We can express our gratitude to God in two ways:

• Verbally;

• Non-verbally;

This can also be done through worship and prayer. Prayer, as a manifestation of gratitude, shows attitudes of appreciation towards God and is a way of saying thank you. When you enter into this way of praying, happiness and grace follow only those who always give thanks.

David was a great giver of thanks. David knew how to worship, glorify, and give thanks. One cannot endure for long without expressing this.

Non-verbal gratitude is expressed through actions. We move from the dimension of saying nothing but making gestures for the glory of God. Actions or communication are more effective than words. God remembers the gestures and actions of our lives.

To illustrate, I had a brake failure on an 80-day journey. Then, I fell victim to a rental deposit scam. Therefore, I decided to give thanks for the amount corresponding to the money that had been stolen from me. I handed it over to Reverend Dr. FUTI Luemba and told him, “God bless you.”

Then, after some time, I had an accident where the vehicle was reduced to a wreck, but we all came out unharmed with the baby. God had rescued me from a situation because of the gesture of gratitude towards God. Thank offerings have mouths that cry out before the throne of God.

The crux of the matter is that most thank offerings do not have a voice, yet they have a tremendous impact. Therefore, let us learn to express our “Matondo” in gestures.

Why express gratitude to God?

• Because it is a divine imperative. Paul knows why we do it, because God is wiser than us. It is a command from God to act quickly; • It is an expression of faith because God is holy, capable, powerful. It is the one who was, who is, and who is to come, that is, even in worship and the spiritual realm. It is the law of the omnipotence of God that leads you to worship. When you are aware that God is omnipotent, your worship becomes easy. God is capable of changing things because God is omnipotent and able to change things.

Activate your thanksgiving; it is an expression of faith because God is able to bring down limits.

• It is a means of approaching God.

Psalm 100 recommends advancing to His gates with thanksgiving. It is the protocol language to enter the presence of God, as is done at the prime minister’s office without casual attire, one cannot access it.

Celestial protocol requires the attitude of gratitude that allows us to enter the holy place. This is what allows God to hear you and open doors for us. Enter His courts with thanksgiving. Gratitude opens doors. If we want to enter the presence of God, we must not neglect the celestial protocol of thanksgiving.

• It is a trigger for miracles.

In John 6, we have 2 loaves and 5 fishes, but 5000 people to feed. He takes the little and multiplies it for many. A ratio difficult to explain. Thanksgiving gives the rest. Thanksgiving is a trigger for miracles. It is also a different way of giving thanks to God.

For the battle of David and Goliath, David finds that it is time for thanksgiving to act, understanding that God was more powerful than anything. Later on, they forget that God had done great things in Egypt.

While they are thirsty, God in His goodness gives good water to His people. Then they were hungry. Despite this, they forget, saying that in Egypt, they were better and murmured. Preferring Egypt even though they were slaves. God sends manna and quails. Exodus 16, 17, and 32, all these passages sufficiently show the ingratitude of the people of Israel as poison to their destiny. The worst will happen: the wrath of God will consume the people.

In Numbers 14:11, the judgment of God will fall, and they will be struck by the plague. And they will not see the land that God had sworn to give to their fathers. This poison could even cause death. Before obtaining something, what is your attitude towards God? Have you forgotten? That is why David says in Psalms 103, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”

My soul tends to forget often, and it creates poison for our destinies. Miracles, favors are there to strengthen faith and what God can still do. They constitute deep memories to reinforce our hope, our faith.

1. Ingratitude delivers us to horrible things to further degrade us. Romans 1:21;
2. Ingratitude exposes us to death. 2 Kings 7 tells us that lack of gratitude changes the data and will lead to death.
3. Ingratitude makes us unpleasant to God; ingratitude can also be expressed through murmuring. God heard the murmurs and struck Miriam with leprosy because she was Moses’ sister;
4. Ingratitude exposes us to the attacks of the enemy (Numbers 21:4). When we murmur, there is impatience, discouragement.
5. Ingratitude can make you miss particular blessings. The blessing is collective, but by thanking God, God will say things only to the one who comes to say thank you, Jesus; “Matondo.”

This text is an excerpt from the book “MATONDO: Living through Thanksgiving” written by authors Arlette Manegabe, Athom’s Mbuma, David Kajisu, Fifi Bilolo Tunasi, Grâce Tshiashala, Michael Tettey, Pasteur Lévi Kongolo Kazadi, Sissi Bogoli, Tracien Boma.