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11/23/2020 0 Comments

How To Be A More Thankful Christian

By: Sacha C.

What are you thankful for? Is it the roof over your head? The food on your plate? Your friends and family? What makes you so appreciative? For me, I am so thankful for Jesus. I am so thankful for the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross for my sins. Without Him, I would be nothing; I would have no real purpose in life.
There are so many things to be thankful for or show appreciation towards, but as Christians, I believe that the most important thing should be our faith. God sent His son into the world to take the punishment for our sins so that we may be forgiven and receive the free gift of eternal life with God in Heaven. Isn't that amazing?

The most important person in our lives should be God. He should be at the head of our household and the sole focus for how we go about our day to day lives. We should be focusing on things above and not things of this world. He is the one who gave us all of what we have in our lives. He is the one who hears and answers our prayers. He is the one who sets us free.

There are so many scriptures in the Bible that talk about being thankful and practicing gratitude towards our God. But how often can you say that you do this? We need to learn to be more thankful and appreciative of our Lord and Savior. As such, here are three simple tips on how to be a more thankful Christian.

1. Read Your Bible Daily

“Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

This one may seem pretty obvious, but it is so important to do. We need to read our Bible each day and focus on/meditate on the word of God. Have a look at the various scriptures that talk about thankfulness (you will find that there are many of them in the Book of Psalms). Write down, highlight, memorize, and focus on these key scriptures. This will help you become more thankful towards God once you learn and understand these scriptures.

2. Practice Journaling

"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer" (Psalm 19:14).

Have you ever done journaling before? Either way, this is a very practical form of practicing gratitude. You can do it in the morning or evening, whichever suits you best. Write down things that you are thankful for each day and connect it back to God. For example, today, I am thankful that I got plenty of rest and have time to sit here and write these tips for you all! How does this relate to my relationship with God? Because I prayed about getting plenty of sleep, and He answered my prayers. Also, He allowed me to have time to sit down and write these tips to share with fellow Christians. He is guiding me on what to say to you.

3. Stay In Prayer

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God" (Philippians 4:6).

Prayer is the direct communication that we have between ourselves and God. It is so important for us to stay in prayer and to believe in what we pray about. When we do this, we are strengthening our faith in and relationship with God. This will help us to show more appreciation towards Him and be grateful for God to be a listening ear to us and a supportive God in our lives.

Which one of these tips is your favorite? I hope you will start practicing thankfulness today and show more gratitude towards God and all you have in your life. We have all gone through so much this year, and with Thanksgiving coming up later this month, now is the perfect time to start.

Sacha is a Christian blogger and owner/creator of Clothed With Dignity. She's encourages women to be strong, honorable and faithful to God.

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11/15/2020 1 Comment

A Thankful Heart Through It All

By: Tamika M.

As I was walking down the street, leaves crunching under my feet, looking out at the goodness of God's creation, I can not help but be thankful. Although 2020 has been rough, and there have been many challenges all around, the truth we can rest in is that God is God, and God is good! I am reminded of the passage in Psalm 7:17, which reads:

"I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high." (KJV)

We are to praise the Lord for who he is, not just for what he can do, not only when he moves according to our will; thanksgiving is a state of mind and a choice that we choose to make. We can choose to wallow in our problems, or we can choose to rest in the cross. We can focus on what is going on around us, or we can keep our focus on heavenly things.

If I can be honest, life will give us plenty of things to concern ourselves with: money, relationships, and the economy. We can find these things being our focus and not the work and will of God. But if we learn to be content and to trust God no matter what we are facing, thankfulness becomes our heart's response.

Theres a quote by AW Tozer that says:

"Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make and be not poorer but richer for having made it."

Thankfulness and gratitude are things that we can do even in our lowest times, even when our lives may not look the way we expect them to look. When we practice thankfulness, we point back to the truth that God is greater, God's plan is bigger, and God is still and will always be in control.

So friend, as we go through this holiday season, I encourage you to be thankful. Thankful for life, thankful for health, thankful for Christ. Learn to practice thankfulness even in small things because a heart of gratitude points away from us and straight to the Father.

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11/11/2020 2 Comments

Give Thanks With A Grateful Heart

By: Angela Lawley

The air is crisp; the leaves are falling, pumpkins are out and decorated. It's the time of year when we start planning our Thanksgiving dinners and reflecting on what we are thankful for. As we pause and look back on this year, are you going to be thankful? I get that it might be hard for some to see the blessings in this year, understandably so, but they are there. They are there because God is there. During these next few weeks, as we start to wrap up 2020, let's focus on what Yahweh has done for us.

The blessings from giving thanks are clear. Not only does it change your outlook on life, but it also sets us up to be blessed by God. There are blessings when we fill our hearts with thanksgiving even through the bad times. I know that it is hard to think about. Usually, this is the last thing on our minds. It is easy to get caught up in the crazy of this world. But in the crazy is where we need the Father more and more. God wants us to see that when we set our hearts on His goodness, there is no room for selfishness, anger, malice, or envy. It is a pure form of worship.

Ezra 3:11 says, "They sang, praising and giving thanks to the LORD, saying, "For He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever." And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the LORD because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid." (NASB)

In the middle of building the temple, they realized that an amazing event occurred, and while the foundation was laid, they gave thanks. An event as simple as a foundation being laid, they gave thanks. Isn't that a beautiful thought? They knew what their Father in Heaven had done for them, and they all shouted together with praise and thanksgiving.

Sometimes I give God a shout of praise when a bill gets paid, when I finish a project on time, or when I get a door opened that has been closed for what seems years. Through my praise, I've learned to see God's hand in every situation as doors are opened to the gates of Heaven.

While it may seem simple to others, I know the prayers I've prayed, and I know the tears I've shed. So when God makes a way where there is no way, even in the little things, I will give thanks! I will worship Him, for His lovingkindness endures forever.

Psalm 100: 2-5 says:
"Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name."

I want to live my life in such a way that I can enter His gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. In the good and the bad, because I know that My loving Father has provided Heaven for my loved ones and me. Like the songs says, I want to say this is the day that the Lord has made, and I will rejoice for He has made me glad.

Looking at any situation with gladness puts God's hands in it. You will begin to understand James 1:2 that reminds us to count it all joy when facing being persecuted to the point of death.

When we learn to declare through all things that Yahweh is in control, we learn to put our trust in Him and not what's going on around us. Each time I declare this, I am telling God that He is Lord. I promise that it will change your perspective in every situation. And no matter what is going on, in good times and bad, GIVE THANKS!

Angela Lawley Founder of Giving Hope Ministries. Host of Giving Hope Podcast -Teacher women’s Bible Study. Angela is a 2007 graduate of Rhema Bible Training Center, where she graduated with a certificate in Helps Ministry. Angela and her husband Ryan have been married for 20yrs. They own their own business in their home town of Canton, Tx. Angela is the mother of two amazing boys Nicholas and Aiden. Three years ago Angela decided to start a home ministry where women from all backgrounds could come and hear the Word of God. Her heart was to teach and equipped women to fight for their marriages, children and their God given place in this world! There in her living room Giving Hope Ministries was born and is growing day by day. You can join her live every Sunday evening on the Giving Hope Ministries Facebook page. Connect with Angela further by clicking here!

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