The Power of GratitudeSample

Day 2: Thank You for Who You Are

After seeking God for more than two decades, I can say that my level of trust in and gratitude to God is different from the one I had that first day when I was newly converted. This is because I know Him more. I am more aware of who He is because of the experiences I have lived through with Him. It is not the same to know the Lord’s prayer by heart (and say “Our Father”) as to know God as Father. It is not the same to speak of God than to speak to God, nor is it the same to thank God without knowing Him as with knowing Him.

Knowing God will allow you to be grateful from a different depth. When I became a convert, I only thanked God for saving me, getting me out of the devil's clutches, and answering my requests, for that is what I knew of Him. Today I thank God for being my Father and for being my friend. He is my judge and He is my shield. He is my peace and He is also my provider. He is my strength and my refuge. He is the architect of my life and the One who never fails. I thank Him because He has a sense of humor that I really enjoy, and He also has a unique seriousness when it calls for it. 

The men and women mentioned in the Bible who were very successful were people who knew the God they were serving. Matthew 15:8 shows an example of people who honored God with their mouths, but their hearts were far from Him. The gratitude that honors God is that which comes out of the heart and is supported by a life that pleases Him. I have always thought that living by thanking God for who He is and not living as He likes is a contradiction. If there is one thing we should always remember, it is that God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7) and knows if that gratitude is genuine.

I want to share several attributes of God you can thank Him for:  

• He loves us: 1 John 4:16  
• He always listens: John 11:41-43  
• He owns everything: Psalm 24: 1  
• He is almighty: Revelation 1:8  
• He speaks and acts: Numbers 23:19  
• He does not change: James 1:17  
• He is faithful: 2 Timothy 2:13

Reflection  

• Read the testimony of someone who knew God: 1 Chronicles 29:10–18

Prayer

Thank You, Father, because all that I am I owe to You. Thank You for creating me in Your image and likeness. Thank You for loving me the way I am. I want to thank You for who You are, not only with my mouth but also with my actions.