If I told you there were 3 steps to help you become more thankful, would you do it? Thanksgiving is the perfect time to practice our gratitude. So, today, let’s see if we can cultivate a little more thankfulness in our lives.
As I opened my Jesus Calling devotion this morning, I read, “A thankful attitude opens windows of heaven.” The words remind me that thankfulness is not a gift, it’s an attitude. And not just an attitude we choose, one we must practice.
Thankfulness is a choice.
Choosing to be thankful, when our circumstances do not call for it, mysteriously unlocks those “windows of heaven.” By practicing thankfulness, we might discover love, which often gives way to peace and throws us right into joy. Jesus is our great example in all these areas.
At the last supper, Jesus broke the bread, gave thanks to God, and offered it to his disciples. He knew everything that awaited him in the coming days, yet he chose to thank God anyway. By practicing thankfulness, we too can choose to be grateful even in the midst of difficult situations. Jesus shows us how to live and offers that same way of living to us.
Here are 3 steps to help you become more thankful.
- Pray prayers of thanksgiving. “Thank you God for ________.” You fill in the blank. Repeat this over and over throughout your day.
- Read scriptures of thankfulness. Here are three verses but there are over 100. See if you can find them all.
- 1 Chronicles 16:8; “Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.“
- Psalm 106:1; “Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18; “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
- Keep a Gratitude Journal. When I have a bad attitude, I pull out my journal and reread some of the things I am thankful for. Listing items I am grateful for even when I do not feel like it, helps me practice being thankful. This is an excerpt from my journal; “I thank you God for my husband, our son, my family, my sister, our friends, our home, my co-workers, the sunshine, my dreams, passion, feelings, the love God has for me, and my health.”
Practice being grateful.
As Thanksgiving draws near, let us realize thankfulness is a choice. Let us practice these three things and begin cultivating a grateful attitude. The Word tells us to be thankful in all things. This is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus. When we stop and think about it, hasn’t God given us so much to be grateful for?
Let us pray;
Lord, I just want to thank you. For my life, the breath in my lungs, your creation. the sunrise and the sunset. Help me to cultivate more thankfulness in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
P.S. Don’t miss the song below. Leave me a comment below and tell me what you are thankful for. Share this message with a friend. Post this on Facebook and tag me. Together, let’s show the world how thankful we are!
Wanna Go Deeper? Pray the scriptures out loud. Write them on sticky notes and post them around your house and workplace. Let them be a reminder to you to be thankful. Think about your gratitude list, reflecting on those who may not have what you have. Pray for them. -M
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