The Power of Being Thankful – Week 1
When we pause to acknowledge His blessings it restores us to a state of spiritual peace. This 14 week reading plan will take us through the Thanksgiving holiday. (via YouVersion)
The Best Way to Begin in Prayer
No matter what we pray for, thanksgiving can always go with it. A good habit to develop is starting all of our prayers with thanksgiving. An example of this would be: “Thank You, Father, for all You have done in my life; You are awesome and I really love and appreciate You.”
I encourage you to examine your life, to pay attention to your thoughts and your words, and to see how much thanksgiving you express. Do you murmur and complain about things or are you thankful?
If you want a challenge, just try to get through an entire day without uttering one word of complaint. Develop an attitude of thanksgiving in every situation. In fact, just become outrageously thankful—and watch as your intimacy with God increases and He pours out greater blessings than ever before.
Prayer of Thanks: Thank You, Father, for the way You guide me in prayer. Help me to come to You in thanksgiving before I do anything else. Let gratitude be the foundation of my prayer life. I make the decision today to put aside complaining, being thankful in prayer instead.
The Power of Being Thankful – Week 2
Living at Peace
Peace is one of the most important elements to enjoying your life.
A life of frustration and struggle, a life without peace, is the result of focusing on things you can’t do anything about. When you worry about things beyond your control, stress and anxiety begin to creep into your life.
The apostle Paul said, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV).
Once we realize we are struggling with something and feel upset, we need to start praying and immediately turn the situation over to God, thankful He will provide according to His will and offer us peace. You and I are not called to a life of frustration and struggle. Jesus came so we could have righteousness, joy, and peace!
Prayer of Thanks: Father, I am grateful for peace. It is a wonderful gift that You have given me, and I ask for Your help to always be peaceful in every situation.
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”John 14:27
The Power of Being Thankful – Week 3
Living Beyond Your Feelings
On any given day, we may feel good or bad, happy or sad, excited or discouraged, and a thousand other things. Although feelings can be very strong and demanding, we do not have to let them rule our lives.
We can learn to manage our emotions rather than allowing them to manage us. This has been one of the most important biblical truths I have learned in my journey with God. It has also been one that allows me to consistently enjoy my life.
If we have to wait to see how we feel before we know if we can enjoy the day, then we are giving feelings control over us. But thankfully, we have free will and can make decisions that are not based on feelings. If we are willing to make right choices regardless of how we feel, God will always be faithful to give us the strength to do so.
Prayer of Thanks: Father, I thank You that I no longer have to let my feelings control me. I am so grateful that I don’t have to wait to see how I feel every day before I know how to act. With Your help, I am going to live beyond my feelings—I’m going to live the joy-filled life Jesus came to give me!
“That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10
The Power of Being Thankful – Week 4
Agreeing with God
Take a step of faith and no matter how you feel, agree with God that He loves you. You are wonderfully made and have many talents and strengths. You are valuable, and as a believer in Jesus, you are the righteousness of God in Him. You have rightness before God instead of wrongness—be thankful for that amazing gift!
Begin to speak out against feelings of insecurity and say, “I belong to God and He loves me!” (see Ephesians 2:10). We believe more of what we hear ourselves say than what others say, so start saying something good and drown out the other voices that condemn you.
Fight for yourself! Fight the good fight of faith and refuse to live below the level at which Jesus wants you to live. His kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy (see Romans 14:17). Don’t settle for anything less.
Prayer of Thanks: I thank You, Father, that I can boldly declare in faith who I am in Christ. Thank You that You created me as one of a kind and You love me dearly. Today, I choose to believe that I am Your workmanship.
The Power of Being Thankful – Week 5
Living Amazed
I think that many times we let what should be extremely special to us—things we should be extremely grateful for—become too commonplace. Several years ago, I was “prayer murmuring” to the Lord (praying but kind of murmuring at the same time), and I said, “Lord, why don’t I have those exciting, special things happen in my life like I used to when I first started to know You?”
I’ll never forget what the Lord spoke to my heart so clearly. He said, “Joyce, I still do the same things all the time, it’s just that you’ve gotten used to it.” Ouch!
