BEING THANKFUL FOR THE CLOSE OF YEAR
By Rev. Samuel Arimoro
Main Text: Psalm 103:1-5
Key Verse:
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” (Psalm 103:2)
Supporting Texts: Psalm 107:1; Lamentations 3:22-23; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Luke 17:15-19; Deuteronomy 8:10
INTRODUCTION
As the year draws to a close, thanksgiving becomes a spiritual responsibility rather than a mere formality. Many people focus only on what did not work, what was delayed, or what was lost, forgetting that survival itself is a testimony of divine mercy. Scripture reminds us that it is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, and every preserved life has a reason to give thanks.
Thanksgiving at the end of the year is an act of spiritual awareness. It acknowledges that God was present in every season—both in joy and in trials. The believer who understands this truth does not wait for perfection before giving thanks but recognises God’s hand even in imperfect situations.
Being thankful at the close of the year is also prophetic. It honours God for what He has done and prepares the heart for what He is about to do. Gratitude closes one season well and opens the next season strong, because God is drawn to hearts that appreciate His dealings.
1. THANKSGIVING ACKNOWLEDGES GOD AS THE SOURCE OF PRESERVATION
Thankfulness is a spiritual confession that God alone sustained you through the year. It removes self-glory and places honour where it truly belongs—on God.
a) GOD IS THE REASON YOU ARE STILL STANDING (Lamentations 3:22-23)
Your survival through challenges, dangers, and uncertainties is not accidental but a result of God’s unfailing mercies that were renewed every morning throughout the year.
b) PRESERVATION IS A GREATER MIRACLE THAN PROVISION (Psalm 121:7-8)
Many received provisions but did not live to testify; preservation proves that God watched over your life day and night.
c) GRATITUDE RECOGNISES GOD’S INVISIBLE HAND (Psalm 124:1-3)
There were battles you never saw and dangers you never knew, yet God intervened silently on your behalf.
d) THANKSGIVING SILENCES PRIDE AND SELF-RELIANCE (Deuteronomy 8:17-18)
Giving thanks humbles the heart and reminds you that strength, wisdom, and success all come from God.
Biblical Example:
The Israelites were preserved in the wilderness for forty years by God’s hand, even when they lacked understanding, and Moses continually reminded them to remember and thank the Lord (Deuteronomy 8:2-4).
2. THANKSGIVING HONOURS GOD FOR BOTH GOOD AND HARD SEASONS
True gratitude is not selective; it thanks God in all circumstances, knowing that He works all things together for good.
a) GOD IS PRESENT IN EVERY SEASON (Ecclesiastes 3:1,11)
The year carried different seasons, yet God remained constant, shaping your destiny through each phase.
b) DIFFICULT SEASONS PRODUCE SPIRITUAL MATURITY (James 1:2-4)
Trials were not meant to destroy you but to strengthen your faith and deepen your dependence on God.
c) THANKSGIVING DECLARES TRUST IN GOD’S PURPOSE (Romans 8:28)
Gratitude in hardship is a declaration that God’s plan is higher than your present understanding.
d) A THANKFUL HEART REFUSES BITTERNESS (Hebrews 12:15)
Thanksgiving heals the soul and prevents the poison of resentment from taking root in the heart.
Biblical Example:
Job blessed the name of the Lord even after severe loss, acknowledging God’s sovereignty and demonstrating gratitude that was rooted in faith, not circumstances (Job 1:21).
3. THANKSGIVING OPENS THE DOOR TO GREATER BLESSINGS
Gratitude is not only a response to blessings; it is a key that unlocks more from God.
a) GOD MULTIPLIES WHAT IS THANKED FOR (John 6:11)
When Jesus gave thanks for little, it became more, revealing that thanksgiving triggers divine multiplication.
b) THANKFULNESS ATTRACTS DIVINE ATTENTION (Luke 17:15-19)
God notices grateful hearts and often releases additional blessings beyond the original miracle.
c) GRATITUDE POSITIONS YOU FOR INCREASE (Psalm 67:5-7)
Praise and thanksgiving create an atmosphere where increase and favour flourish.
d) THANKSGIVING KEEPS BLESSINGS FROM TURNING INTO IDOLS (Habakkuk 3:17-18)
Gratitude keeps your focus on God rather than on the gifts He gives.
Biblical Example:
One leper returned to give thanks after being healed, and Jesus declared him whole, showing that gratitude attracted a deeper and more complete blessing (Luke 17:15-19).
4. THANKSGIVING PREPARES YOU FOR THE YEAR AHEAD
How you end the year spiritually determines how you enter the next one.
a) A THANKFUL HEART CLOSES THE YEAR WITHOUT REGRET (Psalm 126:3)
Gratitude helps you reflect on God’s goodness rather than dwell on disappointments.
b) THANKSGIVING RELEASES JOY AND PEACE (Philippians 4:6-7)
Giving thanks replaces anxiety with divine peace as you look toward the future.
c) GRATITUDE STRENGTHENS FAITH FOR WHAT IS COMING (Hebrews 11:6)
Remembering past faithfulness builds confidence in God for greater things ahead.
d) THANKSGIVING INVITES GOD INTO THE NEXT SEASON (Psalm 100:4)
You enter new seasons through gates of thanksgiving and courts of praise.
Biblical Example:
David consistently ended seasons with praise and thanksgiving, which positioned him for greater victories and divine favour in subsequent seasons (Psalm 18:49-50).
CONCLUSION
Being thankful for the close of the year is a spiritual act of wisdom. It acknowledges God’s faithfulness, honours His dealings, and heals the heart from disappointment. A grateful believer does not deny challenges but chooses to magnify God above them.
As you give thanks at the end of this year, you are prophetically aligning yourself with God’s purpose for the next season. Gratitude will preserve what God has done, multiply what remains, and usher you into a new year filled with hope, strength, and divine expectation.
PRAYER POINTS
1. Father, I thank You for preserving my life and family throughout this year.
2. Lord, forgive me for every moment of ingratitude and murmuring.
3. I receive a heart that is continually grateful in every situation.
4. Father, let my thanksgiving attract greater blessings into my life.
5. Lord, heal my heart from every disappointment of this year.
6. I thank You for battles I survived and lessons I learned.
7. Father, let gratitude open new doors for me in the coming year.
8. Lord, I acknowledge You as the source of all I have and all I am.
9. Let my thanksgiving silence every voice of complaint in my life.
10. Father, as I end this year with thanks, let the next year answer to joy.
