Ready for a Thanksgiving Breakthrough?

Are you ready for a Thanksgiving breakthrough? This powerful message reveals how gratitude can shift your battles, open the door to God’s presence, and turn fear into faith-filled victory.

 

When we take time to give thanks, God goes to work.

Every November in America, the calendar slows down for a moment. The oven warms up, the table fills, and families press pause for a sacred time of gratitude. We call it Thanksgiving. And it’s a beautiful thing—a day set aside not just for turkey and dressing, but for giving thanks to the God who gives so freely.

But can I share something with you, my friend? Thanksgiving is more than a holiday. It’s a key. A spiritual one. One that unlocks God’s peace in our panic and His power in our problems.

We’re told in Psalm 100:4 to “enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.” And Paul adds in Philippians 4:6 (NKJV), “With thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” In other words, gratitude isn’t just good manners. It’s warfare. Praise isn’t just polite—it’s powerful.

Jehoshaphat’s Lesson: Worship Before the Victory

I love the story of King Jehoshaphat’s battle in 2 Chronicles 20:1-25 (CSB). Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, and one day he got the kind of news that makes your heart skip a beat. Messengers came with panic on their faces: “A vast number from beyond the Dead Sea and from Edom has come to fight against you” (v. 2).

Three enemy nations had formed an alliance. They were marching with the purpose of wiping Judah off the map.

Jehoshaphat was a good king. A faithful man. But even faithful people get afraid. The Bible doesn’t hide it; it says straight out that Jehoshaphat was afraid. But here’s what sets him apart: He didn’t let fear lead; he let faith lead. He called the people together and proclaimed a fast. He stood before the assembly and prayed a prayer that still stirs my soul today:

For we are powerless before this vast number that comes to fight against us. We do not know what to do, but we look to you (v. 12).

When You Don’t Know What to Do, Look to God

Have you been there? Maybe you are right now. The diagnosis came back. The job didn’t pan out. The relationship failed. The fear is real, and the future looks murky. You’ve prayed, you’ve waited, and maybe like Jehoshaphat, you’ve said, “Lord, I don’t know what to do.”

If that’s you today, then you’re in the perfect place for a breakthrough. What came next in Jehoshaphat’s story wasn’t a military plan. It was a message:

“Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast number, for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (v. 15).

That, my friend, is the heart of Thanksgiving. It’s lifting our eyes off our lack and locking them onto God’s abundance, choosing praise even when the pressure mounts, and trusting that the God who got us this far will not abandon us today. 

A Victorious Strategy

God’s strategy for the battle was unusual, to say the least. He didn’t say, “Sharpen your swords.” He said, “Warm up the worship team.” The front line of Judah’s army wasn’t soldiers—it was singers. “Give thanks to the Lord,” they sang, “for His love endures forever” (v. 21).

And as they sang, something amazing happened. Confusion swept through the enemy camp. The armies that had come to destroy Judah turned on each other instead. When Jehoshaphat’s army arrived, they found the battle had already been won.

But here’s the part of the story I love most. It didn’t end with just survival—it ended with abundance.

The people of Judah didn’t just find silence where war had raged. They found spoils. The Bible says:

They found among them an abundance of goods … Nobody could carry any more. They were gathering the plunder for three days because there was so much (v. 25).

Can you picture it? What should have been a massacre became a miracle. What should have ended in grief turned into three days of favor. God didn’t just save them—He lavished them with blessings. And it all began with worship.

Why Giving Thanks Unlocks God’s Peace and Abundance

This Thanksgiving, I wonder what battle are you facing? What news has left you desperate and hurting? Maybe the fight isn’t against armies, but against fear … depression … a broken marriage … a wayward child … an uncertain future.

Can I encourage you? Don’t wait for the victory to give thanks. Give thanks before the victory. That’s what Jehoshaphat did. And that’s where the power lies.

When you praise God before the breakthrough, you are trusting Him with the outcome. When you lift your hands in worship while the storm still rages, you’re saying, “My eyes are on You.” And that kind of faith moves the heart of God.

Thanksgiving is not just about being grateful to Heaven. It’s about inviting Heaven to invade earth, not about pretending everything’s okay. It’s about declaring that even it’s not, God still is—still good, still faithful, still sovereign.

And can I add one more thought? Sometimes the battle you’re fighting isn’t even about today. Sometimes the breakthrough that’s coming isn’t just you—it’s for the ones watching you. Your children, coworkers, and neighbors. The ones who need to see what real trust looks like.

Jehoshaphat’s victory wasn’t just personal—it was public. The whole nation saw what happens when God fights your battles. And maybe your song of thanksgiving will help someone else believe again.

I’m Thankful for You

As I reflect on this season, I find myself giving thanks for many things—but one thing near the top of my list is you.

Yes, you, my friend. You who pray, give, or believe with us that the Gospel will always be the best news this world has ever heard. Every soul reached, every life touched through this ministry—it’s fruit added to your account. Just like Paul told the Philippians:

Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account (Philippians 4:17 NKJV).

This year by God’s grace, over 2 million souls have been reached through our shared ministry. That’s not a number—it’s real names. Stories. Sons and daughters of God, discovered, embraced, and welcomed to the family of God. And you’ve been part of that miracle.

Thank you for standing with us, for believing with us, for praising God—even in your own battles—and for sowing seeds of faith that are bearing eternal fruit.

As we gather around tables this year, let’s do more than count our blessings. Let’s declare them. Let’s thank God not just for what He’s done, but for what He’s doing even now … in the unseen places … in the middle of the mess … in the heat of the battle.

And let’s remember: The battle is not ours. It’s His. And He has never lost one yet.

Your friend and partner to reach the lost,

David Cerullo

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Thank God for what He has done in your life and help us share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others.