I believe that if we’ll stay amazed at the things God is doing in our lives—even the little things—we’ll never be without hope. I encourage you to realize what you have, be thankful, and decide to live amazed…jaw-dropping, wide-eyed, “Wow! That was God!” amazed.
Prayer of Thanks: I am grateful that You are always doing special things in my life, Lord, and I pray that I will recognize them and be generous in my praise and gratitude. Help me to live amazed!
The Power of Being Thankful – Week 6
Attitude of Gratitude
You and I have many opportunities to complain on a regular basis. But complaining doesn’t do any good; all complaining does is open the door for the enemy. It doesn’t solve problems; it just creates a breeding ground for greater problems.
Instead of complaining, let’s choose to respond to the Lord each day by developing an attitude of gratitude. This is not just an occasional expression of thanks, but a continual lifestyle of thanksgiving. The person who has developed an “attitude of gratitude” is one who is thankful and grateful for every single thing that God is doing in his or her life day by day.
Prayer of Thanks: Father, thank You for the way You provide for every area of my life. Instead of complaining about what I want or about what I don’t have, I choose to be grateful for everything I do have. You have been good to me—thank You for Your goodness.
The Power of Being Thankful – Week 7
Receiving God’s Love
Receiving is important in our relationship with God. When we receive from God, we actually take into ourselves what He is offering. As we receive His love, we then have love in us. Once we are filled with God’s love, we can begin loving ourselves. We begin giving that love back to God and loving other people.
The Bible teaches us that the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. That simply means that when the Lord comes to dwell in our hearts because of our faith in His Son Jesus Christ, He brings love with Him, because God is love (see 1 John 4:8).
We all need to ask ourselves what we are doing with the love of God that has been freely given to us. Are we rejecting it because we don’t think we are valuable enough to be loved? Or are we receiving His love with a thankful heart, believing that He is greater than our failures and weaknesses?
Prayer of Thanks: I am grateful, Father, that You love me and that Your love is perfect and unconditional. Help me learn to receive Your love by faith and go through each day knowing that I am valuable because I am loved by my heavenly Father.
“And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” Romans 5:5
The Power of Being Thankful – Week 8
When There Seems to Be No Way
Have you ever faced a situation and said, “There is no way this can ever be?” Maybe some of these thoughts weigh on your mind:
- There is no way I can handle the pressure at work.
- There is no way I can pay my bills.
- There is no way to save my marriage.
- There is no way I can go back to college now.
With God’s help, there is always a way. This is a beautiful truth to be grateful for. It may not be easy; it may not be convenient; it may not come quickly. You may have to go over, under, around, or through difficulty—but if you will simply keep on keeping on, you will find a way. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.” He is the Way, and He will help you find a way even where there doesn’t seem to be one.
Prayer of Thanks: Father, I thank You that You have “made a way in the wilderness.” Help me to focus on You and not on my circumstances. Thank You that You are making a way for me today.
“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19
The Power of Being Thankful – Week 9
The Value of Self-Control
As believers in Jesus Christ, God has given us a new nature, but at the same time, we also have to deal with the old nature. When we allow the old nature to rule, we follow feelings, when in reality, we should operate in self-control. Self-control is a fruit of our new nature and, thankfully, it is something that can be developed. Much like we build muscles by using them, we can develop self-control by using it.
Freedom in Christ is a gift to be thankful for, and exercising self-control is a form of freedom, not a type of bondage. You don’t have to do what you feel like doing. You’re free to do what you know is wise. Discipline and self-control will help you be what you say you want to be but never could be without the help of God’s guidance and grace.
Prayer of Thanks: Father, I am so thankful that I don’t have to be ruled by emotions or impulses. Thank You that with Your help, I can live a self-controlled, overcoming life in Christ.
“And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God..” Titus 2:12
The Power of Being Thankful-Week 10
A Beautiful Exchange
The beautiful exchange that takes place when we give our lives to God is something we can always be grateful for. Salvation means that we offer God what we have, and He gives us what He has.
He takes all of our sins, faults, weaknesses, and failures, and gives us His ability, His righteousness, and His strength. He takes our diseases and sicknesses and gives us His healing and health. He takes our messed-up, failure-filled past and gives us hope of a bright future.
