In these troubling days, it’s hard to remember to be thankful for our many blessings.

Every time you turn on the news, scroll through your social media, or even walk the aisles of the grocery store, you hear and see all the terrible things happening in the world. And it may make you wonder if there is anything worth being thankful for.

Sweet friend, I have good news for you today. Yes, there are many things to be thankful for.

The Bible tells us in First Thessalonians 5:18 that we are to give thanks in every circumstance. We know that the world is not perfect, but we know and serve a God who is faithful, loving, and sovereign over all things.

As we begin the season of Thanksgiving, I want to share ways we can focus our hearts on being thankful and discover a life rooted in gratitude. Doing so will transform our perspectives, deepen our relationship with God, and bring peace, joy, and contentment to our lives.

The thankful heart with the power of gratitude.

Let’s look at the verse I shared earlier, First Thessalonians 5:18. It says to give thanks in all circumstances, but the two verses before are telling us to rejoice always and pray without ceasing.

‘Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

As I read this, I see that these two actions guide giving thanks in all circumstances.

We can rejoice in anything we face, and even on those dark, depressing days, we can use the power of prayer to be thankful.

Christians are to be marked by Thanksgiving even when those around us struggle and wonder how they can find good. They can see us counting our blessings and being thankful for each one. And then they realize there are things to be grateful for.

A thankful heart with a sacrifice of praise.

“Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” Hebrews 13:15

The concept of a sacrifice of praise appears repeatedly in the Psalms. It is not an offering of an animal but the verbal praise of God’s name.

Praising God does not come naturally. Occasionally, praise feels like a duty or an obligatory lip service at the beginning of a prayer.

But through persistence, every believer can learn to praise God in all things.

Giving praise is also a weapon against Satan. When you praise God, you show the heavenly host powers, principalities, demons of darkness, and angels of light that our God is great and worthy of praise, no matter the circumstance.

On those days when you can’t think of anything to be thankful for, say, “Thank you, God, for who you are.”

Thankfulness as a shield against anxiety.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

Stress or anxiety divides, separates, and distracts us from being thankful. We cannot worry and trust God simultaneously because worry destroys our single-hearted devotion to the Kingdom of God.

Through prayer, supplication, and Thanksgiving, we find the peace that surpasses understanding and know and trust this peace to guard our hearts and minds.

We have a natural desire for acceptance, status, and possessions, which creates tension within us. When we feel that our needs and our desires are not met, that’s when anxiety and stress fill us.

Learning to be thankful combats this anxiety by focusing on God’s faithfulness.

Gratitude and humility.

“‘But he gives more grace. Therefore, it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” ‘James 4:6

How can being thankful keep you humble before God?

Luke 1:46-55, we can read Mary’s song, in which she magnifies the Lord. She begins by thanking God and then telling why she is thankful.

“And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and his offspring forever.” Luke 1:46-55

Reverent, humble obedience that seeks to please God will result in God extending His grace to you.

Thankfulness and prayer.

“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” Colossians 4:2

Prayer calls for appropriate action and a proper attitude. In this verse, Paul admonishes all believers to pray, pray, pray!

Think about how you pray. Does it include gratitude and thankfulness?

The next time you pray for each request you make, add thanks for something God has already done for you.

A thankful heart is recognizing God’s goodness.

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” Psalm 107:1

Take a few minutes to meditate on God’s goodness. Psalm 107 calls us to give thanks based on the Lord’s enduring mercy as He has redeemed His people.

A distinctive feature of this Psalm is its four accounts of people in distress whom God rescued. These four accounts describe the activities of the Judaites in their exile.

After the first invitation to thank the Lord, the Psalm describes how each group cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them.

Have you cried out to the Lord, and He delivered you? Now is an excellent time to give thanks to the Lord.

A heart overflowing with thankfulness.

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:6-7

In these verses, Paul reminds the Colossians and us of the foundational teaching we received when we became Christians.

When we receive Jesus as our Lord, we will walk in Him and live in Him. Our hearts will overflow, or as some translations say, abound in Thanksgiving.

I looked up these two words.

Abounding: exist in abundance. To superabound to increase.

Overflow: To go beyond filling.

With Jesus as our Lord, Thanksgiving will be abundant or go beyond full. How awesome is that?

How can we be thankful in a troubling world?

Thank you for reading my post. Here is just a small list of reasons to be thankful every day. Our world is going through dark times, and we need to remember that there are good things for which we can be grateful. Finding them might take a little while, but they are there.

Over the next few weeks, I will add to this list and encourage you and me to find something for which I can be thankful.

If you notice my pictures, they are from my 30-Day Gratitude Challenge Journal. If you’re interested, sign up for my newsletter, and we can take this challenge together.