The Word of God tells us: “Give thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:20)

To do this, we must have a lifestyle of thanksgiving.

“Let the peace of Christ, to which you were called in one body, rule in your hearts. And be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15)

So how do we cultivate this heart of gratitude?

Because without content in our thanksgiving, there is no gratitude in the heart.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:16-17)

It is a lifestyle of gratitude and submission to God, which involves constantly thanking the Father. Practicing thanksgiving allows me to become grateful, and it becomes a habit.

There is gratitude, and there is the expression of gratitude. The key to having a grateful heart is what you know. It is the awareness you have of what God has done for you. The Word of God tells us: “What is man?” (Psalm 8:2-10)

Your gratitude must be based on:

• Things that are intrinsic to His nature as God, such as God’s goodness.
• Eternal truths: Awareness of what Jesus has done for us on the cross: Forgiveness, reconciliation, adoption, healing, deliverance, etc.
• Things that are beyond human experiences, as well as things that are part of the human experience. Refer to testimonies.

The Word of God tells us: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

The Word of God tells us: “The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this.” (Psalm 92:7)

As you grow in this understanding of God, of His goodness, your heart becomes grateful.

It takes reflection, meditation for things to sink deep within you. And you simply discover that your heart is grateful. My thanksgiving is not conditioned by present circumstances but by the revelation of the God I have, who is the God of all solutions. So, no matter what I see, I won’t start panicking. Whatever the situation, the Spirit of God helps me pray.

Gratitude triggers blessings.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Many people miss their destiny because instead of continuously thanking God for everything He does in their lives, they complain, become dissatisfied because they compare themselves to someone else.

Your way of living your Christian life will show whether or not you have a grateful heart. Even when you don’t feel like it, make it a point to say thank you, to start remembering what God has done for you.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”

This text is an excerpt from the book “THE BLESSINGS OF THANKSGIVING” written by Jérémie TCHINDEBE.

We invite you to read the following article “Cultivating a Grateful Heart“