"Rejoice always, pray always, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1T5:16-18
Hello, my dears.
Today, as I wrote about my reasons for being grateful to my Beloved for the past week, I was thinking about how wonderful it is that we have this opportunity to magnify His Name, for so many wonderful blessings and miracles that He has done in us, for us, and through us.
I don't know about you, but I believe that this can happen to some people, and not just me, that in some difficult moments it seems easier to focus on the problems and forget about the number of blessings that happen to us every day. But I also thought about how incredible it is when we change our focus to thank our Beloved lord for something wonderful that happens to us, or for something that we know will “work together for our good.”
I have a notebook where I write my prayers, and I have even shared it in a praise report. What I didn't mention is that in this notebook I also write down the reasons I have to be thankful. And this was something that encouraged me a lot when we shared the Gratitude Therapy page (https://hopeatlast.com/thankfulness-therapy/).
And what happens is that every day, I write down at least three things that I am grateful for. They can be simple things, like the sun shining, a smile I received or even a delicious meal that I made or tried, and that I was able to hear from my dear Brincy that “the food was delicious, mommy”.
Oh, my dears, doing this has filled my heart more and more with joy and love for everything that He has allowed me to experience, and to be able to share my joy. Because we learn that gratitude opens our eyes to the wonders that God does in our lives every day.
In His Word He encourages us to be grateful in all circumstances. “Rejoice always, pray always, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1T5:16-18 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1Thessalonians516-18&version=NIV)
So, my dear, I want to leave you with some encouragement on this day. Start your own gratitude journal, even if it’s just in the notes on your phone. Write down at least three things you are grateful for every day. You will see how this will transform the way you see things around you and enrich your prayer life.
And when Saturday comes, you will have so much to be thankful for that you will be amazed at how much your Beloved has done for you.
My prayer on this day is that He will help us to be thankful in all circumstances, and that we will be able to see His blessings and give thanks to Him daily.
Dearest Marta, I never thought that we must praises our Beloved Lord during our trails, I always though we must beg Him to take it away or do something. Reading Prison to Praise (https://encouragingbookstore.com/recommended-reading/) taught me the importance and power of praising Him in the storms we face. And counting our blessings one by one each and every day. I’ve learned that even if I do not feel like praising, whether it is caused by brokenness, fear or depression, I must choose to give Him a sacrifice of praise. If I do that it soon takes away all those negative feelings and restores my peace and joy.
It’s true, dear Adina, when I read the book “The Praise that Liberates” I simply began to say: thank you Lord, for this and for that. I may not understand it now, but I believe it is in your plans.
At first it was difficult, but then I found contentment in Him 🧡
Thank you for the remdinder dear Marta, I had to read the Prison to Praise book twice in order for it all to sink in.
It was really a thing for me, until I really read the verse:
“Rejoice always, pray always, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1T5:16-18 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1Thessalonians516-18&version=NIV)
Especially where it said: ” give thanks in all circumstances;” my mouth fell open because I was sure I misunderstood the verse, but of course I did not, it is very clear. For me personally it was a difficult principle to put in practice, but once I started saying, well of course I can give thanks because I know my Beloved Lord will work it all out for good, it really started to come alive for me.
Oh, dear Yvonne, it was the same for me. The book “PRAISE THAT FREES” was a blessing for me and made me understand another way of praising.
Which is to praise in the midst of pain, saying “I thank you Lord for what is happening, even if I don’t understand, I know that you will use it for my good.”
When we manage to get out of the midst of the turmoil and for a few moments understand and feel that our Beloved is in control, we are able to feel peace, even if nothing changes externally, our interior has changed because it has been filled with the certainty that EVERYTHING will contribute to our good when we stay very close to the Lord…because He is in control! ALWAYS!
Olá, preciosas senhoras, ao ler suas postagens, também entendi a importância de ser grata, mas também de escrever.
Ontem, quando escrevi para o cheri, agradeci porque o senhor supriu minhas necessidades e, no mesmo dia, ele me abençoou.
I totally agree with you, dear Kateleen. I think that’s why we’re here. While He blesses us, we have the privilege of being Bridge Builders, writing and sharing His wonderful blessings.
Thank you for sharing Marta, this is something I have begun doing again within the past week. It is something that does help to see all the blessings around you even the small things. Shifting my mindset has really helped me especially with my attitude and actions. This is a spiritual battle and it’s important to praise Him through everything.
It’s true, dear Elda, when we give thanks for everything that happens in our lives… even the most painful experiences… we see how much they bring us closer to our Beloved.
We also realize that it’s better to praise than to complain and that this should be a phrase stuck on the bathroom mirror for us to always remember ☺️
Thank you for this reminder precious Marta. I remember a few weeks ago after finding out that my son is moving out, I was so sad and it felt overwhelming and I just felt like crying by my Darling Lord’s feet when I heard Him telling me to praise Him. At first I didn’t feel like (but He also reminded me that I give the advice to praise Him no matter what, so I must also do it), so I started praising and thanking Him that He has everything still under control and whatever trial He allows, is for our good and for His glory. And the next moment I felt a peace that surpasses all understanding.
My week has been so busy and I felt overwhelmed and after reading your post now I know my Darling Lord is using your post to remind me that what I have to do, thank you precious Marta.
Oh sweet Janine, how wonderful it is to be reminded by our Beloved that His desire is only to bless us, and that He wants us to praise Him in all areas, even those we do not understand, but He knows the purpose, and EVERYTHING is always under His control. After all, He knows all things.
Thank you for sharing Martha. Every day I thank my Beloved for many things, but I have not taken the time to write it separately. I do it sometimes in my diary, but I believe having a section just for thanks can help me a lot to count His blessings one by one https://encouragingwomen.org/p10-name-them-one-by-one/ and also encourage me when I am discouraged. It was also difficult for me to give thanks during trials, but I have learned to surrender my feelings to the Lord and let myself be guided by His Word. The book From Prison to Praise also opened my eyes to the truth because of the testimonies. He continues to help me in this matter of looking for anything good in trials and giving thanks for it.
Oh dear Anastasia, it made all the difference to me when I started to write down and also count His blessings in my life, whether they are small or big, because this attitude can encourage other brides who need to hear a word of encouragement that day. That is why we cannot fail to share with ourselves everything that our Beloved has done for us, because today there may be someone who needs our encouragement.🥰
Thank you for sharing, Marta. You’re right; focusing on giving Him thanks in all areas of our lives can make a big difference because it is His will. I like the idea of keeping a gratitude journal because I enjoy writing things down. I usually do it a couple of times a week, but you’ve inspired me to try and make it a daily habit.
For me, it was also a turning point to be able to write about everything I am grateful to Him for. I am sure that I will soon read your testimony here, dear Hope, about how much this also helped you.
Marta, thank you for reminding us how much we should be thankful to Our Beloved. Every day, every moment, giving thanks to Him elevates us and places us in adoration. He shows us that all we need is Him and not to see our circumstances, but His Presence,
It’s true, dear Liza, what we must do is always look to Him, listen only to His soft and sweet voice guiding us, and He will add the rest.