Be Thankful for Everything Everyday

We don’t have to wait for Thanksgiving Day to be thankful. The Amplified Bible tells us in Ephesians 5:20 “At all times and for everything give thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus to God the Father.”

Being thankful should be a way of life for us as Christians.

I read a story once about a woman who lived in a third world country. She became very sick and she lived in an area where medical resources were severely lacking. She continued to grow worse and worse until finally she was bedridden and she knew that her illness could easily lead to the worst possible scenario. One day when once again no promise of medical help came, she laid in her bed staring hopelessly out the window. She began to pray, asking the Lord to send the help she needed.

Before long as she watched the white clouds scrolling by, she heard the Lord speak, “Give thanks before you receive!”  That seemed like a strange request to her, but she obeyed the voice she felt certain was the Lord’s.

All that day and throughout most of the night, she laid there thanking God for everything that came to mind. As she began to thank Him, more and more things seemed to come to mind – thanking Him for one thing lead to another and another and a task that she was sure would be a difficult one became effortless and easy.

The next morning, she woke up to the sunshine streaming in her window; without thinking, she jumped out of bed and went to the bathroom. She did not even realize what she had done until she went to the sink to wash her face. Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she suddenly realized she was no longer sick. As a matter of fact, she felt strong as an ox. She rejoiced in the Lord’s miraculous answer to her prayer.

The day before, she had prayed for the Lord to send her the medical help she needed, and He gave her an assignment, “Give thanks before you receive!”

Would she have received her healing if she had not obliged? Possibly… maybe her prayer would have been answered and medical help would have arrived. But, as she began to thank the Lord for everything she could think of, He answered her prayer supernaturally.

Now, I don’t know if God reacts the same way in every situation. He’s a very creative Father and cannot be confined to our limited imaginations. But, I do know that the assignment is the same in every person’s life – God wants us to be thankful, whether the situation we are in is good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant.

I believe there is much to be gleaned from this story. As we learn to live a life of gratitude (even before we feel that we have anything to be grateful for) God will bless your thankful attitude in ways you cannot imagine. The lady in our story only asked for medical assistance, God brought her complete healing.

Learn the habit of being thankful for everything every day. I believe if you do this, God will send amazing, unimaginable blessings your way!  And the practice of being thankful blesses your heart with joy in ways nothing else can.