Hallelujah! Thank God! And why? Because he’s good, because his love lasts. But who on earth can do it— declaim God’s mighty acts, broadcast all his praises? You’re one happy man when you do what’s right, one happy woman when you form the habit of justice.
Psalm 106: 1-3 The Message
The Psalmist King David encourages his people to offer their gratitude to God. He issues this encouragement in the form of an exhortation, even a command: “Thank God!” David follows up this command with a rhetorical question, “Why should we offer up our thanks to the Lord?”
It is always a helpful exercise to consider our reasons to be thankful. It should not only be a spiritual exercise, but a daily discipline daily, as we strive to improve our attitude, and our outlook.
Many consider this to be a worthwhile endeavor. With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching later this month, we often turn our hearts towards gratitude more earnestly. Someone thought it would be a great idea to challenge people to come up with a reason to be thankful, each and every day of this month.
Called “30 days of Gratitude”, the concept is to offer praise to God for His blessings, every single day of November. There are several different versions available. I am sharing one which works for me.
In today’s society, it is often easier to focus on the negative, by complaining about what is not going well in our world. I am certain that pursuing an attitude of thankfulness and gratitude is counter to our culture’s focus. It is also biblical, and a good step towards making us more aware of God’s loving care, and His many blessings. It is never too early or too late to count your blessings, and to pass them on to others…
Prayer
Lord of every blessing,
You encourage me to thank you for Your many blessings. Sometimes I am more prone to count my burdens, instead of my blessings. Change my heart, O God… Remind me to offer my sincere thanks for one blessing, each and every day of this month! Help me to grow in my gratitude for You, and Your abundant blessings. I pray this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
PS. I am going to try and attach a printable PDF, which may be helpful to you if you choose to try the Gratitude Challenge. Again, it is only one version among many possibilities…
