Giving Thanks to God all Year Long

Many of us spent Thanksgiving giving thanks to God for His many blessings.

Now that the turkey’s all finished, and the sales have wrapped up, how’s your giving of thanks going?

I don’t know about you but my gratitude spark tends to wane just a bit in the face of the daily grind. That’s why today I’m focusing on things we can give thanks for on a regular basis.

This is especially for you if you’ve wondered how to keep up the gratitude habit beyond Thanksgiving.

After all, thanksgiving isn’t just for November. So, why stop there?

We can (and should) grow in gratitude through the year. After all, thankfulness does not depend on our circumstances. 

Keeping up the gratitude habit:

I think we all agree that we should keep giving thanks to God on a continual basis. The bigger question perhaps, is how?

How do we keep up with this business of giving thanks?

There are countless gratitude journals and books that promise to help us with this. I would know, I have a few of them.

As a matter of fact, I recently pulled out my Daily Gifts gratitude journal, to see how I was doing with recording my blessings.

I wish I could say that I had all the solutions and had mastered continual thanks in my life.

Sadly I haven’t.

It’s clear that I need these words maybe even more than you do. Perhaps we can learn and grow together. And share our victories along the way.

One thing I do know is that the number one reason we stop giving thanks to God is because we forget.

We forget our blessings.

We forget where we’ve been.

We forget God’s promises.

We simply, forget.

So the idea of a gratitude journal definitely has merit. Keeping a record of our blessings can surely help us remember what they are. And journaling gives us the opportunity to thank God for them.

But the thing that will help us remember to pick up that journal, is a deep and abiding relationship with Christ. When we stay close to Christ, when we live in Him, we will overflow with thankfulness.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

– Colossians 2:6

Did you get that? Overflowing! With thankfulness.

Biblical Reminders

To help us overflow with thankfulness all year long, I’ve made a list of some suggestions from the Bible.

Here you will find a few things the Scriptures remind us to be thankful for.

Keep this list nearby and choose one verse to pray through each day to remind you to give thanks.

I am thankful for:

1. God’s goodness

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34

2. God’s righteous law

At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws. Psalm 119:62

3. God’s wondrous deeds

I will give thanks to you, Lord with all my heart; I will tell of all your wondrous deeds. Psalm 9:1

4. Answered prayers

I will give thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. Psalm 118:21

5. Faithful friends

I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. Ephesians 1:16

6. Victory through Christ

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57

7. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19

8. The freedom to gather together to give thanks

I will give thanks in the great assembly; among the throngs I will praise you. Psalm 35:18

9. Everything!

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

How about you?

What are some things you’re giving thanks to God for? How do you plan to keep growing in gratitude throughout the year?

If you enjoyed this post, would you be so kind and share it with a friend? I love to spread the shine and hope you would too!

Wishing you blessings,

Looking for more encouraging and inspiring content? Check out these amazing sites where I link up my weekly posts.

 

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