40-Day Worship Experience Youth DevotionalSample

The fifth simple prayer we are going to explore is this: “Jesus, thank You.” Thankfulness is the foundation of a joy-filled heart, and developing an “attitude of gratitude” is a habit that will improve every area of your life. Think about it—do you like to spend time with people who are always complaining? Or would you rather be with someone who can see both the bad and the good, but who chooses to focus on the good?

Gratitude is a personal choice. It’s a decision you can make at any moment. Because you can shift your perspective in this way, you don’t have to be controlled by difficult circumstances. I’ve even read that when you express thankfulness, your brain releases “positive” chemicals such as dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin that improve your mood and create feelings of happiness and contentment.

Thankfulness helps you defeat two enemies: comparison and complaining. Instead of falling into jealousy or discontentment, you can pray, “Jesus, thank You! Thank You for this situation. Thank You for being with me on this journey. Thank You that I’m not alone. Thank You that I will grow through this. Thank You that your help is enough for me.”

As you pray this morning, remember the power of this simple prayer: “Thank You, Jesus.” Let your gratitude rise above your circumstances, break the power of comparison and complaining, and fill you with peace and joy.

Reflect

Do you tend to be more optimistic or pessimistic? Do you think you should include more gratitude into your life? How could you do that?