Psychologists and self-help gurus will all tell us that a grateful heart and a positive outlook will do wonders for health and relationships. A person with a heart of gratitude will be seen by others who will want to follow and see what he has going for him.

Such a person is a magnet for sharing the Gospel, and the greatest source of wisdom has much to say on the subject. Dozens of times in the Bible, we read about the value of gratitude. Paul mentions it several times, including in the account of Elisha healing a woman’s sick son.

We read in 2 Kings 4:37, “She fell at his feet and bowed before him, overwhelmed with gratitude. Then she took her son in her arms and carried him downstairs.”

To be overwhelmed with gratitude is an emotional reaction to kindness.

Lamentations 3:22–24 says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’”

This is especially interesting because to lament means a person is sorrowful about something. In this case, it’s the prophet, Jeremiah. But notice, even in his grief, he focuses on God’s love and care for him. He is grateful in his circumstance. In modern language, Jeremiah was being intentional about his gratitude.

The Bible tells us there are many variations of gratitude. In Second Corinthians, Paul even expressed his deep gratefulness to God for allowing him to participate in sharing the Gospel. You see, a truly grateful heart transitions from selfishness to concern for others. And we can do the same thing today. When we focus on others, gratitude follows.

In Philippians 4, Paul also passes along a profound life lesson. Here, he says that we can learn to be grateful in all circumstances. Think about that. Grateful — whether in distress or good times. Abundance, or poverty.

A few years ago, a youth missions group was repairing homes damaged by storms in Louisiana. A girl entered a house that was missing part of its roof, and she found an elderly woman rocking in a chair in a bedroom. “Oh, I’m just so happy to have a dry place to sit,” the woman said. She literally had no other dry areas in her home to be until help could arrive. Yet she didn’t complain about her circumstances. Instead, she gave thanks to the Lord, and in so doing — inspired that 16-year-old girl.

Gratitude is a perpetual gift, to us, and to others.

Let’s pray.

Father God, you are good. You’re good to us every day, and we are thankful for that. We’re grateful that you didn’t leave us in our sins, but you sent Jesus. We’re grateful that you sustain us always, in body and in spirit. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Thanksgiving isn’t just a holiday — it’s an attitude we can choose to fill our hearts with every day.

The Bible shares many examples of gratitude in the midst of challenging circumstances.

Imagine Mary, a young Galilean girl, given the news that she was to be the mother of the Messiah. She didn’t panic or protest. Instead, she embraced the news and nurtured the One who would bring healing to the whole world.

The story in Luke 17 tells us that of the 10 lepers who were healed, only one returned to thank Jesus.

Luke 17:15–16 says, “One of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned with a loud voice glorifying God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks.”

Whether He was blessing food given to thousands by a miracle, or giving thanks at the Last Supper, Jesus modeled an attitude of gratitude for us; knowing His death was imminent, Jesus still thanked His Heavenly Father.

What can you find in your own life to be thankful for this week?

Let’s pray.

Lord, thank you for the marvelous gifts you give us on a daily basis. Help us be mindful of this always. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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The lack of gratitude in our world can be contagious. It’s kind of like a negative “pay it forward.”

How did we get to this place? 

Are we too prideful to thank each other, or even to thank God? Too busy? Too self-absorbed, maybe?

As believers, we know life is a rich blessing from God. The clearest path to becoming a person of gratitude is to choose it. If we don’t choose gratitude, we choose ingratitude.

Psalm 107:1 says, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”

Yes, we’re busy. Yes, life gets us down in legitimate ways. But research proves being intentional about gratitude on a consistent basis can bring positive benefits to almost every area of our lives.

Realizing we’re too negative is a great first step, but keep going by actively counting and considering your blessings each day. Before long, you’ll be amazed how little you think about what you don’t have. You’ll be too busy enjoying what you do have!

Let’s pray.

Lord, you never leave us. And along the way, you bless us with big and small acts of kindness and mercy. Thank you for the grace in our lives! In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Do you ever feel like life is passing you by, or worse — running right over the top of you?

When we focus on unpleasant circumstances or people, life can really bring us down. And this perspective is a downward spiral — not a place we want to dwell.

Author John Kralik was there, once. A long hike one day led him to an emotional crossroads; there, he decided to devote the rest of his life to being thankful.

His life changed dramatically.

John began to write thank you notes to everyone he could think of. Not emails or texts, either. Taking the time to send a handwritten note really connected with the other people. Pretty soon, he was so aware of his blessings that there was no room for depression anymore.

Colossians 3:15 says, “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”

Consistently thanking others will enrich them, and it will enrich you. Try it!

Let’s pray.

