Turn Your Grumble Into Gratitude
This week can be tough for many. Some find themselves alone and hurting. Some are in a crowded living room of friends and family yet find themselves lonely. Friends, if this is you, know I am praying for you. One of the best ways to overcome those feelings is to practice gratitude with examples given to us in Scripture.
In Psalm 34, David sets the stage for having a heart of gratitude.
I will praise the Lord at all times.
I will constantly speak his praises.
I will boast only in the Lord;
let all who are helpless take heart.
Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness;
let us exalt his name together.
In Psalm 100 he encourages us to do the same.
Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
In Psalm 138 He prays a specific prayer of thanksgiving.
I give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart;
I will sing your praises before the gods.
I bow before your holy Temple as I worship.
I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness;
for your promises are backed
by all the honor of your name.
As soon as I pray, you answer me;
you encourage me by giving me strength.
Hannah gave thanks after giving birth to Samuel.
“My heart rejoices in the Lord!
The Lord has made me strong.
Now I have an answer for my enemies;
I rejoice because you rescued me.
No one is holy like the Lord!
There is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.”
Job praised God even amid losing all his children and his incredible wealth.
“I came naked from my mother’s womb,
and I will be naked when I leave.
The Lord gave me what I had,
and the Lord has taken it away.
Praise the name of the Lord!”
While Paul’s teachings are not expressly about thanksgiving, the theme of gratitude is prolific throughout his writings. There are more than twenty instances of him either giving thanks for God’s provision and other believers or encouraging the believers to give thanks. Even from prison, Paul’s writings show his heart of gratefulness.
He gives instruction.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. I Thessalonians 5:16-18
He sets an example.
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:3-6
He explains the reward of praying with a grateful heart.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”Philippians 4:6-7
We might look at Paul or David and think they had beautiful lives, of course they were filled with gratitude. But remember, David was being pursued by people who wanted to kill him when he wrote many of the Psalms. Paul was in prison for preaching the Truth when he wrote many of his letters filled with gratitude.
This month I have tried to make a practice of waking up every morning and meditating on gratitude, not just for material things, but God’s creation and creativity, family and friends, attributes of God, music, sunrises and sunsets. The enemy has thrown in some harsh words and headaches, attempting to steal my joy. I saw his ploy, and it was hard to resist giving to the grumble.
I want my gratitude to be a state of being not just a good habit. The only way I can do this is to keep my eyes off the woes of life and on the One to whom I owe all my thanks.
Keep digging in Scripture and in your own life for moments of gratefulness. When we focus our eyes on the One to whom we should be most thankful, our grumble can turn into gratitude.
Heavenly Father,
I come to you with a grateful heart for who you are and what you have done for me. Help me to keep my eyes on You. Show me, every day, the blessings you have bestowed on me. Guide me in my prayer life to begin with gratitude.
In Your Precious Name, Amen
Praise God with me – The Doxology – Anthem Lights
For further reading:
Twenty Verses About Thanking God in the Hard Times – Cara Ray
