Cultivating a Heart of Thanksgiving

“6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” - Colossians 2:6-7

One of the signs of being a Christian is having a thankful heart. The Bible encourages us in everything we need to give thanks. Having a thankful heart helps us focus on God instead of focusing on our circumstances. We see the greatness of our God not the bigness of our problems. Certainly, challenges and trials are all part of our Christian life and they can be overwhelming. There is nothing we can do to avoid them. Often, they come into our lives unexpectedly. However, with the right attitude and unwavering faith in God, we can face them head on without fear. This is the reason why having a thankful heart is the right attitude to have so that we can live life victoriously and not in defeat.

Here are five ways that will help us cultivate a thankful heart;

1. Familiarize Yourself On Bible Verses About Thanksgiving

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” - Colossians 3:16

2. Regularly Give Thanks in Prayer

“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” - Colossians 4:2

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow." - Melody Beattie

3. Sing Psalms and Songs that Emphasize Gratitude

“I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving.” - Psalm 69:30

“When our hearts are filled with gratitude towards God, our souls leap with overwhelming joy and thanksgiving.” - D.H. Geronimo

“19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” - Ephesians 5:19-20

"The height of devotion is reached when reverence and contemplation produce passionate worship which in turn breaks forth in thanksgiving and praise in word and song." - Kent Hughes

4. Practice Taking Notice of Everyday Blessings

“8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, 9 for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” - Psalm 107:8-9

“Lord, if You bless me, I’ll thank You; but if You don’t, I’ll be thankful for what I have.” - Phil Robertson

5. Thank God Even When You Don’t Feel It.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." - Philippians 4:6

"In everyday life, we often get more than we give, and it's gratitude that makes life feel really special.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Living in a world where it seems everyone is living in a hurry, it is easy to forget to take some time to show and express our gratitude and appreciation to God. Maintaining a thankful heart will keep us from forgetting the things God has done big or small. When we have a thankful heart, we recognize God is faithful even in the midst of our many challenges.

Devotion by: Pastor D. H. Geronimo

Date added: 05/15/2025

NOTE: All Scripture used are NIV unless otherwise stated.