And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. –
Eph. 5:20
This post was originally posted in 2023 (some edits have been made)
Hey friends, due to time constraints, two Advent studies coming up, and several other obligations I have decided to pull this year’s daily focus on Thanksgiving from ‘the vault’ of previous years posts. If you’ve joined in on any of my previous Thanksgiving series, you may recognize some of them but I believe you will still find them refreshing and encouraging ~ or at least that’s my prayer.
Throughout His Word, God calls us to give thank. The Psalmists filled chapters with words of thankfulness, Paul encouraged an attitude of thankfulness, and Jesus Himself set an example of giving thanks. November seems like a great month to focus on making it a habit. This first one seemed like a perfect catalyst to get us started. ~ Drop a comment in the comment section at the bottom of the page … Like
- what’s your favorite part of Ann’s quote below? or…
- what’s something you’re thankful for today? or…
- is giving thanks already a daily habit for you? …
The following is shared from a Facebook post by Ann Voskamp on November 15, 2023. Ann is a joy to read and listen to. She is a catalyst of knowing, loving, and worshiping God. She plants seeds and nurtures them, and today’s post is a beautiful example – Read each line, read them slow and let them soak into the crevices of your heart, soul, and mind – and be prepared for joy to abound and thanksgiving to pour forth and become a habit that changes your life and touches the lives of those around you. I praise God for introducing her to me and for how He has used her to grow my faith and ignite a life of gratitude within me. I pray that her words will be a blessing to you as well. – Me, from the inside->out – 🦋
“As long as thanks to God is possible — then Joy in God is always possible.
But you better believe it: There’s a force in this world that does not want any of us to live in real joy.
Because Joy is dangerous — it’s igniting and contagious and otherworldly, and it wins the war against the dark.
Joy isn’t Pollyanna– joy is revolutionary: Joy goes straight against the way the darkness spins.
Joy isn’t the optional feature of the Christian life. Joy is the operative feature of the Christian life –
Joy is a function of gratitude — and gratitude is a function of perspective.
So how do we see, how do we get and keep the perspective to see that there are gifts everywhere to be grateful for?
You train your eyes to see gifts.
You make thanksgiving your life habit.
So we have got to pick up a pen & wield it like a sword & write down what we’re thankful for, & count gifts & fight this fight for joy because this is the thing:
Our God asks us to give thanks in everything —
because He knows this is the only way to live through anything.”1
Response of Prayer
Father, thank You for the power of giving thanks and for the joy it ignites in us – a joy that is a force against the enemy and a contagion that spreads among Your people and brings You glory, praise, and honor! Thank You for Your servant, Ann. Thank You for the way You use her to touch and empower others with Your Word. Thank You for what she has taught me about giving thanks, and how I have seen it change the way I think, respond, and live. Use this post as a catalyst to ignite thanksgiving in the lives of those who read it – that You might be praised and the world around us might be impacted with lifelong habits of thanksgiving and joy that flow from gratitude. Train our eyes to see the gifts of Your grace and to respond with resounding praise! In and through the name of Jesus ❣ I pray – Amen!
Going Further in the Journey
Check out Ann’s book: “One Thousand Gifts” @ https://annvoskamp.com/onethousandgifts/
- Ann Voskamp, 1000 Gifts ↩︎
