During my devotion time, I found myself overwhelmed with emotion as I reflected on this time of year—Thanksgiving. My heart was filled with thankfulness as I began to focus on the goodness of God in my life.
As I continued in this time of reflection, I was reminded of the “12 Days of Christmas,” and the thought came to me: Why don’t you develop the “12 Days of Thanksgiving” in your life?
With this thought in mind, I wanted to invite you to join me as I begin to develop a heart of gratitude that leads to Thanksgiving. I’ve found that there is always something to thank God for—many of us just need to shift our focus from the wrong things.
So, today and next week, I want to help you set your eyes on the right things. The first step in doing that is:
- Praise
Psalm 100:4 – “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and bless His name.”
On Day 1, leading up to Thanksgiving, I want you to give God praise—not just for a moment of the day, but throughout the entire day.
You might say, “Mike, I’m not in the mood to praise” or “I have nothing to praise God for.”
Sometimes, as I’ve mentioned before, we just need to shift our perspective. Yes, we live in a fallen world, but we serve a God who is unchanging. He is alive, He listens to us, He is Holy, glorious, and matchless. And if that’s not enough for you—He sent His Son to die for you.
That is praiseworthy!
- Waiting
During this time of year, we typically find ourselves in a rush. We hurry through our days.
Yet God’s Word tells us: “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” — Psalm 27:14
Take time to pause today.
Waiting demonstrates our trust in God and His perfect timing. In this time of waiting, thank God for His wisdom and trust that He has it all worked out.
- Confession
Sometimes we need to stop and recognize that we have fallen short.
You may wonder, “How does confessing help me have a thankful heart?”
Because without the forgiveness of God, imagine where we would be. Take time not only to confess but also to give thanks for His forgiveness.
1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
- Prayer
Philippians 4:6 — “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”
Fill your heart with prayer and thanksgiving today.
- Watching with Anticipation
Psalm 130:5 — “I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope.”
Are you watching for the return of our Lord? Are you watching for His goodness in the land of the living? Don’t just wait, as I mentioned earlier—wait expectantly. In other words, hope. Know that one day, our God will fulfill His promises.
You’ll find that as you wait and watch, He is right there with you. Give thanks for His constant presence.
- Intercession
This is something many of us don’t often think of as a reason to be thankful, but there are so many things that we go through that we wouldn’t have made it through without the intercession of others.
We are called to stand in the gap for others.
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them, intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. — 1 Timothy 2:1
Give thanks for God’s work in our lives and in the lives of others through the power of prayer. Give thanks for those who have interceded for you, and thank God for what He is doing in the lives of those you are interceding for.
Thank you for sticking with me through what might seem like a lengthy letter this Monday. But I truly believe that as you implement these six things, your heart will begin to overflow with thanksgiving.
