“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” (v.4)
The mention of "gates” and "courts” here points primarily to the temple worship, but for us, they can be extend to; all the faithful and to all places of worship, even our own prayer closets. As this psalm makes abundantly clear, the best way to enter into the Lord’s presence is by thanking Him for what He has done, and praising Him for who He is. Presenting our worship to Him before our petitions of Him, shows our respect for His grace and our thankfulness for His mercy.
Therefore, spend some time daily in prayer, thanking God for all His protection, provision, grace, and mercy in your life. Praise and bless His name before laying your petitions at His feet. For truly, "the Lord is good” (v.5), and is worthy of praise and honor for keeping his promises to pardon, deliver, cleanse, and give rest, to His people then (Israel) and to us now.
The Truth: “To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and call upon the name of the LORD.” (Psalm 116:17)
