By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu
Dominion City, Amuwo, Lagos, came alive during its Mid-Year Thanksgiving Service; not just with songs and dance, but with deep reflections and a call to return to the basics: gratitude.
It was not a regular Sunday; it was a spiritual roll call, a checkpoint to pause and look back at the road travelled since January.
Taking his text from Hebrews 13:16, the resident Pastor, Pst Cjay reminded the congregation that God is not just interested in our prayers and fasting, but also our thanksgiving. “God expects us to return with gratitude,” he said, “not just silently in our hearts, but openly, audibly.”
In a vivid analogy, the pastor compared unexpressed gratitude to a man who loves a woman but never tells her until the day she walks up to him with a wedding invitation, to another man.
The message unfolded around what Pastor Cjay described as the “three processes of thanksgiving.”
- Thanksgiving starts in the heart
Quoting 1 Samuel 6:20-22, he recalled David’s mad, undignified dance before the Lord. “David lost himself in praise because he had taken time to reflect,” the pastor said. He encouraged the church to set aside moments, even minutes, in their day, just to praise. “Thanksgiving,” he added, “is an accelerator.” When you thank God for the little, He multiplies it.
He warned against the devil’s subtle strategy: turning our eyes toward what’s not working. “Yes, the price of fuel is high. Yes, things are tough. But are you still breathing? Do your children still call you ‘Daddy’? That’s something.”
Citing Psalm 138:2, he noted that God lives by laws. He does not ask for what He does not practice. Pastor Cjay shared a startling story about a former cultist turned Christian who revealed how demonic strategies often aim to provoke complaints from believers. “Every time you murmur,” the pastor said, “you attract Satan’s attention. You compound your problems. Nigerians complain too much. Instead, pray.”
- Thanksgiving with your mouth.
Referencing Genesis 8, where Noah offered quality thanks after the flood, he reminded the congregation that spoken thanksgiving is a form of spiritual currency. “When you thank God for what has not even shown up yet, you move His hand to act,” Pastor Cjay said. Psalm 67:5-7 was his anchor, declaring that thanksgiving brings about increase, multiplication, and divine speed.
- Thanksgiving with your hands
Giving is another language of gratitude. The pastor encouraged the people to learn the habit of opening their hands, both to give and to receive. Then, like a shift in the wind, he began to speak about wisdom. Drawing from Isaiah 59:16, he described men as the most valuable resources on earth; “not oil wells in the Middle East, but men.” According to him, people are doors. “But not every door leads to heaven,” he warned. “Some open doors can take you straight to destruction.”
He emphasized discernment; to know whom to honour and whom to avoid. “God often sends blessings through people, and how you treat them can determine what opens or closes doors in your life.”
The thanksgiving did not end with just words and worship. The women’s department, singles fellowship, and several pastors came out in celebration, making it a colourful gathering.
The service took a different twist. One of the day’s highlights was when a pastor Ekene, launched her new children’s devotional book, titled “Daily Scriptural Prayer Book for Children”. In a heartwarming gesture, she gave out hundreds of free copies to the kids in attendance and those outside the congregation. The book is packed with wisdom, daily prayers, devotionals, and vibrant graphics to help children grow in faith. A must have and must read in every christian home, because the future of our society lies with our present day children. Teach and guard them aright and they will hardly deviate from it tomorrow.
In a time when hardship, insecurity, and economic uncertainty stare Nigerians in the face, Dominion City’s mid-year thanksgiving served as a call to switch gears — from murmuring to gratitude. “Light was here before darkness,” Pastor Cjay declared, “but it is in darkness that light shines best.”
As the congregation sang, danced, and reflected, one thing was clear, thanksgiving is not a seasonal act; it is a lifestyle. And in a world that thrives on complaints, the church is choosing a different path; one paved with gratitude.
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