Day 29 Gratitude Card Idea: Send a gratitude card to a person that might not deserve your thanks.
This is the third of 4 posts about Thanksgiving, Advent & Christmas.
Before discussing the first aspect of becoming more thankful, I want to add to my thankful list. As I was walking & praying on Monday, I realized I had forgotten the most important thing I am thankful. I was thanking God for Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for me. Jesus should really be at the top of my thankful list.
What are you thankful for today?
How can you become more thankful?
Pray
Praying seems so simple, but that is what God wants you to do. Let’s look again at 1 Thessalonians.
Rejoice always,
pray without ceasing,
in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
I Thessalonians 5:16-18
Prayer is sandwiched between rejoicing always and giving thanks in everything. The only way you can truly be joyful and thankful is through prayer. God wants you to pray continually. Ask God for a thankful spirit. Then, thank God for the circumstances in your life today.
Pray Without Ceasing!
The word “ceasing” has some interesting meanings. It goes along with a continual cough. I can truly relate to this because I’ve had a nagging cough the past few days. It just won’t go away. That’s the way our prayers should be to God…they just don’t go away. We are always relying on God to be thankful & joyful.
Another connotation of the word ceasing is the regular production of fruit every year. A fruit tree produces fruit on a regular basis every year. Again, that’s an example of how we should approach God…on a regular basis.
To be truly thankful, you must rely on God’s strength. It’s a fact that you will go through trials during your life. The question is how you will handle those trials. The only way you can rejoice and be thankful in your trials is by asking God for a joyful & thankful spirit.
Thanksgiving Activities for Kids
During this Advent season, spend time in prayer each & every day. As you pray, thank God for whatever situation you are in.
MODEL & teach your children to thank God for their circumstances. If they see you model thankfulness and you encourage them to be thankful, your children will be thankful as adults.
Next time I will share my final thoughts on cultivating thanksgiving in your family.
How are you teaching your kids to be thankful during this Advent season?
ps. If you’d like to read more about gratitude, I highly suggest Ann Voskamp’s book One-Thousand Gifts.
Question: How can your family be thankful during Advent? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
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