Enter His gates with thanksgiving in your heart
As we enter this season of thanksgiving it’s important to focus on being thankful and grateful. Sometimes I find myself short on the gratitude side and more on the worry side when things get tough. And the events of 2020 have made it even more challenging to find thankfulness in the midst of the mess. But the real focus should remain on cultivating a thankful heart all year long–no matter what. Honoring God with our boundless gratitude glorifies Him during the hard times, the good times, and the times we take for granted.
Focusing on a heart full of GRATITUDE turns what we have into ENOUGH. Gratitude encourages us to be appreciative of what we have, rather than what we don’t. A grateful heart spreads joy and helps build an abundant life of boundless gratitude. Instead of dwelling on the negatives of the past seven months, I’ve praised God for all the goodness He’s revealed.
If we commit to cultivating a thankful heart all 365 days of the year, just imagine how long our list of thanks is. Even when I get sidetracked and forget all I have to be grateful for, God shows up big and reminds me what He is doing in my life.
Praising Him should be on our lips daily
Embracing gratitude allows us to be a much kinder people, forever changed, and transformed. Words of praise should be on our lips daily. Reach out and share with others how they’ve impacted your life. Tell them how much you appreciate them and show them they are valued. Kind and gracious words go a long way in making people feel loved.
God’s word tells us in Psalm 100, “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God……Enter His gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.”
In all things praise Him
Cultivating a positive attitude of gratitude can keep us grounded and thankful for what we have. When situations spiral out of control or don’t work out like we think they should, it is during these times that we should, ‘praise Him in the morning and praise Him in the evening.’ In all things praise Him.
I am far from perfect, so I continually ask God to cultivate in me a more grateful heart. In return, I can show Him what grateful looks like. He provides both big and small blessings to each of us and He longs for us to acknowledge the beauty of His provision with a thankful heart. Think of the health benefits a grateful heart can bring.
Five ways to live a life of boundless gratitude
- Be grateful for the people in your life and recognize how they bring you joy.
- Be present for your people. Show up, genuinely listen, and shut out distractions.
- Let unconditional gratitude be your view on life.
- Do for others just because.
- Make it a habit to journal two or three things each day that you are thankful for.
Cultivate a thankful heart
I pray you are blessed by today’s message. It is one of 30 shared in my book, A Thankful Heart: 30 Days to the Grateful Life, available on Amazon. It makes a great gift and all proceeds go to, The Girl’s Aloud Scholarship sponsored by Peacefully Imperfect Ministries.
Just a reminder to click here for your Gratitude Journal. The journal is an 11 page printable for you to reflect on mini-topics each day and record the things you are thankful for.
Reflection:
- How do you honor God on a daily basis?
- What does Psalm 92:1-15 say about gratitude?
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, I bow before You today and lay my difficulties and negative thoughts at Your feet. Please help me to adopt an attitude of gratitude no matter what circumstances I face. I trust You and I love You. In Jesus Name, Amen.
These are great tips! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much! I want us to be filled with the spirit and to remember the important things in this season of gratitude. Bless you.
I love this ‘cultivating’a heart of gratitude! It’s something God has been challenging me with to see His hand at work in the small things – thank you for your reminders