Do you find yourself thanking God; when you’re faced with trials, and tribulations?
We have no doubt that many of us thank God in our prayers, but can we honestly say we purpose to find the good in EVERYTHING?
When life happens to all of us, we respond with being: happy, excited, worried, gripped with fear or anxiety. And if we’re being real…too many times we respond first and pray last.
Let’s not get this twisted, we’re no exception. Over a decade ago when we experienced financial hardship, we learned first hand what it meant to thank God in every circumstance.
Thanking God Revelation
One fall evening we started making dinner, and the stove wasn’t working. After 30 minutes of trying to get it to work, we decided to call the Gas Company to make sure they received our payment.
The customer-service rep told us that they received the payment. Unfortunately, they received it after they scheduled the turn off. In order to turn it back on, we would have to go down to their office and pay a re-connection fee.
We were barely able to make the payment, let alone a connection fee. However, the biggest hurdle that night, was to find a way to have dinner. Our gas stove wasn’t working. We didn’t have any food that could be eaten without cooking it, there was no extra money to order in, and two kids to feed.
As we looked at our refrigerator contemplating what to do, we noticed our handwritten note that was taped to the front of our refrigerator.
“Thanking God in everything will get you through anything!”
We wrote that note on our refrigerator to help us remember to focus on God and not our circumstance. So that night, we decided to have a picnic on the family room floor. We were going to have to put our pride aside, and call family to ask for assistance in ordering pizza.
Thanking God By Finding The Good
The kids had a blast – thinking it was super cool to have a picnic on the floor eating pizza. Not to mention, they didn’t even know the gas was turned off.
The next morning we went down to the Gas Company. And after explaining the situation, God granted us favor. We were able to have the gas turned on without having to pay any additional fees.
Praise was flowing from our hearts and lips, as we walked back to the car.
The next night, as we were sitting around the table having a home cooked meal, the kids made a comment about how our picnic dinner on the floor was better.
Really? It’s funny how God will use situations in our lives to show us how good He is; contrary to how bad we think we have it.
Thanking God In Prayer And Praise
When we’re in the midst of trials, the best thing we can do is PRAISE God through it!
We may not feel like praising Him with our present circumstance, but our praise will put us in position to purposefully find something to be thankful for.
Our son likes to say, turn lemons into lemonade!
In The End
We’ve hit rock bottom more times than we can count; losing family and friends to cancer, lost a home, cars, faced health challenges, yet through it all we’re still here. How? Because we’ve discovered thanking God in everything has truly gotten us through anything!
Happiness doesn’t come from our life being perfect. True happiness is found in our gratefulness for God’s goodness in our lives, no matter our circumstance.
And the best way for us to practice gratefulness is by thanking God in EVERYTHING, for all He has done, is doing or will do in our lives.
“I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”
~ Philippians 4:12-13(NLT)
~ André and Timberley Gray
What an on time post. It is a season to be thankful. I love your ministry/testimony and how you live God’s priorities. It’s such a guiding light for me to witness regularly. Thank you 🙏🏾
Aww thank you for your kind words that is all God. ~ Blessings
Thanks for this reminder. Our rent was late this month because i i had it on autopay. That cost us$106 that we didn’t have but God is providing out every need. He is a good, good God.
Amen Mandy! That auto-pay is tricky at times. I’m real old school and prefer paper, it keeps me on my toes. ~ Blessings
Hi, I guess God wants me to comment, I was scrolling down with my left hand and it clicked on comment! I had to save this article because I agree, we have to thank God for everything in our lives. When we are grateful, God uses his awesome mystical powers and turns things around in our favour! I’m yet to experience this. I just intuitively know this as I am God and so are you and so are your children. I am wishing God’s almighty blessings on you and your family. God bless my friends. 💛
My kids love a sign I have that says “There is always, always, always something to be thankful for, and it’s so true. What an amazing God we have that in this harsh world, there is still always something to be thankful for!
Amen Danell. Thank you for stopping by to read. ~ Blessings
Great reminder!!! You are so right that praising God in the midst of our trials really does put us in the perfect position to watch Him work and it always inspires gratitude!
Yes! Watching God work really does inspire gratitude. ~ Blessings
This is so true! It has been in some of my hardest times that I have found that I can not only be thankful, but see more of how God is using everything.
Thank you Ayanna for stopping by to read. ~ Blessings
There were times when my family did not have regular income but we did not miss meals and essential services. People still came to us for help.We are happy and thankful because God used us to demonstrate His presence in our lives.May His Name be praised
Amen. Thank you for sharing.