The Power of Being Thankful: 365 Devotions for Discovering the Strength of Gratitude (46 page)

It is one thing to know that we should not worry, but it is quite another to be thankful for that truth and then actually stop worrying. One of the things that helped me let go of worry was finally realizing how utterly useless it is. Let me ask you: How many problems have you solved by worrying? Has anything ever gotten any better as a result of you worrying about it? Of course not.

The instant you begin to worry or feel anxious, give your concern to God in prayer. Release the weight of it and totally trust Him to either show you what to do or to take care of it Himself. Prayer is a powerful force against worry. I’m reminded of an old gospel chorus called “Why Worry When You Can Pray?” When you’re under pressure, it’s always best to pray about your need instead of fretting or complaining about it.

Father, I thank You that I don’t have to live a life full of worry. I thank You that I can come to You in prayer the moment I begin to worry about something and I can cast my care on You. Help me make the wise choice to stop worrying and start trusting You today.

Satan has declared war on God’s children, and our minds are the battlefield in which the war is won or lost. Satan loves to put wrong thoughts into our minds—thoughts that are not in agreement with God’s Word—hoping we will meditate on them long enough for them to become reality in our lives. We can cast down those wrong thoughts and bring every thought captive into the obedience of Jesus Christ.

Be thankful that you can choose your own thoughts and that you are not a prisoner to whatever kinds of thoughts just fall into your mind. Think good things that agree with God’s Word on purpose. Think about God’s love for you and the good plan He has for your life. Think about how you can be a blessing to other people and how you can be a blessing to God by simply being available for Him to work through. Thinking right thoughts will close the door to wrong ones, and in the process, it also closes the door to the devil.

I thank You, Father, that I am Your child and I am greatly blessed. Today, I choose to think God-honoring thoughts, focusing on Your goodness in my life. I am grateful that I can choose what thoughts I am going to dwell on.

People often do things they don’t have peace about, and then they wonder why they have big messes in their lives. If we follow God’s Word and are thankful for His direction and leading, we will enjoy blessed and peaceful lives. The Bible warns us that we will live in turmoil if we follow our own will and walk in our own ways (see Deuteronomy 28:15–33).

I hear people say things like this too often:

These words reflect an uncomfortable feeling deep inside, a “knowing” that the action they are taking is not right or good for them, but they won’t surrender their wills to God’s leading.

Thankfully, when we feel this lack of peace, we can decide to release our plans and submit to God’s good plan for our lives.

I thank You, Father, that You lead me in peace. Help me be sensitive to the leading of Your Spirit as You set the course for my life. Thank You for the peace that comes with knowing You are in control and You have a good plan for me.

God delights in providing for His children. We must realize that He loves to bless us and simply learn to live with gratitude for His goodness. Here is a list of things to think and speak regarding God’s provision in your life:

Father, I am grateful for Your abundant provision in my life. I am thankful that You provide for my every need. Help me to trust Your goodness in my life and learn to look to You first to meet my every need.

Thankfully, God does not require us to earn His love, and we must not require others to earn ours. We must realize that love is something we are to become; it is not something we do and then don’t do. We cannot turn it on and off, depending on whom we want to give it to and how they are treating us.

Sometimes we pray to be able to love the unlovely, and then do our best to avoid every unlovely person God sends our way. Some people are sent into our lives for the sole purpose of being sandpaper to us. Not only do others have rough edges, but so do we. Learning to walk in love with unlovely people is an important tool God uses to develop our spiritual maturity.

Believe it or not, we should be thankful for all the difficult people in our lives because they help us: they sharpen and refine us for God’s use.

Father, I am grateful for the chance to love people in the same unconditional way that You love me. Help me to love everyone—even those people who are difficult to get along with. I thank You that You are using them to sharpen and refine me for Your use.