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Practice gratitude

Time today

Step 1 of 3

Remember all his gifts

Today you count what God has already given you.

Read

1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Psalms 103:1-5 King James Version
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Reflect

David talks to his own soul. He tells it to praise God and not forget his gifts. Then he lists them: forgiveness, healing, rescue, love, and good things. Today you make a short list of your own.

David does something odd in this psalm. He talks to himself. “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits”. He knows how easy it is to forget. We lose track of what God has done almost as fast as we receive it.

Then David makes a list. God forgives. God heals. God rescues a life from destruction. God crowns a person with loving kindness and tender mercies. God satisfies us with good things. Some of these gifts are big, like forgiveness. Some are daily, like a meal or a night of rest. David does not rank them. He simply names them.

Naming is how thanks begins. A vague feeling of gratitude fades fast. A list gives it something to hold. Today you do what David does. You tell your own soul to remember, and then you write down what you remember. Start small. A warm bed counts. So does a friend who called.

Background

Psalm 103 is a psalm of David. It begins and ends by telling his own soul to bless the Lord. The first five verses name what God has done for one person. The psalm then widens to what God has done for his whole people. If you want to read more, open the full psalm after you finish.

What is one gift from God that you forgot to notice this week?

More to think about

  • Which item on your list surprised you?
  • Which gift on David's list do you need to remember most today?

Pray

Lord, I forget so quickly. Today I want to remember. Thank you for forgiving me, for lifting me when I was low, and for the good things that fill my days. Teach me to see them and to say thank you. Amen.

In your tradition: Baptist

Baptists have long valued the personal testimony. Share your list with a friend as a small story of what God has done.

In your tradition: Catholic

The word Eucharist means thanksgiving. If you attend Mass, you might carry today's list there and offer it with your prayers.

In your tradition: Lutheran

In the Small Catechism, Luther says God gives us body, food, home, and family, and that we owe him thanks and praise. Let your list be those words in your own voice.

In your tradition: Methodist

Charles Wesley wrote many hymns of thanks. After you finish your list, read or hum a verse from a favorite thanks hymn.

In your tradition: Non-denominational

Keep a small notebook for lists like this one. Looking back over a few weeks of entries is a simple way to see God's steady care.

In your tradition: Orthodox

Many Orthodox Christians say, "Glory to God for all things." You can say it after each item on your list.

In your tradition: Pentecostal

Read your list out loud with joy. Let each item lead you into praise, and give God your thanks with your voice.

In your tradition: Reformed

The Heidelberg Catechism treats gratitude as the shape of the Christian life. Let each item on your list be an answer to God's mercy.

Practice

Write down five good things from the last 24 hours. Make them specific, such as the first sip of coffee or a kind text. Then read the list out loud to God and say, "Thank you."

Finish

One word for today (optional)

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Step 2 of 3

His love lasts

Today you say thanks with a line that never changes.

Read

1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. 3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever. 4 To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever. 5 To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever. 6 To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psalms 136:1-6 King James Version
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Reflect

Psalm 136 repeats one line after every verse: his loving kindness endures forever. The repeating is the point. Today you read it out loud and add lines of your own.

Read this psalm and you will notice a pattern. Every verse ends the same way. “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” The writer says that last line again and again. He is not running out of ideas. He is teaching the line to your heart.

The psalm was probably sung in worship. One voice sang a line about God. The whole crowd answered with the refrain. Anyone could join in, even a child, even someone who could not read. The answer never changed, and that was what made it easy to learn.

Thanks can be like that. On a busy or heavy day, you may not have fresh words. You do not need them. You can borrow a line that is true and say it until it settles in. God's love does not run out, and saying so is a way of giving thanks.

Today, say the refrain out loud. Then add your own lines, the way the psalm does.

Background

Psalm 136 has 26 verses, and every one ends with the same refrain. Later verses retell Israel's story, from creation to the Exodus to the gift of the land. Today's reading is only the first six verses, which praise God as good and as Creator. The refrain's key word, which Bibles translate as mercy or loving kindness, is a Hebrew word for faithful, steady love.

What is one thing God has done that you can say thanks for today?

More to think about

  • Which line of the psalm is easiest for you to say right now?
  • Which line is hardest, and why?

