Develop an Attitude of Gratitude

Do you need a miracle in your life?

If so, be grateful.

Gratitude is a miracle-creating attitude. It has the power to transform seemingly unsolvable situations. When you thank and praise God in the midst of a problem, he will do a miracle and turn things around.

Acts 16 demonstrates the power of gratitude. Paul and Silas had gone to Philippi to preach and to teach, but they weren’t well-received. In fact, the crowd stoned them, beat them, and threw them into prison.

At midnight, in the middle of the dark, damp, cold prison, Paul and Silas began praising God and singing songs of thanksgiving.

That’s when God did a miracle. He sent an earthquake that shook the whole prison. The prison cell doors opened up, and all the chains and shackles on every prisoner came unbound. Freedom came through thanksgiving.

I don’t know what kind of freedom you need. I have no idea what kind of miracle you’re asking God for, but I know gratitude is the key. Gratitude will do miracles in your life as it releases the power of God. Instead of complaining about your problems, start counting your blessings.

In just a few days, we’ll celebrate Thanksgiving in the United States. But the irony is that on Thanksgiving Day, we’ll do very little of giving thanks. We’ll pray before we eat, but that’s about it. Most of our day is preoccupied with football, cooking, and eating.

I want to challenge you to make this Thanksgiving different. Spend time thanking God for all he has done in your life. How can you make Thanksgiving more meaningful?

The Bible says that there are four ways to express your gratitude to the Lord.

Sing to him.

The Bible says, “Sing out your thanks to him; sing praises to our God” (Psalm 147:7 TLB). Christianity is a singing faith. There are more songs about Jesus Christ than about anything else, even love. You need to learn to sing your thanks to God and to praise him joyfully.

Few things make you aware of God’s presence more quickly than singing your praise to him. It doesn’t matter how much musical talent you have, either. The Bible urges us in Psalm 100:1 to make a joyful noise.

Give to God.

The psalmist writes, “Give an offering to show thanks to God. Give [him] what you promised” (Psalm 50:14 NCV). Obviously, giving and thanking go together. That’s how we get the word “thanksgiving.”

Nearly 400 years ago, a group of people called the Pilgrims set aside a day in the fall to express thanksgiving to God by bringing an offering, experiencing a banquet, and sharing in fellowship together. Today, we know that day as Thanksgiving, and we celebrate it as a national holiday.

Pray to him.

Paul writes, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT). Spend some time praying and thanking God in your prayers. The Bible says the more specific you are in your prayer, the easier it is for God to answer it.

The same is true for our thanksgiving. God doesn’t want us to just say, “Thank you, God, for everything.” That’s a pretty bland prayer. Make a list of exactly what you’re thankful for. Then spend some time thanking God for those items.

Serve him.

“Since we have a Kingdom nothing can destroy, let us please God by serving him with thankful hearts” (Hebrews 12:28 TLB). Whenever you serve someone else in the name of Christ, you’re offering a visible, tangible thanksgiving to God.

If God never does anything else in your life, you still owe him everything. He gave you talent, energy, health, and opportunity to make a difference with your life.

Everything you have is a gift from God. This year at Thanksgiving, don’t just eat food, hang out with family, and watch football. Thank God for what he has done in your life.

That’s what Thanksgiving is all about.