Ephesians 1:16 (NIV) I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.
It may be the first thing I learned from my Mother was to always say thank you. I don’t know if I can actually recall a moment when Mom said those words, “And what do you say?” after I had been given some gift. I do know I quickly learned the appropriate response was thank you.
It is always appropriate to thank God as well. I wonder how many gifts God has blessed us with in a given day, and we have smiled and moved on without a word of thanks. A prayer of thanks can be quite involved and lengthy, but it also can be very simple. For instance, today as I came into the church one of our office volunteers had brought her granddaughter in to be her helper for the day. As I walked by, I noticed the volunteer had been beautifully decorated in custom illustrated sticky notes. She must have had about eight of them stuck to her sweater, and the artist was busy making more. As I entered my office, I simply said, “God, thanks for that sweet expression of love. You knew I needed that today and you provided.”
As you go through your day, watch for those expressions of God’s love. It might be a co-worker who brings you coffee, a child who randomly hugs you, an email that brings a laugh. Whatever the case, watch for moments that are gifts. When they come, offer a simple, short prayer of thanks.
I’m sure you have plenty to be thankful for, and you should probably be making a list (as should I); however, a life of gratitude can begin with a simple prayer. Give yourself time to work up to the bigger stuff.
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