Lord, your Word is a love letter to us, and our gratitude to you is our thank you note. Help us to spread your Good News to all we come in contact with. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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You’ve heard that every good thing comes from God, right? It’s true. He is our example, both of how to live and how to react to others. This week, we’re talking about practicing gratitude, and as usual, God shows us the way.

Psalm 107:1 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”

Often, we can become disappointed if we don’t get everything we think we should have. But that’s a dead-end when it comes to true happiness and peace. And those are things that we all really, deep down, crave.

The ultimate gratitude comes from the Lord Himself. We learn in Psalm 149 that “the Lord delights in His people.” He first loved us, and that love flows down and through us. Truly, believers should be the most grateful people on the planet because we know that God has given to us His Son, Jesus Christ.

Honestly, the Christian should go through each day so happy he or she can barely stand it. God has given us what we need, much of what we want, and He has already created a future for us that is so wonderful, humans can’t even perceive it!

Remember, God is the source of gratitude. He shows us how it’s done because He knows us completely. Remember, as we go along with this topic that practicing gratitude is a huge key to finding peace.

Let’s pray. 

Lord, your goodness overwhelms us. Thank you for giving to us just because. We love you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Humans have a problem asking for help. We can probably chalk it up to our proud hearts.

Often, when we are really up against it, that’s when we resist seeking help.

Jesus does away with all that.

Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Ask yourself: is my pride keeping me from asking for help? If so, mull that over. And then, take a step toward the Lord and ask for what you need.

God opens doors when we ask Him to. And sometimes what we find on the other side isn’t what we expected. When that happens, we choose patience, and we remain open to His good plans for us. 

When you’ve asked God to help and your prayers are answered, share the Good News with people you meet. Tell anyone who will listen that the Lord of the Universe cared about you and delivered you from a problem no one else could solve. 

And if the answer He gave was totally unexpected and sent you in a different direction — share that, too. Accepting God’s plan when it doesn’t match up with our own best-laid plans is what faith is all about.

Let’s pray. 

Lord, please give us a heart that seeks you. God, we want to be obedient, and we know that your blessings, whatever they look like, will follow. Thank you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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You’ve heard of heat-seeking missiles. They are weapons so sophisticated that they appear to have a mind of their own. The missile is launched and finds its target, and destruction happens. 

What if a heat-seeking missile could be used for good? What if one has been launched…in your direction?

Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

If you open your heart to God—even if you aren’t a believer—then it’s as if Jesus is now the missile launched and He is coming toward your still-beating heart. The heart that has been wounded. He finds you and connects in such a powerful way, but the connection is for life, and not for destruction.

The Word tells us to simply ask Him and He will find us.

Let’s pray. 

Lord, your unwavering promises to stay with us during trials is unique in history. Thank you for loving us that much. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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The story of the Prodigal Son is one we can all relate to. The Bible tells the story of a brash young man who leaves his home after asking for his inheritance. His loving father complies, and let’s just say the son learns some valuable lessons on his travels.

Eventually, he humbles himself and comes home; he needs his father and his family.

It is really a story of Jesus and us.

Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

We screw up sometimes. Maybe it’s so bad we can’t see a way back.

That’s when Jesus stretches out His arms and welcomes us home. He isn’t as concerned with where we’ve been as He is with where we end up. His perfect love and forgiveness are the only real ointment for our self-inflicted wounds. If you think you’ve screwed up too much, put that out of your mind and simply tell Jesus you need Him. 

Let’s pray. 

Lord, your willingness to welcome us back to fellowship is something to behold. We are grateful for your grace. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Have you ever seen the film, “Saving Private Ryan?” If not, it’s about a group of American soldiers sent into enemy territory during World War 2 to find one lost soldier. The order comes from top leadership.

This small group has a single focus the whole mission. Eventually—at great cost—they locate him and return him to his loved ones. Much of it is difficult to watch, as we see the incredible sacrifice the many make to find the one.

Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Long ago, Jesus did the same thing for all of us. God sent His Only Son to find those that are lost.

If you feel totally lost, call on the Lord. Just tell Jesus you really need Him.

Then you’ll have your own memorable story to share! Jesus loves you and will find you if you call on Him. 

Let’s pray. 

Lord, thank you forever for the sacrifice Your Son made for us, to take our sin. We love you for it. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Have you ever hunted and hunted for something, maybe your car keys, and you finally find them? The old saying goes (it’s very unhelpful!) that you find them in the last place you looked. There’s a lot of truth to that, though.

It also is very relevant to our walk with Jesus. Often, we work really hard to solve our own problems, then we finally give in and ask Jesus for help.

Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

As with every other promise in the Bible, the really cool thing about this is, it is true. The promises Jesus has made are literally true. So, for example, if you’re looking for a solution to an impossible situation, ask Him.

It works!

Let’s pray. 

Lord, forgive us for not placing our trust in you all the time. You are our sustainer. We need to remember that. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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