Enter in His Courts with Thanksgiving

Growing up, I sang this song every time we came together for church.

“I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart.

I will enter His courts with praise.

I will say this is the day that the Lord has made.

I will rejoice for He has made me glad.”

The song is He Has Made Me Glad lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group.

The song is based on Psalm 100:4, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him and bless his name.”

In those days, my youth pastor used to tell us that the best way to approach God was with praise and thanksgiving.

He told us this is effective because God, he said, “inhabits the praises of His people.”

While you might be hard-pressed to find a chapter and verse where the Bible says that God inhabits the praises of His people, the scriptures do encourage us time and time again to be grateful and to sing praise to our God.

I have recently rediscovered this discipline in my daily prayer time.

I begin with thanksgiving and praise.

I find that my spirit is immediately lifted, my mind clears, and I become ready for a conversation with God.

When I praise Him, and when I pause to count my blessings with gratitude, His presence becomes palpable.

I don’t think God calls us to praise and thanksgiving for His benefit.

I think He calls us to do this because He knows it will change a bad day to a good one, a desperate situation to one with hope, and a heavy heart to one light with joy.

If you haven’t made a regular habit of entering His gates with thanksgiving in your heart and into His courts with praise, give it a try.

I think you will be glad you did.

Much love,

David Dellman