Thankful Through Worship: Saying Thank You to God

Hey, carpool crew, all month long we're talking about thankfulness. Not that it's reserved for a month or a day of the year, but being thankful is something we should be doing every day of every year. I am Pastor Justin, and I'm so glad you're here. Let me ask you something. Have you ever had a moment where you just had to say thank you? Like when someone gave you the perfect gift or helped you when you didn't know what to do or showed up when you needed them the most? You didn't have to think about it. You just smiled and said, thank you. It was so natural. That's what worship is. It's our way of saying thank you to God, not just with words, but with songs, prayers, and real joy. Here's what it says in Psalm chapter 100 verse four, enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name. This psalm was written as a song for God's people as they came to the temple to worship. Back then entering God's gates meant walking into his house, the temple in Jerusalem, and they didn't come quietly. They came singing, they shouted, they clapped. They played instruments and lifted their voices to say, God, you are good. Worship was never meant to be boring or routine. It wasn't meant to be something you do and you're kinda looking around, not really clapping your hands, not really singing or paying attention. It's not a time to mess around with your friends or tell a joke or make goofy faces. It's meant to be a time full of thankfulness. And the cool thing, we don't have to go to temple to worship anymore because of Jesus. We are God's house. His spirit lives in us. That means we can worship anywhere, in church, in the car, in our room. We can even sing in the shower. It's totally fine. Think about when your favorite song comes on in the car. You can't help but to sing along, right? My daughter loves singing along songs she knows in the car. She asks for music she knows, and she will sing as loud as she wants. She's almost five years old. How wonderful is that? But somewhere along the way, we may have forgotten that we can do that at any age. See, your body moves a little. Maybe your hands start to drum on the seat and your heart just feels lighter when you're singing songs that you love, that you know, especially ones that give glory to God and make a big deal about who he is. That is worship. When we sing to God, we're not performing for anyone else. We're connecting with him. We're remembering all the good things he's done, and we're letting our hearts say, God, you're amazing, and I'm thankful. Sing from your heart. It's not about how you sound. I am a terrible singer. But I love to sing because it's not about how I sound, it's about who you're singing to. And I am singing to God and to Jesus and giving praise to him, 'cause I'm thankful. You can do the same. When you worship, you remind your heart that God is good and that he is in control, and that he is worthy of your praise. No matter what kind of day you're having. So today, turn your thankfulness into worship, sing, pray, and smile. And remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. Parents. If you love this podcast, share it with a parent friend, text them over a link and consider subscribing. You can do it on Apple Podcasts. Get the weekend episodes as well as our nightly bedtime devotional that I know you and your family will love. Before you go answer this question together, what's one way you like to worship God? Singing, praying, dancing, drawing, or is it something else? I'll see you tomorrow on carpooling with Jesus.