“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”1
“University psychologists recently conducted a research project on gratitude and thanksgiving. They divided participants into three groups. People in the first group practiced daily exercises like writing in a gratitude journal. They reported higher levels of alertness, determination, optimism, energy, and less depression and stress than the control group. Unsurprisingly, they were also a lot happier than the participants who were told to keep an account of all the bad things that happened each day.
“One of the psychologists concluded that though a practice of gratitude is a key to most religions, its benefits extend to the general population, regardless of faith or no faith. He suggested that anyone can increase his sense of well-being just from counting his blessings.”2
As William Shakespeare said so eloquently: “Let never day nor night unhallowed pass / But still remember what the Lord hath done.” To those words I would add a very hearty “amen”!
Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me a thankful heart and may words of thanksgiving be always in my heart and never far from my lips, and help me always to live in an attitude of gratitude. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”
1. Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV).
2. Chuck Colson in Breakpoint, May 17, 2005. http://www.pfm.org/
<:))))><