In the hustle of everyday life with rigorous schedules, busy routines, and lots of distractions, its no wonder that connectedness is lost in our society. We rarely take the time to sit back and count our blessings.
Add to this the inundation of negative reports and our fascination with train wrecks and bad news, its easy to grow accustomed to a negative Nancy attitude. One of the things that I am committing to do in the last quarter of this year is to focus more on the good, and to be more intentional as I give thanks to God for the positive that I experience.
My hope is that in doing this, I will train my mind to see his hand and his goodness in more of the world than the negative that has become the norm. There are 5 simple actions that I am going to implement into my daily routine to help me with this goal! Keep reading if you’d like to join me in this journey to more gratitude!
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Importance of Giving thanks to God
Thanking God allows us to get out of our own situations and humble ourselves before the lord. It helps us to get a better appreciation of our identity and connection to God as well as see the world through his eyes, and through the lens of gratitude.
Practicing gratitude and thanking God for the many blessings he has given us has so many benefits for us and for us. When we practice gratitude and give thanks to God our physical health and mental health are improved because our minds are no longer focused on our lack, but instead on the good things that we have in our lives.
Thanking God in everything increases our connection to God and helps us to grow in closeness to him by seeing just how present his hand is in every part of our lives.
Thanking God also improves our connectiveness to others. As we focus less on how we are helping ourselves, and more on how much we are helped day to day by God our empathy towards others and the situations they may be in grows. We are able to be better neighbors and community members to the people around us.
What does the bible say about praise and thanksgiving and its importance?
The habit of praising and thanking God is intertwined into the fabric of the scriptures. We were created to commune and praise God and to live in a way that glorifies his name. Throughout the bible there are bible verses about praise and thanksgiving to encourage us and to show us just how important it is to give god the glory, honor and praise.
Studying these scriptures about thanks to God can help us speak the language of praise and can help to give us powerful words of praise to pray during our quiet time with God.
There are many things we can learn about gratitude and how to give thanks to God. Some of the truths about thanksgiving include:
We have been given access to the Kingdom of God
Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:28-29
One of the most powerful reasons for us to give thanks to God is because through his plans and the gift of Christ, we have been given access to the kingdom of heaven. We have been given the gift of an eternal life with the Lord of Heaven and creator of the universe.
This kingdom can not be shaken and does not know defeat. We are victorious and shared heirs through this gift and sacrifice and that alone is worth all of our praise!
Giving thanks is the will of God
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
We were created to give God glory and to bring honor to him. This is his will for us. We are called, urged, and commanded to praise him in all circumstances. Our praise and thanks allows us to shift our minds from a place of lack to a place of seeing all of the blessings that we have regardless of our current situations.
We give thanks to God because of his goodness
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever; Psalm 136:1-26
We have been given so much from God. He is a good father and a loving God. He is our provider, our healer, our salvation, our righteousness, our strength.
God gives to us out of his mercy and grace, without repayment, knowing we could never give in the same measure that he gives to us. He simply asks for our thanks and worship. A simple exchange for one who gives us everything!
Give thanks because God is our creator
A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100:1-5
As our maker, and the maker of all things, we should praise God and give him thanks. Every hair on our head, every meal we eat, every breath we breath is a moment and a gift that is created and given to us by the creator of the universe.
In all of his might and majesty, in his greatness he still chooses to be concerned with us and our needs. This is humbling, awe-inspiring, and worthy of praise and giving Him thanks.
Reasons to give thanks to God
There are many reasons that we should give thanks to God. On one hand it is commanded of us, but our praise and thanks to God is so much more than something that we do because of obligation. Our lives are so full of blessings and the practice of gratitude helps us to notice those things around us that bring joy and fullness to our lives.
Why should we give thanks to God? This list of reasons to give thanks to God can be downloaded and prayed through as prayer points or ideas for praise requests for the faithfulness of God.
Tips for Giving thanks to God
If you have found it hard in the past to be grateful or to see the glass as half full then here are a few tips for you to give thanks to God daily.
Step 1: Notice what is good around you
A grateful heart is one that notices good things that are present. This starts from the moment you wake up and lasts throughout the day. Giving thanks to God starts with recognizing the good things in your life, and thanking the source of that good. When you feel yourself starting to dive into a place of negativity, stop the negative thoughts with a thought of praise and thanks to God.
How to put into practice: Commit to notice at least 10 things that you thank God for every day. Start when you wake up and make a deliberate effort to list 10 things you are grateful for and praise God for these things. Say it out loud or write it down in your prayer journal.
