40-Day Worship Experience Youth DevotionalSample

“Jesus, thank You.” This simple prayer is only three words long, but it transforms you from the inside out.

First, gratitude changes your thoughts and emotions. As we’ve already seen, it triggers the release of hormones that bring emotional stability and peace. That’s not an accident—God designed your body to feel better when you are grateful.

Second, it changes your walk with God because you are grateful to Him. He is the focus of your appreciation and praise. Gratitude keeps you close to the One who provides for all your needs.

Third, gratitude changes your perspective. It reminds you that life is more than your circumstances. There are good things happening that you can’t see yet, and there are better days ahead.

Finally, gratitude changes the way you show up in the world. Remember Tigger and Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh? Eeyore was always gloomy, sad, and negative, while Tigger was unstoppably happy, sometimes to a fault. Winnie the Pooh was somewhere in the middle—he was able to see both the good and the bad, but he never let bad things keep him down. Which one of the three are you like? Do you think you need to find a better balance?

Gratitude is like a muscle that grows stronger with exercise. The more you turn to gratitude, the more you’ll see the benefit of it and the easier it will be to change from negativity to gratefulness. As you pray this morning, focus on gratitude. Say, “Jesus, thank You,” and let gratitude transform you from the inside out.

Reflect

Is it easy for you to be grateful? Why or why not? How could you get better at gratitude?