21 Day of Prayer and Fasting - Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. - Psalm 100:4 (NIV)

Psalm 100 is a blueprint for approaching God. Gates represent access; courts represent intimacy. The key that unlocks both is thanksgiving. An ungrateful heart remains outside, but a thankful heart steps boldly into God’s presence where joy, provision, and transformation await. Thanksgiving acknowledges God’s past faithfulness, which builds faith for the present and future. When we cultivate gratitude, our praise becomes richer, our relationship deeper, and our lives a continual entrance into His glorious presence—an overflow that draws others to join us.

Picture the magnificent gates of ancient Jerusalem during a pilgrimage festival. Thousands streamed in, carrying sacrifices, singing psalms of ascent. The atmosphere was electric with gratitude for harvests, deliverances, and God’s covenant love. Those who grumbled about the long journey or the heat stayed emotionally outside the celebration, but those who chose thanksgiving stepped through the gates into courts filled with rejoicing, feasting, and encounter. Their gratitude wasn’t dependent on perfect circumstances—it was rooted in who God is: “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever.”

Before any request today, spend time entering His gates: list at least ten specific things you’re thankful for from the past year, then move into praise.

Fast from ingratitude or comparison; intentionally notice and voice God’s goodness.

Worship Song: Been So Good (Elevation Worship feat. Tiffany Hudson) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3yMC_qoAes