How to practice having a grateful and gracious heart
Small practices lead to huge changes over time
It seems so obvious, doesn’t it?
You have to spend some time in prayer being thankful and grateful, yeah?
Well…
…if you are anything like me, then you know it is easier said than done.
I am a realistic Rodney. Not a negative person, but I acknowledge when things aren’t particularly great.
So gratitude is a practice I keep picking up…and then falling off the wagon.
Again and again and again.
Yet, I keep coming back to it, right? Because there is something powerful about having a grateful heart.
And that is especially true in prayer, when there is so much to be grateful for (when you really start thinking about it).
But how to have a more grateful (and gracious) heart?
Practice.
There is nothing you can do but practice it over and over.
So find a rhythm to take time and be grateful.
Start your day with three things you are grateful for. End your day with three things that happened throughout the day that made you grateful. Find one way to be extra gracious and grateful towards someone.
Whatever works for you.
And just keep practicing. Eventually, your heart will form around these practices, strengthening your prayer life and making it easier to recognize and acknowledge all that God has and will do in your life.
My prayer for today
Our Father, I can really suck at being grateful. Thank you for your patience and grace with my difficult heart. Spirit, push me towards ways I can practice gratitude. Amen.
Remember
Find a way to practice gratitude and stick with it. If you fail, start over. And don’t stop!