Gratitude: Why Counting Your Blessings Is So Important
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All Scripture references come from the King James Version of the Holy Bible (KJV)."
All Scripture references come from the King James Version of the Holy Bible (KJV)."
Why is counting your blessings important?
I recently saw a comment that said: “What if you woke up today, with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?” Don’t you think that is a troubling thought? We take so much for granted, at least I know that I do. I consider myself to be grateful but not to the extent of that statement. Therefore, I think that counting your blessings is so important!
Who should we show our gratitude to?
I believe all of our blessings come from God. So we should begin by showing our gratitude to Him?
Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting. Psalm 106:1
The Bible is full of praises to the Lord. With that in mind, don’t you think we should give thanks, where thanks are due, to our Lord God?
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Colossians 3:17
We should also give thanks to those around us. So above all I owe a debt of gratitude to my family without whom I would still be in a wheelchair and need constant care from.
Counting your blessings: Typical things that I am thankful for
The obvious ones are:
*The salvation of my soul
*Our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ
*My wonderful husband and children
*Our extended family
*Our home
However, there are so many things that we appreciate on a daily basis that we take for granted. This is where I think that a gratitude journal is helpful. I use a gratitude journal for two things. 1. Counting your blessings is important so I write down things that I’m grateful for on that particular day. 2. It’s my handwritten journal, for which I am also thankful. You see, without hands, I use my stylus strapped to my wrist and type everything. However, in my gratitude journal, it’s my opportunity to strap on a pen and write things out. I’ll show you this one day, but right now I write worse than a five-year-old. My goal is to have a before and after version of my journal.
So what kinds of things should go in your gratitude journal? For me, it’s the little things that we don’t think about that we would really miss if they went away.
*My morning coffee
*My breakfast bar
*A text or call from a loving friend
*Time spent with our dog
*A good nights sleep
What about the things that keep your life running?
*Jobs for my husband and all of our kids
*Good health for all of us and their abilities to do those jobs
*Income to pay for housing, heating, and cooling
*The privilege of buying groceries and things we need to run the home
*Gas for the car
*Being able to drive
The smallest things count too and should be brought to mind when counting your blessings
*My chocolate addiction, M & Ms
*Double Caramel Magnum bars
*The beauty of the fall foliage
*My favorite channel, the Hallmark channel
*High speed Internet in our home
Don’t forget to list major things
*Rights and privileges of living in the United States
*The privilege to vote
*Healthcare
*Living in a free country
*Sunrises and sunsets
*Having the vision to see them
*Getting the prescriptions that I need
I could go on and on. So you see, we have so much to thank God for. I’ve just counted a few of my blessings here. I woke up in the middle of the night and was thinking about how I was going to write this post. Believe it or not, I had a really hard time putting this together. However, as I lay there thinking about all that I have to be thankful for, my list and my prayer started growing.
Be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
I challenge you. Remember with thanksgiving all you have to be grateful for. Thank God! Pray! Start or continue in your gratitude journal. Grab my freebie below. Most of all, just be thankful. Gratitude should come out daily, not just on Thanksgiving. You might like more ideas to help writing in your journal. Start counting your blessings and I promise, you will find so much to be thankful for in your life. For more ideas to add to your gratitude list, check out: Gratitude from A to Z: Things to be thankful for.
If you want to continue the conversation, join me in my One Exceptional Life Facebook page.
I think it’s super important to count your blessings. Even the smallest things add up! What a great reminder to be grateful! I will make sure to name the things I’m most grateful for in the morning now!
Hi Crystal,
I’m so glad and thankful that you will add even the smallest things to your gratitude list. Thanks for reading.
Fascinating/frightening thought – what if that was all we had in the morning when we woke up??? Wish I could say I was as deliberate about this as my girls are, but I have to give them credit – each night after their prayers we have them count their blessings before bed, and they both tend to be pretty thorough – every family member, teacher they’ve ever had, their friends real and stuffed-animal, down to such basics as food/water/shelter/clothing/books/a good school. I should take a page from their playbook!
Flossie, that’s wonderful. How great that your girls do that. I love that!
Great post, really makes you stop and think about all the wonderful things on life.
Thank you, Sarah, we all have so very much to be thankful for. It’s important to be aware. If more people were grateful, the world would be a happier place.
Love this – I also love the Hallmark Channel so I think that is a great thing to be thankful for! It’s definitely one of my favorite times of the year!
Hi Sarah,
The Hallmark channel is awesome. It’s so refreshing to have a safe, clean place to watch movies. Thanks for reading!
