Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above.
[Excerpted from Let Gratitude Show You the Way: A 21-Day Devotional Guide, Herald House, 2012, p. 6]
Practicing gratitude as a spiritual discipline is about intentionally taking time to see that which is hidden in plain sight and becoming increasingly aware of the divine love that flows through all things.
Gratitude helps us learn to live with a heightened sense of awareness that everything is a gift that was first given to us. We did not earn it, buy it, or achieve it; we just simply received it. That breath you just took was a gift. The entire universe is a gift—you and everything in it. When we see everything as a gift, we realize that life doesn’t owe us anything.
Prayer Phrase
“…give thanks in all circumstances” (Thessalonians 5:18).
Practice Gratitude
Set aside an intentional time every day to:
- Read a daily reflection.
- Prayerfully reflect on your day (or previous day).
- Ask the question, “What am I grateful for today?”
- Write it down.
Expressions of gratitude don’t need to be sappy and tearful, just sincere and heartfelt. It can be for the little and the big things in life; it can also be for the ordinary and the mundane. First thing in the morning? Middle of the day? Last thing at night? It doesn’t matter when. It matters that you do it the same time every day and you are consistent.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.