The Power of Daily Gratitude

Expressing Gratitude Daily Is Powerful

The power of expressing gratitude daily can be life-changing. We all have those ups and downs in life. The key to learning how to manage our emotions in all situations, and not falling into the trap of negativity, is by using a daily gratitude practice. There are so many instances when we just naturally feel happy, excited, full of vibrancy, and those things evoke feelings of gratitude. But we also have those days and even circumstances, that are just plain hard, or even heartbreaking. The question is, how do we find that feeling of gratitude in all situations? Choosing to see life as a gift, is essential.

My faith is very important to me, and it’s what grounds me in the foundation of gratitude. I’ve experienced the tragic loss of my 36-year-old son recently, and gratitude was something that was not flowing freely to me in the weeks following. But by making a concentrated effort to journal and write about the things that were good and positive in my life, my healing began. Journaling, and listing things I’m grateful for is something I’ve done for quite a few years. I’ve found that when life gets really hard, thankfully, this is something I am able to fall back on to move me forward in a positive way. Choosing to practice gratitude daily can truly bring more happiness and peace into our lives, even in our most challenging times.

Daily Gratitude Is About Choices

Each day that we are given is a blessing. Just to be alive is a gift! And throughout the day, God gives us gifts in all sorts of wonderful packages. One of the simplest ways to ensure you live a happy and fulfilled life is to focus on gratitude. The way you feel, such as how happy or unhappy you are, how stressed you are, or overwhelmed you might feel, may seem like something out of your control. But actually how you view your life and circumstances, is a choice you make.

You can choose to be grateful for the life you have, and happiness follows. Or you can choose to focus on what you’re lacking, who has hurt you, or what’s not going your way. And the result will be a feeling of dissatisfaction with your life. You may even blame others, circumstances, or fate for your unhappiness. But at the end of the day, it’s all about you and the choices you make. You either choose to be grateful and live happily and fulfilled or not.

Choosing Gratitude Daily

How can you ensure you make those positive choices throughout your life? When everything in our lives is flowing smoothly, that choice is easy. But when challenging situations arise, that choice may be harder. We’ve all faced loss in our lives, whether it was the loss of a loved one, a marriage, a job, or a beloved pet. There may have been times you or someone you loved was very sick or hurting. Perhaps someone wronged you in some way. Sometimes situations come up that you are at a total loss as to how to handle it, and you may even feel fearful.

The way you choose to handle these challenges and move forward is what will make the difference. You can choose to dwell on the negativity of a situation or look for the positive in it. There is something to be learned from all of our trials, and that is the gift to be grateful for. By focusing on gratitude and making the best of a situation, you help to create more happiness, contentment, and peace for yourself. By remembering that God is always with you in the midst of your trials, you learn to count your blessings rather than your difficulties.

Why Is Gratitude So Important?

Our whole outlook on life can shift in a more positive direction by cultivating a heart filled with gratitude. Making it a habit to look for God’s blessings and grace daily helps us to really recognize it in all things. Our hearts are more open to see the generosity of God and His goodness. And in return, we may feel more inclined to be kind and generous to others in our words and actions. God delights in blessing us with good gifts. And with a happy and grateful heart, we should give thanks and praise to Him for our blessings.

“I will give thanks to you Lord, with all my heart. I will tell of your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 9:1

7 Spiritual Benefits Of Gratitude

The uplifting emotion of gratitude can invoke strong feelings of love, joy, peace, and hope. When we allow ourselves to be fully immersed in these emotions, our spirit is nourished and we can live in the state of being who we truly are. We are better able to see the good in all things, even during our times of trial. This truly connects our soul to the goodness of God, who is always faithful in blessing us.

1. Gratitude strengthens our relationship with God.

God can use the simple act of our recognizing the blessings around us, to transform our hearts and lives. Nothing is too small to be noticed and praised. Nothing is too difficult to be received with grace and appreciated for the good it will bring about, even when we can’t see it at the moment. Our words are powerful tools when used to praise and thank Him. Praising God for His goodness is a way of expressing our love to Him. And through this practice, our relationship with Him is strengthened, and we are better equipped to handle our challenges.

“It is good to praise the Lord, and make music to your name, Oh Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night.” Psalm 92:1

2. Gratitude grows our faith and trust in God.

It’s human nature to want to have control of situations in our lives and to worry. But God tells us to pray, give it to Him, trust, and have faith. When we thank God in the midst of our trials, we are growing our faith and trust in Him. Instead of trying to figure out things for ourselves, give it to the one who knows. God is always good and faithful. We’re assured that He works out good in all things and our blessings will be evident and abundant in His time. Trusting and appreciating God’s goodness daily helps us to really recognize it in all things.

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.” Psalm 143:8

3. Gratitude Gives Us Hope

Isn’t it a wonderful feeling to know that God is always with us and wants the best for us? He is always ready to help us when we ask and wants us to put our trust in Him. He is our strength when we are weak, our protection when we are vulnerable, and our comfort when we are down. When we thank God in all circumstances, we can have confidence that with God’s grace we always have hope. We won’t need to fear the storms, for He is right there with us. No matter what challenge we’re facing, in Him, we always have hope for an even better tomorrow.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows.” James 1:17

4. Gratitude Aligns Us With God’s Will

We may wonder, “Does God have a plan for my life, or what is God’s will for me?” We’ve all been given free will and choice in this life. It’s up to us to align our will, with God’s will for our lives. And we can be assured that what God wants for us is always good. However, we may not always make the right choices. Our lives are not always easy, and sometimes we’re overwhelmed by challenges. How do we have joy and give thanks when things are not going the way we want? If we take our troubles to the Lord with prayer, appreciating His help and guidance, we will be blessed. When we express gratitude in all situations, and we align with His will.

“Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

5. Gratitude gives us Peace and Joy.

All our moments are not going to be pleasant, and may even be just plain hard. How do you feel peace and give thanks when you’re feeling broken, sick, or hurting? If we take our troubles to the Lord with prayer, trusting in him, and thanking Him for His faithfulness, we will be given peace. We are given the grace to persevere, and the spiritual eyesight to see God’s goodness in the life we are living. The blessings are there when we choose to see them. Even in the hard times, choosing to be grateful opens the door for joy to come in. The joy and peace in our hearts are truly God-given.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God; And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6

6. Gratitude Helps Us To Know God Intimately

Choosing to look for blessings in all things helps us to recognize God’s goodness daily. He gives us his unfailing, unconditional love. No matter what we do, or how bad we think we’ve messed up, God always forgives and always gives us grace. He understands our human tendencies go our own way at times. We are His children and He graciously and gently draws us back with His loving-kindness and compassion. Making our hearts a home for our Lord, who is always with us, helps us to intimately know the character of God. We feel more spiritually connected and loved, and find that gratitude flows freely.

“For great is His love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord.” Psalm 117:2

7. Gratitude Fills Our Hearts With Love For God

When we thank God for His goodness, we are acknowledging that He is the giver of all things good. We find ourselves falling in love with God more and more. Everything in our lives, family, friends, jobs, homes, health, well-being, are all blessings we’ve been given. And when we mess up, we are given forgiveness and His saving grace. Expressing gratitude is more than just saying “thank you.” It’s a heartfelt emotion or feeling that comes from within us. We find ourselves feeling more and more loved, and our hearts will overflow with thankfulness and love for our Father, who loves us unconditionally.

“Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever.” Psalm 107:1

Living Abundantly By Expressing Gratitude

Gratitude is a such powerful thing, and along with the many positive spiritual benefits. it also has an impact on your emotional and mental well-being. By making gratitude a daily focus, you will start to reap powerful benefits in all areas. You will find yourself feeling more fulfilled and happy with your life. Your life will begin to feel more and more abundant, and you will find yourself more passionate about the things you do. You really do fall in love with your life!

Gratitude truly leads to more happiness and contentment in our lives. Being grateful for all that we have in our lives helps us to see how much we’ve really been given. Just the simple fact that we are alive and our heart is beating is a blessing. The goodness is all around us, and there is more than enough for everyone. We find ourselves also feeling happy for the blessings of those around us. Our hearts are more open to the see generosity of God, and the feeling of happiness and positivity will just flow easily to us.

How To Start A Daily Gratitude Practice

A simple, daily practice of expressing gratitude can be life-changing. A great place to start is by creating a habit of saying “Thank You!” the moment you wake up in the morning. Before jumping out of bed, take a minute for a prayer of gratitude. Thank God that you are alive and breathing, and for gifting you with a beautiful new day. Thank Him for the guidance he will provide for you throughout the day. If you want to go a step further, think of at least one person or one thing you are deeply grateful for each morning. You have just started your day in a positive direction! Taking a minute or two to express gratitude before rushing into the day, sets a positive tone for your whole day.

Another powerful practice is writing about or listing things you’re grateful for each day in a journal. Make it a habit to find a time each day when you can sit for a bit and journal. I make it a practice to write ten things I’m grateful for each day, thanking God for these as I journal. Journaling gratitude helps us to see our lives in a more positive light, even in our most trying times. Making time each day to sit quietly, meditate, and reflect on our blessings is a powerful practice. Daily reflection on the blessings in your life will truly help you to feel happier, more positive, and grateful for your life.

Perhaps you already practice gratitude daily. If so, that is wonderful! But as with other habits, it’s always something we can strengthen or improve on. Do you need some help getting started, or just motivation to keep going with it? Research shows that in just two weeks of consistently practicing gratitude, great benefits are evident.

Here is a FREE 14-Day Gratitude Journal to help you start counting your blessings and feeling more joyful. Take note of how you’re feeling about your life after two weeks.

Continuing To Grow In Gratitude

If you find you want to go further with your gratitude journey, here is a link to a 90-Day Devotional Gratitude Journal that I’ve written and published, complete with daily scripture verses and reflection. While writing this reflective journal, I found the peace and healing I needed at the time, and it’s my hope that it will also be an encouragement and blessing to others.

Click here for the 90-Day Gratitude Through Grace Devotional Journal

Practicing daily gratitude can be life-changing. The spiritual, emotional, and mental rewards are powerful. By choosing to see your life as a gift, filled with daily blessings, you can shift the momentum of your life in a more positive direction. Developing a practice of noticing and counting our gifts each day, will create a more appreciative spirit for all things in life, small or big.

Please share in the comments if you have a gratitude practice. Or are you now inspired to start one? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to share this post with someone you care about. I’ll close with this quote.

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward

Love & Blessings

Chris