“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit” 1 Thessalonians 5:18-19 (NIV).

Gratitude Will Transform The Way We Interact With God …

Hello friend! 🌻

I noticed when I don’t take my thoughts captive to Christ for a period of time, I become vulnerable to the enemy’s lies and can find myself spending alot of time grumbling.

Then I feel so alone and struggle to feel God’s presence or see His goodness even when it is evident all around me and my behavior can make life so much harder to get through.

In the past, this lack of gratitude has blocked me from listening, learning, seeking and hungering for so much more of God. This mindset limited my capacity for spiritual growth and has never inspired me with anything fresh or new to think, talk, write or journal about.

Even worse, the enemy liked finding me in this state and has fought to keep me there by leading me to isolate and desire no accountability.  

But the more I praise God with gratitude in my heart, the more I can see His goodness, feel His Joy and sense His sweet Spirit leading me. This helps me feel so loved, seen, comforted, and cherished by Him. I am lifted up out of the muck and mire and set free to run my race well with Him.  

Gratitude is powerful in the lives of God’s children. Gratitude doesn’t change God … it changes us and gives Him greater access into our lives.

Psalm 100:4 admonishes us to enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise, giving thanks to Him and praising His name. We can’t even enter His gates without thanksgiving, let alone His inner courts.

And our key verses admonish us to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit” 1 Thess 5:18-19 (NIV).

God gives us these instructions for our good. When I insist on doing things my way or spend more time grumbling than being thankful, then I quench His Holy Spirit and remove my ungrateful little self from His presence.  

Sobering thought, isn’t it?

We cannot control other people or some of the circumstances we find ourselves in. But a life lived with gratitude and thankful prayer is a life that is lived in the power of His Spirit. 

• Gratitude draws us closer to God, grumbling removes us from His presence.
• Gratitude keeps us moving forward, grumbling keeps us stuck where we are.
• Gratitude unties God’s hands to move in our lives, grumbling does the opposite.

Gratitude changes our minds, our hearts and the way we interact with God.

James 3:10 tells us “And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!” (NLT).

Thank goodness our loving God gives us plenty of opportunities to try again. To come up higher when we’ve been a little too content with sinking down so low.     

But how empowering to know we can make a choice right now …

We can choose which mindset we will operate in for today. We can choose to own our own crap and let others own theirs. We can choose to show up and continue to be faithful even when its hard.

We can choose gratitude which keeps us abiding in His light instead of the grumbling which leads us away captive.

Gratitude and continual prayer brings a strong sense of God’s presence with us in every circumstance where grumbling makes us feel we are fighting our battles alone. Gratitude also helps us to see things from His vantage point, just like an eagle can see for miles from way up high.  

It was ackward when God first led me to begin thanking Him for all the small stuff (and not just the big) when I wasn’t used to doing so. 

From finding a good parking spot at Target to thanking Jesus for romancing me with pretty wild flowers lining the sidewalk, nothing was too small or insignificant to pause and thank God for. Our thoughts and words are like seeds that drop down and take root in our hearts. Eventually, my thanking Him became less awkward and more heart felt.

It’s been twelve years now and I know it will always take intentionality to pause and refocus when my thoughts begin to spiral. But this shift in perspective towards gratitude has helped me to better keep an eternal mindset and has filled me with incredible hope.

We can never fully explain how God works but I believe gratitude unties His hands to work mightily in our lives. I say this because He has brought deep healing in multiple areas of my life. I am not the same person I used to be. 

Does this mean I never complain now?

Oh heck no, I still share with my closest friends and prayer warriors when I’m exhausted from managing chronic pain or a bad situation has gone on for way too long. And they share with me as well. But gratitude has helped me to be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leadings now and He helps me to reset and get back on track so I can keep moving forward. 

We all have times when life gets hard and an attitude of gratitude doesn’t mean we are ignorant of evil. But I’ve learned to let those closest to me keep me accountable so I don’t accept the enemy’s invitation to isolate when things get real hard. Nothing good ever comes from this. 

My friend, my heart is for us to grow in gratitude so we can remain free in Christ and live the abundant life He came to give us. Today, may we choose to cultivate gratitude so our capacity to see and appreciate His goodness continues to grow stronger. 

Father God, You are a forward moving, trail blazing God and it’s hard to stay in step with You when we are content to splash around in the mud puddles of life. Please help us to be sensitive to the leadings of Your Spirit and to lay down at your feet any mindsets that can lead us into bondage with the enemy. In Jesus’ Name. Amen … 🙏🩷

You are SO lavishly loved, my friend! I pray that you can feel His love for you today …

Hugs and Prayers,

Gratitude Will Transform The Way We Interact With God @ freshgracefortoday.com

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