Seven Ways to Show God Gratitude

Do you only thank God when things are going your way? Do you forget to thank God when everything is lining up for you, only thinking about going to Him in times of need? Walking the path of faith, fully engaged in an active relationship with God, includes offering your gratitude to Him, during good and bad times. When we thank God, we are grounding ourselves in faith and trust in Him, activating all His blessings for our lives. “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Colossians 2:6-7).

When you engage in expressing your gratitude to God, it will immediately fill you with joy, strengthening your bond with God and aligning your focus on His grace and the presence of His positive and perfect path of your life.

Showing God gratitude can come through many forms in our walk with Him. The following reflects how you can connect with God in gratitude:

1. Verbally in Prayer
   1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
   
   Praying to God simply means communicating with God. Sometimes we feel like there is a particular way we have to pray to God, using specific words or phrases, or needing a specific environment to do so, but God wants us to pray to Him as a means of on-going communication, simply talking to Him and putting Him first in all situations. This includes giving thanks, showing our gratitude to Him. When we thank God, we are acknowledging by faith that we trust Him, and believe He is in control. It will give you a sense of joy as you thank Him, even in difficult situations, as He will fill you up with His love when you come to Him with gratitude through prayer.
   
   
2. Actively in Faith
   Hebrews 11:6 – And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
   
   You might ask, “What does faith have to do with gratitude?” When you act in faith, you are showing God you trust Him and you are grateful that He is there to take care of all your needs. Having faith is an action, and when we put it into practice, we activate a fully engageable relationship with God that lets God know we want to follow His will and fulfill His purpose. When we don’t walk in faith, we are failing to believe in God’s promises to us and the grace and blessings He has for our lives. Faith=Trust=Gratitude — “Thank you God for giving me the ability to walk in full trust of your plan and purpose for my life by faith, believing you only provide the best for me.”
   
   
3. Willfully in Obedience
   James 4:6 – Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
   
   Staying obedient to God can be a challenging task. But when we choose to discipline ourselves to follow the will of God, we say to Him, “Thank you, God, for leading me on the right path. I believe you have only the best for me and when I follow your guidance, I’m so thankful I am led on a path that is your perfect will, not my will.” Staying obedient requires humility. It requires us to let go of our own desires and what we think we want, putting it all aside to follow God’s set course for our lives with gratitude.
   
   
4. Openly in Love
   1 John 4:7: Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
   
   God is love, therefore, when we express His love to others, we are graciously reflecting His glory. Through this comes the act of accepting His love that He has for us – as we take in His love, we extend that love outward to those in our lives. This manifests gratitude toward God, as He wishes for us to live our lives through His love, and in doing so, we gain more understanding of who He is and enhance our knowledge of His character. “Thank you God that we are filled with your love, as you showed it to us through the salvation we have been given, and we can now share it with others through you.”
   
   
5. Joyfully in Giving
   2 Corinthians 9:7 – Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
   
   When you give to others from your heart, you are sharing with them what God has blessed you with. This shows God that you are grateful for what you have and grateful to be able to share it with others. Gratefulness is an expression of joy for what you have, and God loves to observe the extension of one’s blessings being multiplied.
   
   
6. Confidently in Trust
   Proverbs 3:5 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
   
   Trust is a foundational requirement for growing in our relationship with God. With trust comes faith, and our faith allows us to fully let go of our own thoughts and reasoning and be grateful that we have God’s omniscient wisdom and perfect, righteous counsel to lead our path. When you trust in God for all of your needs and trust His timing and perfect will and purpose, you are reflecting a powerful level of gratitude for who He is in your life.
   
   
   
7. Quietly in Time Spent with Him
   Matthew 6:6 – But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
   
   Praying in a moment of complete solitude with God exudes your dedication to giving Him your full attention without the distractions of anything else while achieving private communication that says to God, “I do not need for anyone to know I am praying to you, I am humbly coming to you in prayer for the gracious opportunity of spending time with you.” God does not want our motivation for prayer to ever be a spectacle for others to praise you. He wants our purpose for prayer to be pure and in complete focus on Him for a mutual, intimate connection. Our quiet and peaceful time with God shows Him our gratitude for His Presence and love within us.

There are so many ways to show God gratitude, with each of these opportunities offering growth in your relationship with God. He loves us more than we could imagine or measure, and seeks for us to receive His best. Gratitude is a humble act of love toward God and it reaps nothing but absolute blessings within our lives. “God, help us to stay in thanksgiving and praise in Your beautiful Presence each day, reminding us that you always have the best for our lives. Let us remain steadfast in being thankful for your limitless grace.”