A Gratitude Prayer

Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. — Jeremiah 17:7

Heavenly Father, thank You not just for the things You’ve already done but for the things You are doing and are going to do in my life. Help me remember that You use every single thing that comes my way to teach me, refine me, and show Your glory through my life.

I trust You with it all!

In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Pray Always, Thank Always

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. — Colossians 4:2

Not that long ago, I realized that prayer had become a to-do list item instead of a conversation with someone I loved.

I always had the best intentions to grow my prayer life. I would buy prayer journals, create lists, and tell people I was praying for them, and then I would forget to set aside time to actually pray. I knew that it was something I needed to do; I just couldn’t bring myself to make the time regularly.

I started making the effort to talk to God throughout the day, and at first it was kind of awkward. As time went on, though, my prayer life started to grow. God felt real again. I could thank Him, cry to Him, and share my heart with Him, right in that very moment. I didn’t have to wait to go home and pray in a quiet room.

God wants to be in your daily life too.

May you be encouraged today to pray always and bring the Lord into your daily life. He wants you to thank Him, ask Him, rant to Him, and talk to Him about all of it. He can’t wait to hear from you!

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Attitude and Gratitude

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. — John 10:10

Do you ever have days when everything seems to go wrong, no matter what you do? Maybe plans get canceled, the kids are sick, or everyone just wakes up with a bad attitude. Pretty soon you feel stuck in a downward spiral of negativity and complaining, and you become convinced there is nothing good in your day.

That is the Enemy’s goal. If the devil can get you to focus on all the bad throughout your day and not find anything to be thankful for, you can’t be effectively used by God.

How are we going to share the love of Christ with others if we’re caught complaining all the time? How can we meet people’s needs and be the hands and feet of Jesus when we are focused on ourselves?

• The best way to combat a complaining attitude is with a thankful heart. 

We can choose to lay down our complaints and thank God for everything. Thank Him for His provision, for the air in our lungs, and for His gift of salvation.

Suddenly, those things that made our day seem so bad don’t become our focus. God does.

Excerpted with permission from I Will Give Thanks by Becky Shannon, copyright Becky Shannon.

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Your Turn

Your gratitude proves your attitude! No matter what we’re going through or what season we’re in, we can always show our thanks to Jesus for His goodness, His faithfulness, and His trustworthiness. Think about what you’re thankful for and tell Him about it! ~ Devotionals Daily