Gratitude

Why do we give thanks? Why is that important in creating?

Because God has already given us so much, and if we cannot be grateful for what He has already given us, He is less motivated to give us the next things we desire. Give Him thanks for every little thing you have, and not just for one day but consistently. A grateful heart will attract more goodness and more provision. A grateful heart will also help you see and actualize how much He has already given you.

When you make your gratitude list, leave nothing out. Those things you may be taking for granted are the very things someone else is praying hard for. Include your breath, your mind, every aspect of your life. Yes, you don’t have everything you want but I am going to bet that there is still plenty you can give thanks for!

If We Don’t Give Thanks

Asking God to bring us more and coming from the place of an ungrateful heart is definitely not the way to acquire more. It’s the same as a parent – if we give to our children and they are not grateful, we are much less inclined to continue giving. Also, not expecting to get a thanks for what you have already given your kids is the sure way to make sure that we are creating a spoiled and selfish heart within them.

How We Can Give Thanks

Giving thanks does not need to be lengthy or fancy. It needs to be real and genuine. We can say thanks by:
* telling God in our heart that we appreciate everything He has done for us
* explaining to God what about what He has brought us we are thankful for
* thanking Him for things He has brought you in the past and for which you may not yet have given thanks
* speaking words of gratitude out-loud with your own mouth
* taking the time to read His Word and asking the Holy Spirit to illuminate in our minds particular passages that He wants us to pay attention to
* paying it forward and showing others (in a humble way) that we want to share our blessings with them

No matter how you choose to give thanks, your efforts matter.

Teaching this to kids, tweens and teens is also so very important because it is a life skill. Cultivating a grateful heart in them is an important soul-nurturing skill that they will take with them forever and who knows whom they can teach it to…. 🙂