The Plans He Has for MeSample

Philippians 4:6 (NIV): Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Mindful Minute: Sometimes we can miss some of God's poignant instruction within verses. His Word is living and breathing and therefore with each reading, we can look for some different way to interpret it. The point we want to focus in on today is one of thanksgiving. Much has been done in the secular world on the power of living a life of gratitude versus one of expectation. Many of the self-help remedies offered today involve practices of gratitude. Not surprisingly, God is the one who first instructed us to do so thousands of years ago. Ezra 3:11 (NIV) states "I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness....." and Psalm 9:1 says "I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart....."

Our gratitude needs to be focused on God specifically because good things are not random. They are from God who is our ultimate provider. When we begin to understand how the world is inherently broken, we can begin to be truly grateful for the good God has gifted us. Therefore, we need to start a practice of gratitude in our daily lives. When gratitude and thanksgiving for all that our Creator provides is a focus of our daily lives, we can create a narrative that looks for something good and offset the negative with gratefulness.

Prayer: Thank you for your wisdom, Father. I know everything good in this world originated from you. I will commit to practicing gratitude each day. I trust in you, Father, to see the world differently, despite my current circumstances. In Jesus mighty name, Amen!

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Each day on this journey, take time to pray the Lord’s Prayer, write down 10 things you’re grateful for, and reflect on how the Scripture spoke to you. These simple practices will open your heart to God’s presence and help you experience lasting renewal.