WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DECEMBER 31, 2025
TOPIC: GIVE THANKS TO GOD
BY T. O. BANSO
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever” (Psalm 136:3 New King James Version).
In a few hours, the year 2025 will end. Today is the last day of the year. Therefore, it is only proper to focus the message today on giving thanks to God. Thank God for making you see the beginning of the year and keeping you alive to see the end. Ecclesiastes 7:8a says, “The end of a thing is better than its beginning” (New King James Version). The New Living Translation puts it this way: “Finishing is better than starting.”
Whatever the challenges you faced in the year, you are still alive, preparing to enter the New Year 2026. Only those alive can give thanks to the Lord and praise His holy name. Those who’re dead can’t do that. Psalm 6:5 says, “For in death there is no remembrance of You; in the grave who will give You thanks?” (New King James Version). The New Living Translation says, “For the dead do not remember you. Who can praise you from the grave?” The New Century Version says, “Dead people don’t remember you; those in the grave don’t praise you.” The dead can’t give thanks to the Lord; only the living can. Therefore, give thanks to God. Remember all that He did for you in the year, and thank Him, even though you may have thanked Him many times before..
Psalm 95:2-3 says, “Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods” (New King James Version).
The apostle Paul says, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:18-20 New King James Version).
Give thanks to God. “Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever” (Psalm 136:3 New King James Version). There is no better day to thank God than today, when you consider all that happened in the year. “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 New International Version). The New Century Version says, “And give thanks whatever happens. That is what God wants for you in Christ Jesus.”
You have so many reasons to thank God today. If you remember all the answers to prayer, you should thank Him. If you remember what you didn’t pray for or ask from God, and He did for you, you should thank Him. What about healing you when you were sick? What about how He delivered you from dangers? Don’t be ungrateful. I am not saying the year was perfect or that all your expectations were met. Nobody has that kind of report. But God is good. He is faithful. Thank Him.
Colossians 3:17 says, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (New King James Version). The first line of the lyrics of the song “To God be the glory”, written by Fanny Crosby, and the music composed by W. Howard Doane says, “To God be the glory, great things He has done.” Can you recollect any of the great things God did for you this year? Do you remember your salvation, keeping you steadfast in the faith, the revelation of God’s Word, the building of your character, your healing and deliverances, etc.? Don’t forget what God did for your family or loved ones.
Give thanks to God. The Bible states some reasons to thank God. You should thank God because He is good and His mercy (steadfast love) endures forever (Psalms 106:1; 107:1; 118:1, 29; 136). Lamentation 3:22 says that through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed because His compassions fail not. The Lord’s mercy kept you through the year. Thank Him for this.
Give thanks to God. Thank God for His name and His greatness. Thank Him for His holy name (Psalms 106:47b; 97:12b). Also, thank Him because of His unspeakable gift. 2 Corinthians 9:15 says, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (King James Version). Jesus is God’s unspeakable, indescribable, or wonderful gift to the world. Give thanks to God.
Thank God for your salvation and the salvation of others. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 New King James Version). Give thanks to God.
Give thanks to God for His righteous judgment (Psalm 119:62), for avenging the enemy’s attack against you (Psalms 18:47-48), His many deliverances (Psalm 18:49-50), and His nearness to help you (Psalm 75:1). Also, give thanks to God for His marvelous or wondrous works (Psalm 105:1-2), the victory you have been given through Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:57), and His provisions – everything you have received from Him (1 Corinthians 4:7).
There are several other reasons to give thanks to God. If you can think, you can thank Him. Giving thanks is the will of God for you, as 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says. Giving thanks to God is good. Psalm 92:1 says, “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High” (New King James Version).
As you end the year 2025, give thanks to God. Give thanks to God, for He will do more for you in 2026. Greater testimonies await you in the New Year. Even those who had a turbulent 2025 or went through much hardship must never allow the devil to tell them that they are exempt from thanking God. Despite the year’s negatives, they should still thank God for some positives. The year 2025 was not entirely bad. Such people must thank God regardless of the negatives. They are better than those who are dead because they are alive, and things can still get better for them in 2026. Anyone in this category who is reading this message must give thanks to God and trust Him for an amazing year 2026. David said, “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13 New International Version).
Have a great crossover to 2026. Happy New Year!
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you must give your heart to Jesus now. Please take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself, and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your heart. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church. There, they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me, and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I invite Jesus into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You must join a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, I thank You for Your mercies throughout 2025. Thank You for everything You did for me and my loved ones, including my family, friends, and others. Thank You for the forgiveness of sins, divine guidance, provision, healing, deliverance, favour, answers to prayer, promotion, and other benefits from You. Thank You because You will enable me to cross over to 2026 safely and do greater things for me, my family, my friends, and other believers in the New Year.
(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
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