It is Good to Give Thanks

IT IS GOOD TO GIVE THANKS

Psalm 92:1–2, NKJV
It is good to give thanks to the Lord, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; 2 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night,

A landmark study from the University of Southern California (USC, 2015) found that when people

experience or express gratitude, it activates the:
• Medial prefrontal cortex (decision-making + social bonding)
• Anterior cingulate cortex (empathy + emotional connection

Meaning:
When you say “thank you” with sincerity, your brain literally turns on the circuits that build trust, closeness, and emotional connection.

A study from the University of North Carolina found that expressing gratitude to a partner increases oxytocin levels in BOTH people — the giver and the receiver. Gratitude increases oxytocin, the hormone associated with:

• bonding
• trust
• emotional closeness
• relationship strengthening

Saying “thank you” actually releases the same hormone a mother releases when bonding with a newborn.

A study from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) found that daily gratitude practices:

• lower blood pressure
• reduce stress hormones
• calm the nervous system

Saying “thank you” doesn’t just heal relationships — it heals you.

Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 13:15 NKJV
Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

Psalm 91:1–2 NKJV
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”

MY REFUGE
My Refuge- refuge, shelter; — absolute – from rain and store

Genesis 2:8–9 NKJV
The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.

MY FORTRESS

Root Word – “to hunt to capture, To lay hold of to secure something.

• A stronghold
• A place of defense or protection
• A secure place that cannot be easily invaded
• A high, inaccessible refuge
• or a protected place where one is safe from enemies and danger.

The idea is that God Himself becomes your inaccessible defense, your safe place where nothing can reach you. He is the One who surrounds, secures, and defends you.

Psalm 91:2 NKJV
will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.’”

MY GOD
My Mighty God
My Powerful One
The One who rules over all
The One who fights for me
The God who is personally mine

IN HIM I WILL TRUST

Psalm 103:1–5 NKJV
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s