Five Ways to Be Thankful

It's Thanksgiving time and November - this is when we read many writings about thankfulness or gratitude, and I will go with the rest of the group and stick to this great topic.

Thankfulness may seem easy to define….. Take a shot at it and see what comes to your mind.

Hmm, not so easy is it. Yet some of you may be good at defining words, but my go to is the dictionary. If you’ve been around me much you know I traditionally start each subject ……with a dictionary definition.

Before we get to the definition, thankful is a great word to look up in a thesaurus to glean into other words we may think of when you use the word thankful.

Synonyms for thankfulness = gratitude, appreciation, recognition, indebtedness, acknowledgement.

From Merriam-Webster: Thankfulness
1. Conscious of benefit received
2. Expressive of thanks
3. Well pleased: glad

Did any of you give this as a definition? It’s not a test, so no stars will be given out, but if you did give one of these as a definition – WOWZAH!

Let’s keep this simple as we think of Thanksgiving and what we need to be thankful for in five ways.

Five Ways to Be Thankful

(This is taken from the NLT Life Application Bible footnotes in Hebrews 12:28, go check it out.)

Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. Hebrews 12:28 NLT

1) For God answering our prayers. Sharing our needs in prayer is what God asks of us so our relationship with him can grow.
• I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers! Isaiah 65:24 NLT
2) For God providing all our needs. Thanking God in all types of circumstances can be challenging yet we must believe all things are in his timing, not ours.
• Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 NLT
3) For the blessings God gives. Thanking God for all he’s given us with no worry leads to more favors he will pour on us.
• Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6 NLT
4) For God’s character and wonderous works. Understanding God’s ways are not easy, yet when we thank him for his ways, He continues to bless us.
• Now thanks be to God for His Gift, [precious] beyond telling [His indescribable, inexpressible, free Gift]! AMPC
5) For our brothers and sisters in Christ. What a joy to be able to express with a thankful heart those who walk alongside as like believers in Jesus Christ.
• I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly. Ephesians 1:16 NLT

I pray this has been a great reminder of the many ways we can be thankful not just during the month of November as we celebrate Thanksgiving but every day.

Here is a list of FREE resources I have available that will help you stay focused on living a life with purpose:
• P.A.U.S.E. 5-Day Devotion – Finding peace and gain strength in God https://www.suelhamilton.com/pause-devotional
• 5 Steps to Know God by Studying the Bible - https://www.suelhamilton.com/bible-study-page
• 5 Must-Do’s to Deepen Your Faith - https://www.suelhamilton.com/5-must-dos-before-8AM
• 10 Prayers to Build Confidence - https://www.suelhamilton.com/sign-up-10-prayers-to-build-confidence
Book Sue for your next speaking event, tell me a little more https://www.suelhamilton.com/site/contact