Thanksgiving Devotional: A Thankful Mentality

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.”

Psalms 107:1

One of the best things we can do around Thanksgiving is to go over everything in our lives we have to be thankful for. With the constant going in life, it can be too easy sometimes to forget to pause and give thanks. A great daily habit to have even outside of Thanksgiving is jotting down 5 things you are thankful for. Studies have shown the positive effect this can have on your health, and mental health, keeping a mentality of thankfulness.

It helps our brains to focus on the positives we have in our lives despite the negatives. There will always be something in our lives we can consider negative. But there will also, on the contrary, be many things in our lives that are positive that we can be grateful for. Choosing daily to shift our focus on the positive and give thanks is an amazing mentality to have.

Value the Little Things

I challenge you for the next week to write down 5 things a day you are thankful for, and during prayer, give thanks to God for these things. There are so many little things that we take for granted each day that most do not have the luxury of. Choose to recognize and give thanks for those things each day and show your appreciation to God for them.

And, for any bad in your life at the moment, keep in mind what the Word tells us in Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God, and are called according to His purpose for them“. Keep this in mind to help you get through the tough times and choose to see the positive during your storm.

Give Thanks to the Lord for He is Good!

Psalms 107:1 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.” We should always give thanks to the Lord for everything. We know that He is good, and He is faithful. He is the same today, yesterday, tomorrow, and forever. When you feel anything trying to take your gratitude away, recite the Word and declare that truth over your life.

Philippians 4:6 reminds us not to worry about anything but to pray about everything! Take all your cares to God and thank Him for all he has done. Year around practicing having an attitude of gratitude will change your life. As Thanksgiving rolls around this year, use this as a time to reflect on all that God has given you to be thankful for and start a daily habit of reflecting on thankfulness.

Reflection: 

What are you thankful for this year? In what ways has God blessed you, even in the smallest ways? Are there any prayers you had last year that you see have been answered this year? What are your top ten things that you are grateful for today?

Prayer:

Dear Lord,
Thank for you everything you have blessed me with. Thank you for my family, friends, loved ones, and above all, thank you for always sticking by me during the good and the bad times of my life. As Thanksgiving comes this year help me keep at the forefront of my mind all that I have to be grateful for. Help me to recognize when the enemy is trying to take my gratefulness and remind me of the many blessings I have to be thankful for.

I will always be thankful for your presence in my life and how you restored and redeemed me. Your presence is all I need, and you have blessed me with so much more than I could have ever asked for. You blessed me with things and people in my life I didn’t even know I needed, but you did. Your agape love that surrounds me daily, and your blessings on my life, make my heart full of gratitude.

Though I may not thank you as much as I should, I give thanks to you today and always for leading me to you. Thank you for taking what the enemy meant for evil and turning it into good in my life. Help me to remember when things do not seem so bright, that you are faithful, and your love endures forever; I have nothing to fear for your light always overcomes the darkness.

In your holy name I pray,

Amen