Pray

Lord, you are good, and your love lasts forever. You made the heavens and the earth with wisdom. You have been faithful to me in ways I can name and in ways I cannot. Thank you. Your love endures forever. Amen.

In your tradition: Baptist

Read the psalm aloud with another person if you can. One reads the first part of each verse, and the other answers with the refrain.

In your tradition: Catholic

Psalm 136 is used in the Church's prayer, and its refrain works well as a response. You may pray it aloud and let the refrain be your answer.

In your tradition: Lutheran

Lutherans often sing and pray the psalms in worship. Pray this one as a back and forth with the refrain as your response.

In your tradition: Methodist

Many hymns repeat a line the way this psalm does. Sing or say the refrain to a simple tune if one comes to mind.

In your tradition: Non-denominational

Try praying the psalm in your car or on a walk. Say the refrain out loud each time, and let it sink in.

In your tradition: Orthodox

The Church sings its psalms and chants refrains over and over. Chant the refrain quietly, and let the repetition quiet your mind.

In your tradition: Pentecostal

Say the refrain loudly and with praise. Let each repeat lift your faith, and add a shout of thanks of your own.

In your tradition: Reformed

The psalms are the church's songbook. Sing or speak the refrain as your own, and let God's covenant love be the reason for your thanks.

Practice

Read Psalm 136:1-6 out loud. Then add three lines of your own. Start each with something God has done for you, and end each with the refrain from the psalm, in the words of your Bible.

Finish

One word for today (optional)

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Step 3 of 3

It was good

Today you see the world as God first saw it.

Read

29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. 31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Genesis 1:29-31 King James Version
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Reflect

At the end of the sixth day, God looks at everything he has made and calls it very good. Food is part of that gift. Today you look around and notice what is good.

At the end of the sixth day, God looks over everything he has made. “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” That is the high point of the whole chapter.

Notice one small detail. God points to the plants and trees and gives them as food. From the first page of the Bible, a meal is a gift. The seeds, the fruit, and the green things were given to feed living creatures, and that includes you.

We rarely see the world this way. We see traffic, bills, and dishes. But under all of that, the world is still something God made on purpose and called good. You do not have to pretend that nothing is wrong. You only have to look up for a moment.

Today, practice seeing the way God saw. Look at the room you are in, or out a window. Find one good thing within reach. Then say thanks to the one who made it.

Background

Genesis 1 describes God making the heavens and the earth. On the sixth day, he makes land animals and people, and gives them plants for food. Christians read the days of Genesis 1 in different ways. All agree on what today's passage says: the world is a gift, and it is good.

What is one good thing within reach that you almost missed?

More to think about

  • What makes it hard to see the world as good today?
  • What would change if you thought of your next meal as a gift?

Pray

God, you made the world and called it very good. Open my eyes to see it that way today. Thank you for the plants, the light, and the food that keeps me going. Help me receive it all with thanks. Amen.

In your tradition: Baptist

Take a moment to thank God for creation out loud. Many Baptists begin worship by praising God as Creator.

In your tradition: Catholic

The Church teaches that creation is a gift, and the Catechism calls us to care for it. You may pray a short Glory Be after your line.

In your tradition: Lutheran

In the Small Catechism, Luther says God made me and all creatures and still takes care of me. Let that be your thanks today.

In your tradition: Methodist

Wesley loved to see God's hand in ordinary things. Look for the Creator's work in something small today.

In your tradition: Non-denominational

Step outside for a minute if you can. Look at one thing God made, and thank him for it in plain words.

In your tradition: Orthodox

Orthodox Christians see creation as full of God's presence. You may cross yourself and say, "Glory to you, O God," after you write your line.

In your tradition: Pentecostal

Praise God for his creation with joy. Let your thanks lift your faith to believe he is still good today.

In your tradition: Reformed

Reformed Christians see creation as the stage of God's glory. Thank God for it, and ask him to help you care for it well.

Practice

Write one line about something good you can see, hear, taste, or touch right now. Begin it with the words: It is good that. Read it back and say thanks to God for it.

Finish

One word for today (optional)

Saved on this device only. It is not sent to BibleGuided.