Hi Wendy! I just love all the daily prompts that you have shared! This i a truly wonderful post..I am grateful!
Hi Holly, thank you for your feedback. I appreciate your reading my post.
These are some great additions for my thankfulness section in my prayer journal. Thanks!
Hi Rebecca, I’m so glad you can use some of my journal prompts. Thanks for stopping by.
I love how you mention being grateful for the big and little things. Sometimes it’s the smallest things that keep us going!
Absolutely, I had a great day made up of small moments. If you’re not paying attention, they could pass you right by.
Yes, we should always be grateful! Love the idea of keeping a gratitude journal
Hi Treasure,
What a beautiful name! Gratitude is important. I love my journal. It’s really helpful.
I love gratitude journals! They are my favorite, love everything about this article. We definitely take life for granted often. Thanks for the read!
Thank you for reading. I’m really glad you enjoyed it.
after an election is always a good time to remember what we have to be grateful for. thanks for your post!
Joy at The Joyous Living
That’s a good point. So much negativity and stress makes you focus on the most important things. Thanks for reading.
Love a gratitude journal. Stop and be thankful before worrying about what you don’t have. Thank you for sharing. Happy Fall, Kippi #kippiathome
Yes, a gratitude journal helps really put things into perspective. Thank you for reading.
I think the world needs to read your blog. I know I do. We have so much that we tend to forget about the little and big things in our lives. Thanks you
Thank you, Robert for such a wonderful comment. I’m thankful that you found my blog. Have a great day!
I love this post! It’s easy to thank God for the big things and so easy to take for granted the little things that are so important. Thanks for the reminder!
Hi Kristi,
Thank you for reading. I agree, the little things usually get taken for granted but with just an extra second or two of thought, those little things will start rolling through your mind. I love them all!
Great post! Thank you for sharing this!! I sometimes forget to express gratitude for the bigger things! I try to not forget the little things so sometimes I focus more on them and in the process actually forget some of the bigger things!!
Hi Diane,
It’s great to be reminded of all things, big and little, and show our gratitude. Thanks for reading and for your comment. Have a great day!
It’s very important to be grateful.
It helps look at life in a different view. Thank you for a lovely reminder.
Hi Natasha,
Thank you for reading.
I couldnt agree more. A way we stay thankful is every night at dinner we say one thing we are graetful for
Hi Karen,
That’s a great idea. I love that you do it nightly. How cool is that? Thank you for sharing.
I’ve always wanted a gratitude journal but never really understood how to use it! But this blog post is such a great insight!
http://www.chronicalsunflower.co.uk
I’m so glad to help. Let me know if you have any questions. But basically, just write down what you’re thankful for. I know you’ll enjoy it. Thanks for reading.
Yes! Thank you for the reminders of all the blessings we have. Big and small. Praise the Lord!
I’m glad to share. Thank you for reading!
Double Amen for those Caramel Magnum bars! So yummy!
Those are absolutely the best! You know it!
This is such a good reminder. This is something my husband and I need to sit down and do together regularly.
Hi Bailey,
Yes, journaling is great and to do it with your husband would be a double blessing. Thank you for sharing that idea.
Praise the lord! I love your post and your message. My nana is a preacher and you used a couple of her favorite scriptures. This was wonderful to read.
Hi Shayla, I’m so thankful you enjoyed my post. Yes Praise the Lord, all day long! Have a great day!
This post and the Bible verses you shared are very comforting. I feel thankful to God for all the amazing things He’s providing to me and my family.
I’m so thankful to help. God is amazing, isn’t He? Where would we be without Him?
I am loving the aesthetic on your page!
Hi Heather, thank you. I appreciate you reading the blog.
Such a great idea. A journal for gratitude.
Yes, Janice, it’s super helpful. Write several things daily that you’re thankful for. Then on those days you’re feeling down, look back through the pages and it will lift your spirits. Thank you for reading.
Hi Wendy! This is a great post! Those are great prompts which I will use in my gratitude exercises. I pinned it for later. These last few weeks I had a challenging trial with a bully. I have been focussing on praising God and I can honestly say my faith is soaring since. Every morning I write out in my journal what I am grateful for and I added to it recently listing miracles God has done in the past and reminding myself how much God has been there for me. Worry results in spiritual amnesia about how our God works miracles. Thanks for this sister. 🙂
So thankful it helped you. Yes, Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face, you know the rest, I’m sure. Stay focused. Have a great week!