, you don't have to do that." I said, "I know I don't have to sweetheart, but it's what I do. It's the reason I live. I live to give. Go ahead and take it." "Papa, thank you so much. Thank you so much." She not only thanked me several times before she left, but even sent me a text after she got back to school, "Thank you Papa." Grateful, showing gratitude goes a long ways. JERRIANN: Well, if I came to you and all I ever did was ask for things, you love me and you want to give to me, but gratefulness and thankfulness, coming to you without ever wanting anything, I mean, I think of the heavenly Father, how much He's asked for things every single day, but how often do we just go to Him and ask for nothing, but just thank him? Just thank him. JERRY: That's right. It's only natural that when someone gives to you or blesses you in some way, that you are to show gratitude. I don't understand why people don't do that.
Then, I guess they've never been taught. You know, I assume there are families that never teach their children gratitude. JERRIANN: Well, I had a friend tell me that, that until she got around me, she had never written a thank you note. She was grateful, but she just didn't know to express it. JERRY: Yeah. You know, there's a story in the Bible, in the gospels where there were 10 lepers that were standing far off from where Jesus was. When they saw Him, they cried out and said, "Master, have mercy on us." Jesus said, "Go show yourself to the priest." They were lepers. In the natural, they couldn't do that. They weren't allowed in that village because they had leprosy.
They weren't allowed to come into that village until they were cleansed, and then they could go to the priest and he would declare them cleansed and then they were welcomed back into the community. Jesus was speaking the end result. He said, "Go show yourself to the priest." The Bible says, "As they went," and that was a great demonstration of faith, "as they went, they were cleansed." All 10 of them were cleansed. When they saw that they were cleansed, one of them came running back and fell at His feet and began to praise Him for His deliverance, His healing of this terrible disease. The Bible says, "Jesus said unto him that your faith has made you whole." Now, the Bible indicates that all 10 of them were cleansed ... JERRIANN: But, Jesus calls out in that, says, "Weren't there 10?" JERRY: Yeah. JERRIANN: He acknowledged ... JERRY: He acknowledged that all 10 of them were cleansed. JERRIANN: I would be so embarrassed to think that Jesus recognized ...
JERRY: He was surprised, really, that only one came back-- JERRIANN: Only one came back JERRY: --to offer thanks. JERRIANN: Right. JERRY: The man who was willing to offer thanks, show gratitude, the Bible says he was made whole. All 10 of them were cleansed, they no longer had the disease. The other nine no longer had the disease, but they still showed the effects of it. If they were missing part of their nose, it was still missing. Part of their ear missing, it was still missing. They didn't have the disease anymore, but notice the one person who had an attitude of gratitude was made completely whole.
Meaning, that there was no evidence that he ever had that disease. Praise and thanksgiving goes a long ways. JERRIANN: It does. JERRY: It impresses God and it impresses me. JERRIANN: Well, the fact that Jesus mentioned it, it does go a long way. JERRY: Once again, it's only natural when someone gives to you or someone blesses you in some way, that you are to show gratitude. I don't really think that's asking too much, and I don't believe that God's asking of too much. Second Timothy chapter three, you mentioned earlier at the beginning of the broadcast that, it's part of the generation that we're in. Here's what Paul said in Second Timothy chapter three and verse 10.
He said, "This would be one of the signs of the end time. Men shall be lovers of self, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, unthankful, unholy." JERRIANN: Wow, wow. JERRY: Notice, it's one of the signs of the times, that, you know, I mean, I'd hate to be mentioned in the same verse that blasphemers are mentioned in. Notice he said it's one of the signs of the end time that men will become unthankful. Apparently, we're in the end times, because unthankful, ungrateful is certainly prevalent today. So many people don't even stop to say thanks. You know, we're around Christians most of the time.
I mean, I preach all over the world, I'm around a lot of Christians. Most of my best friends, well, all of my best friends are Christians, you know, and we're around this environment where we're constantly thanking one another for certain things they do in our lives, we're constantly praising God, giving testimonies of what God has done. We're not part of that ungrateful generation, even though it's all around us. Just imagine what it's like in a worldly environment, where, what do you think bosses think when they give employees a bonus or give them an extra day off or do something special for them, and they're never told thank you? Does that make you want to keep doing it, keep doing things that bless people? No, it doesn't. I think the reason that a lot of people are not experiencing any more of God's blessings than they are right now is because they never show any gratitude.
JERRIANN: Well, just start with the little things. JERRY: Yeah. JERRIANN: I mean, just start with the, when someone does something for you, just a thank you goes a long ways. JERRY: The nature of God is giving. The Bible says in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten son." Love gives.
God by nature is a giver. He's always wanting to give to us. He's always wanting to bless us. He's always wanting to help us. God never intended for you to live in a beggarly state. He never intended for you to live never having your needs met. God is more interested in you having your needs met than you are. God is always looking for opportunities to bless you and to help you. Every once in a while, you know, you need to just stop and say, "Thank you Lord, thank you." I've learned, once again, to always be grateful for what is done in the past. You know, I wouldn't have the ministry I have today, I wouldn't be on television around the world today if it wasn't for God. You know, this broadcast is shown in over 200 nations around the world. JERRIANN: It's amazing. JERRY: That would not be possible without God. JERRIANN: Right. JERRY: I say this as humbly as I know how, but I'm one of the most respected ministers of our generation, around the world.
That wouldn't be if it wasn't for God. I have a lot to be thankful for. I have a ministry that is debt-free. I have a ministry that is received by people and praised by people all over the world. I get letters all the time of people saying ... in fact, I've got testimonies right here of people thanking me for the word that I've brought to them.
Thanking me for living a Godly life, being a Godly example. I have God to thank for all of that. So, for me to be ungrateful would be totally unacceptable. JERRIANN: Right. JERRY: Amen. JERRIANN: Yeah. JERRY: I want to encourage all of you that are watching today, if you're not praising God every day for something, and if you can't think of anything else like we've already said, start out with you have breath in your lungs. You woke up again today. That's a good starting place. Thank God that you're still alive. Thank God that you have breath in your lungs. Thank God that he loves you no matter what your past has been, no matter how ugly you were before you came to him, no matter what you've done recently ... nothing you will ever do will stop God from loving you. That is a great reason for you to give him praise today. I want to encourage you right now, immediately after this broadcast is over, I want you to spend some time praising God.
You know, like Jerri said, get you a sheet of paper, a Rolodex or something, and start writing down reasons why you can praise God, reasons why you are thankful. If you'll start that, I'm telling you, you'll fill up a notepad. You will fill up a Rolodex. Just flip through there every once in a while and say, "Wow, I remember when God did this," and it will bring a fresh excitement to you. JERRIANN: Yes. JERRY: It will bring an expectancy to you, if God's done it before, he can do it again. So, don't ever stop praising God. Be grateful, be thankful. I'm telling you, and we're going to get to this in one of the upcoming broadcasts, thankfulness and praise and gratefulness ... they'll produce some of your greatest breakthroughs. In fact, praising God and giving God thanks will produce breakthroughs that nothing else will. Be thankful. Praise God. Be grateful. Amen. Watch this special announcement, and then we'll be back in just a few moments.