The Power of Being Thankful: 365 Devotions for Discovering the Strength of Gratitude (5 page)
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Authors: Joyce Meyer
Tags: #Religion / Christian Life / Devotional, #Religion / Devotional, #Religion / Christian Life / Inspirational, #Religion / Christian Life / Spiritual Growth
I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes forever, even to the end.
PSALM 119:112
Just as the Bible instructs us to praise God and to worship Him, it also gives us reasons to thank Him and teaches us how to offer our gratitude to Him, as shown in the Scriptures below:
| • | We give praise and thanks to You, O God, we praise and give thanks; Your wondrous works declare that Your Name is near and they who invoke Your Name rehearse Your wonders. Psalm 75:1 |
| • | It is a good and delightful thing to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises [with musical accompaniment] to Your name, O Most High… Psalm 92:1 |
| • | Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise! Psalm 95:2 |
| • | Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name! Psalm 100:4 |
Father, I am so thankful for the promises and instruction that I find in Your Word. Today, I choose to live a thankful life simply because You instruct me to in the Word of God. I will act in obedience and I believe that Your Word teaches me the best way to live.
At all times and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.
EPHESIANS 5:20
Part of prayer’s power is the power of thanksgiving… because there is not powerful living apart from a life of thanksgiving. During His earthly ministry, Jesus lived a life of thanksgiving. He gave thanks to the Father on many occasions and for many things.
For example, He gave thanks to God when He broke the loaves and fishes and fed the 4,000 people (see Matthew 15:36). He thanked God that He had heard His prayer concerning the raising of Lazarus from the dead (John 11:41–42). And He gave thanks to God when He gave the bread and wine to His disciples at the Last Supper even though He knew His suffering and death were very close (see Mark 14:22–23).
If it was important for Jesus to live a life of thanksgiving, it should certainly be important for us to do the same thing.
Thank You, Father, for the example of Jesus and the thankful life He modeled for us. Help me to enter Your gates with thanksgiving every time I come to You in prayer. You are good and You are worthy of my thanksgiving and my praise.
Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
HEBREWS 12:2 NKJV
It is very important to focus on the right things. This is why the Word of God instructs us to look away from all that distracts us and to look to Jesus, who is the Author and Finisher of our faith.
Whatever we focus on becomes magnified in our minds. When we focus on our problems, we continually roll them over and over in our minds, which is like meditating on them. The more we think and talk about our problems, the larger they become. A relatively small matter can grow into a huge issue merely because we focus on it too much.
Instead of meditating on our problems, we would be wise to meditate on God’s Word and His promises for our lives and to aggressively thank Him for them. When we do, we will see the faithfulness of God revealed, and our problems won’t seem so big after all.
I am grateful, Father, that You are bigger than my problems, trials, and uncertainties. You are good and my heart is filled with thanksgiving for You and Your love.
I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another.
JOHN 13:34
Of all the things that we have to be grateful for in our lives, love is at the top of the list. Loving and being loved bring purpose and meaning to life. The world is looking for love, but they are really looking for God because God
is
love.
People look for fulfillment in life in many ways that may seem good at first but often leave them feeling frustrated, disappointed, and empty. Only by receiving God’s love and walking in love (putting love into action by continually reaching out to others and making an effort to show them love through various acts of kindness) can they find the true fulfillment they are so desperately seeking.
Love will change your life! Ask God to help you receive and give love, and be thankful as you watch His love bring a fulfillment to your life you have never known.
Father, I am so thankful that You love me and that You have given me an ability to love others. Let Your love flow through me today in ways that will be a blessing to others.
Let each of you esteem and look upon and be concerned for not [merely] his own interests, but also each for the interests of others.
PHILIPPIANS 2:4
Everyone needs a blessing. We all need to be encouraged, edified, complimented, and appreciated. And you have the ability to bless others. Be thankful that God not only blesses you, but that He has made you a blessing. We all get weary at times and need other people to let us know that we are valuable and appreciated.
I believe God blesses us so we can be a blessing—not only in a few places but everywhere we go. Look for people who are needy and bless them. Share what you have with those who are less fortunate than you are. And remember, everyone needs a blessing—even the successful people who appear to have everything.
When you live to meet needs and encourage those around you, you will find “joy unspeakable” in the process (see 1 Peter 1:8 KJV).
Father, I am so grateful for Your blessings in my life, and I am also grateful that You have enabled me to be a blessing. Help me reach out to others every day and focus on adding to their encouragement.