Brethren, congratulations, by the Grace of God, you saw the end of 2023, you survived all evil plans of the enemy, glory be to God.

Beloved, I urge you to begin this year with gratitude to God if not for anything the fact that you are alive is a sign that you will soon testify in the congregation of God.

This new year, forget about challenges.  See yourself as a new person, a fulfilled person, and a testifier. 

The Holy Bible tells us in Psalm 145 vs. 1-3 ( KJV) : ” I will extol  thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.

Every day will  I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.

Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: and his greatness is unsearchable”.

Brethren, enough  of grumbling, enough of lamentation, enough of crying over what we lack, let’s begin to claim with joy what God has given to us and what he has promised us.

Hebrews 11 vs. 11 ( NKJV) ” By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised”.

When you trust God you will have no worries.   Your mouth would praise and bless his holy name at all times.

When we do this, we are thanking the LORD for what he has promised us.

This New Year, my prayer is that God opens our mouth to  sing praises to him and our ears to hear from him in Jesus name.

I share with you the sermon of Pastor Bayo Olugbemi of RCCG Province 21, Magodo  during the service of December 31, 2023. He    told the congregation,  that even if one has  nothing to thank God for , ” at least you grew older”.  In other words God   kept  you alive and you marked a birthday.

He said, ” When you appreciate God, you would not depreciate. Don’t be a great fool”.

Pastor Olugbemi while emphasizing the need to be grateful said, ” Thanksgiving is the   key to have more of anything you want.  In all situations give thanks because anything else could have happened”.

In his sermon,  on the same day, Pastor Gbenga Oso, the general overseer of Laughter Foundation International Ministry  urged the congregation to forget the past.

He told them to  look beyond what has not happened and be thankful for what is about to happen.

Brethren, 2024 is like a ship on the high seas, let Jesus be the captain of the ship.  With Jesus as the Captain of the ship and you as a passenger in the ship, be assured that every storm shall be calm and you  would be unhurt.

Beloved, God has promises for you and I in   2024 provided we remain with him.

Isaiah 45 vs.2-3: ” I will go before thee, I will break in pieces  gates of brass, and cut  in sunder the bars of iron:

And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel”.

Did you get the message?  It simply means if you have been held hostage by the forces of darkness or you have stagnated, God is ready to set you free.

It also means, that you don’t have to worry about your financial situation, God is ready  and able to make you wealthy.

In the passage quoted, you see the unlimited powers of the Almighty God because he said, ” that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel”.

God knows your name.  As long as you remain with him, you would not miss your miracle in Jesus name.

Need I remind you that our God is a great God whose mercy endureth forever.

Even if you lost someone last year, create more time to praise God this year and you will see the God of wonders at work.

Why is gratitude so important?  Again I refer to Pastor Bayo Olugbemi’s sermon.

He said when we consistently appreciate God with thanksgiving, we would experience a release of God’s  abundant blessings.

Secondly, it would make Heavens Open for us.

Brethren, when we  praise God, consistently, the Hosts of Heaven join us to rejoice .  This results in  the Heavens Opening unto us and when this happens, we are soaked with blessings beyond our imagination.

As you  praise the Lord  regularly this year, I see you say ” O God, the  blessings are too much”.  That would be our  testimony  from 2024 in Jesus name.

According to Pastor Bayo Olugbemi ” Gratitude to God should be a norm.   It brings joy unspeakable”.

To genuinely praise the Lord, we need to  evaluate the past.  In other words, look back count your blessings

Brethren to praise God with all our hearts, we need to look into the future with trust in the LORD.

We need to appreciate what God has done for us to genuinely  praise and thank the Almighty God.

Psalm 116 vs. 12: What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?

You need to reflect and identify those benefits before  you ask yourself the question in Psalm 116 vs. 12.

Do you know that you were healed not because of the tablets you took but the  healing power of the Lord.  Some took those same tablets and passed on but you are still alive.   Give glory to God.

Brethren, the greatest companion we need to navigate   year 2024 is the Holy Spirit  of God.

The Lord Jesus told us in John 16 vs. 13: ” Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to  come”.

Since the word of God is true, the next question is how do you access the Holy Spirit?

The answer is found in Jeremiah 33 vs. 3: ” Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee  great and mighty things, which thou knowest not”.

Once God reveals, even if we have made mistakes, in the past, the revelation of the Holy Spirit would set our feet on the path of success.

It is your duty to invite the Holy Spirit into your life through prayers , worship and the study of the Word.

Brethren, it is not enough to be a Christian because your parents are Christians, you need to take a decision to be a born again Christian.

It is one of the surest ways to invite the Holy Spirit into your life.

Complete obedience to the Word of God is  also a key  to  victory over all challenges.

It helps us to enjoy a peaceful life.

Be ready to fully  obey the Holy Spirit when He speaks.

May God open our ears to hear from the Holy Spirit this year in Jesus name.

As you forge ahead in the New Year, make sure you do not depart from the presence of God so that His presence can be with you.

Let’s dedicate this month of January to  praising and giving thanks to God.

Forget about the 12 months of monthly periods, begin to look at nine months of conception and delivery. See yourself being called a new name.  See yourself celebrate.

When you do this, fear is defeated and joy unspeakable would sneak in when you least expected.

As you cling unto Jesus, the wind of goodness would blow in your favour in Jesus name.

Happy New Year! It shall be a year of  Thanksgiving in Jesus name.

Our God lives!