Gratitude:  The state of being grateful: Thankfulness

Bonnie, The Faith Barista, asked us to discuss Gratitude.

I’m sure many of you have seen all of the “thankful” posts during the month of November as we approach our Thanksgiving holiday in the USA.   It has been great to see everyone list out so many blessings!

God calls us to have a grateful, thankful heart at all times.

Psalm 100:4
Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.

Psalm 95:2
Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.

We are to approach Him with a thankful heart.

What a blessed people we are to be able to fellowship with the God of all creation!  Think about that!  He is the only true God who was and is and is to come, yet He knows our names!  He knows the number of hairs on our heads!  His Word declares that He has us engraved in the palm of His Hand.

He sent Jesus to be a sacrifice for our sins.  THANK YOU LORD!  We are no longer doomed to a life without You.

We have HOPE!  He came to set us free and even equipped us with His Word!

Ephesians 5:4
Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.

We should guard the words that come out of our mouths.  What is acceptable?  WORDS OF THANKSGIVING.

Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

I would much rather bless someone who has a thankful heart.  Wouldn’t you?

Even though God’s ways are NOT our ways, I can only imagine that He desires us to present our prayers with thanksgiving for a reason.   If we focus on our blessings, we don’t focus on the lack.  When we focus on all that He has done for us, we can’t help but have gratitude in our hearts.

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” — William Arthur Ward

“For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.”   – Ralph Waldo Emerson

I often thank the Lord when I’m enjoying some of the most simple pleasures:  Father, thank You for hot water.  Thank You for showers and soap.  Thank You for allowing me to dress myself, walk, run, smell, see, and hear.  Thank You for a roof over my head, for heat, for a bed, and for covers.   Thank You for my husband and my daughter.  Thank You for allowing me to have parents until I am this age.  Thank You for family and friends.  Thank You for my church.  I am grateful for so many things.  I am blessed beyond measure and so are most of you reading this post.

“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.” — Cynthia Ozick

I pray this post has prompted you to have a grateful heart today.

God bless you!

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(Photo taken near our home.  One of my many cloud photos.)