Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Till him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make all the answers known to you through Jesus Christ. So keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always. (Phil. 4:6-8)
Last week, I was reflecting on the power of gratitude in our lives. We live in a culture where it is so easy to become distracted by worries and concerns. It can be so easy to find yourself feeling overwhelmed and stressed out. Sometimes we miss out on the simple joy of allowing ourselves to be filled with gratitude and appreciation over all that we have and what God has already blessed us with.
Gratitude releases blessing.
You may have heard it said that you get more of what you choose to focus on. Cultivating a heart attitude of gratefulness shifts our focus from the problems we face to the goodness and faithfulness of God. When we are intentional about allowing gratitude to be the prevailing posture of our heart and mind, our eyes become trained to detect where God is already at work in our circumstances. We become aware of what God is doing in our lives and the lives of those around us. And as we grow in our awareness of the goodness of God that surrounds us, we learn to celebrate even the smallest victory. We learn to give Him thanks at every step of the journey. When we choose to focus on our blessings and come before the Lord with thanksgiving, we see that our thankfulness releases His grace and favor in our lives in greater measure. Our celebration is a key that releases the reality of heaven into our lives on earth. The more we choose to praise God, even in the midst of adversity, the more we see the atmosphere of heaven break out in our homes, our families, our workplaces and our communities.
As we prepare for a new year, stop to consider what God has done this year. Stop to think of the many reasons you have to be thankful. Praise God for bringing you this far. Let your praise and your gratitude pave the way for a new chapter in your adventure. Let your heart be filled with expectation and excitement over what’s to come. His goodness and faithfulness will follow you from 2019 to 2020 and beyond. Train your eyes and ear to receive every message of love He sends you. His heart is for you.