In ourselves we are nothing; our own righteousness is like filthy rags or a polluted garment (see Isaiah 64:6). But in Christ, we have a future to be thankful for—one worth looking forward to. The term “in Christ” very simply means that we have placed our faith in Him concerning every aspect of our lives. We are in covenant with Almighty God. What an awesome thought!
Prayer of Thanks: Father, when I am feeling inferior or condemned, help me to remember who I am in Christ. Thank You that I’m forgiven, accepted, righteous, strong, and able because I am found in You.
“For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
The Power of Being Thankful-Week 11
Winning the Battle of the Mind
Satan has declared war on God’s children, and our minds are the battlefield in which the war is won or lost. Satan loves to put wrong thoughts into our minds—thoughts that are not in agreement with God’s Word—hoping we will meditate on them long enough for them to become reality in our lives. We can cast down those wrong thoughts and bring every thought captive into the obedience of Jesus Christ.
Be thankful that you can choose your own thoughts and you are not a prisoner to whatever kinds of thoughts just fall into your mind. Think good things that agree with God’s Word on purpose. Think about God’s love for you and the good plan He has for your life. Think about how you can be a blessing to other people and how you can be a blessing to God by simply being available for Him to work through. Thinking right thoughts will close the door to wrong ones, and in the process, it also closes the door to the devil.
Prayer of Thanks: I thank You, Father, that I am Your child and I am greatly blessed. Today, I choose to think God-honoring thoughts, focusing on Your goodness in my life. I am grateful that I can choose what thoughts I am going to dwell on.
“We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5
The Power of Being Thankful – Week 12
God’s Faithful Provision
God is faithful, and because faithfulness is embedded in His character, He cannot fail us or let us down. Experience with God gives us experience with His faithfulness. We all have needs, but we can be thankful that He meets those needs time and again. He may not always do what we would like, but He does do the right thing. He may not be early, but He is never too late.
I have seen God come through multitudes of times during the years I have been serving Him. I can truly say God is faithful. He has given me needed strength, answers that came just in time, right friends in right places, open doors of opportunity, encouragement, needed finances, and much more. And He will do the same for you! There is nothing we need that God cannot provide.
Prayer of Thanks: I thank You today, Father, that You are faithful. Your provision is always exactly what I need and exactly when I need it. Help me to look to You for provision in my life. Thank You that You are more than enough for me.
“Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?” Matthew 6:26
The Power of Being Thankful – Week 13
Boldly Facing Any New Challenge
Many times we are far too fearful of trials and trouble. At the first sign of trouble, we begin to shrink back in fear. The believers who lived in past centuries seemed to display a different strength than most do today. We are rather accustomed to convenience and usually don’t do well with suffering of any type; it frightens us.
Let’s remember how David faced the giant Goliath and be joyful and thankful that we can defeat our enemies too. We can attack fear rather than letting it rule us. You are much more than your feelings. You are a powerful, wise, beloved child of God, and you can do whatever you need to do in life through Christ, who is your strength (see Philippians 4:13).
Prayer of Thanks: Thank You, Father, for the strength that I have because You are with me. No matter how difficult a challenge may seem, I will attack it with boldness because I know that nothing is impossible for You.
The Power of Being Thankful – Week 14
Recovering from Pain
Recovering from pain or disappointment of any kind is not something that just happens to some people and not to others. It is a decision! You make a decision to let go and move on. You learn from your mistakes. You gather up the fragments of your life and give them to Jesus, and He will make sure that nothing is wasted (see John 6:12). You refuse to think about what you have lost; instead, you inventory what you have left and begin using it with a thankful heart.
In Christ, not only can you recover, but you can also be used to help other people recover. Be a living example of a thankful person who always recovers from setbacks no matter how difficult or frequent they are. Don’t ever say, “I just cannot go on.” Instead, say, “I can do whatever I need to do through Christ. I will never quit, because God is on my side.”
Prayer of Thanks: Father, thank You that You bring healing in my life and You can create beauty from ashes. I pray that You will help me press on, refusing to quit. I want to use my experiences to help others find the same healing that I have found.
“To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the lord has planted for his own glory.” Isaiah 61:3
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