Step 2: Give thanks to God through Journaling
Giving thanks to God with a gratitude journal takes the step of noticing your blessings and goes further. I have often mentioned how wonderful it is to have a prayer journal as a written testimony of God’s faithfulness. Gratitude journaling is the same, only it is specific to Gods blessings in your life.
How to put it into practice: Grab a notebook or print out several copies of this gratitude printable and at the end of the day write down what you are grateful for. Keep your gratitude journal by your bed to complete your list at the end of the night. Make this an important part of your self-care routine to build consistency.
Step 3: Be persistent in saying Thank you
Thanking God often should be something that overflows into every aspect of your life. “Thank you” are two words that we say far too little, but when said can change everything. Giving thanks to God for everything should also improve your gratitude towards others.
How to put into practice: Commit to noticing 10 things you can thank someone for, and then thank God for his provision through others. This will not only help you to see how God provides through so many ways but also improve your relationships with others.
Step 4: Gratitude Affirmations
Death and life are in the power of the tongue. The words we speak out loud come from the position of our hearts. Biblical affirmations can help us to speak words that are filled with power and truth. When we say these affirmations out loud, not only are the words we say like prayers to God, this also becomes the thoughts we hear.
So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. Romans 10:17 NLT
How to put into practice: Create a list of biblically based gratitude affirmations based on scriptures. You can use this list of verses about God’s blessings to create affirmations about God’s faithfulness and provision in your life. Start each affirmation with “I am grateful for.”
Step 5: The Silver Lining
Being grateful and giving thanks to God can be easy to do when life is good, but when facing difficulties, seeing the glass as half full can be difficult. This takes practice, but there is ALWAYS something to be grateful for. Sometimes that thing is simply that God is sovereign.
How to put it into practice: Think about a difficult situation you are currently facing or one you;ve faced recently. Answer the following questions about the situation:
- What is the lesson in this situation?
- What is one good thing that can come from this situation?
- How can this situation make me more like Christ?
- How will I look at this situation in 5 years?
Reflect deeply about each question and keep these questions to use for future difficult situations to find gratitude even in hard times.
Prayers to give thanks to God
Now that you understand the importance of gratitude and how to practice more gratitude and thanks to God for his many blessings. Lets seal it with prayer.
Praying with gratitude and thanks should come from the heart. It should be an outpouring of your love and awe towards the father. It also doesn’t have to be hard or difficult. The following examples of prayers for praise and thanksgiving can be used as a guide to create war room prayers of thanksgiving to God.
Prayer of Praise to God
Praise be to God on high! Our heavenly Father! We praise Your name, for You are Good. You are holy. You are our provider, You are our healer. You have blessed us abundantly with life. You sent Your son to be our savior! You are our holy God. We will forever be in awe of You for Your glory, Your power, and Your everlasting all enduring love. Lord we just take this time to say thank You, for every circumstance we are in, knowing that everything we go through, is ultimately for our good. You are a good, good Father, and Your will for our lives brings us hope. You think of us, even in our lack, in our weakness You think of us Father. We are forever in wonder because of Your great kindness towards us. Your love towards us endures forever. Amen
Prayer of praise and thanksgiving
Your praise will be our song all the days of our lives, and after when we join You in heaven, we will worship You with gladness for Your mercy and Your kindness to us. You lavish us with Your love, and we know that every good and perfect gift comes from You. Our God in heaven. You see our need and in Your great love for us You provide. We are grateful that You are all knowing. Grateful that You see beyond our limited vision, and You provide based on that vision. Lord we ask that Your Holy Spirit reveal any divided devotion in us. If there is anything which we have placed in high regard and therefore have minimized our understanding of our need of You. We know that all we have is Yours, the whole world is Yours and its fullness is Yours! You are God above all, and we praise You for Your righteousness. Amen
Prayer of thanksgiving for salvation
Father, we thank You for the peace which You provide through our faith. You sent Your son to die on the cross for us, You made him like us, to experience humanity, to suffer, and die for our sins, so that we might be able to enjoy abundance with You in Heaven. You desired us so much that You gave it all for us. This is a gift that can not be taken away, our place in Your Kingdom can not be shaken, for this we are in awe of You. Our treasure therefore is in heaven with You! Through grace, we are who we are, by faith in Jesus! We praise You and love You Father! Amen.
Give thanks to God in everything
Every day we are given blessings from God our father. Thanking him for these blessings not only benefits us, but also those around us. We become better citizens and are able to show the beauty of being children of God.
What are you grateful for? How do you show your gratitude for the many blessings you have received?
Yes! Yes! Yes!!!! 💙💛💙💛 Gratitude is a life changer. Love the information you shared.
Great post, Ashely! A wonderful reminder that being thankful to God needs to be a daily lifestyle. 🙂
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