Resource Details

"If you fully obey the Lord your God, and IF you carefully follow all his
commands, all of these blessings will be yours: The Lord will bless you in the city and in the country. He will bless your children, as well as blessing your crops and livestock. The Lord will bless your harvest and the food you prepare. The Lord will bless you wherever you go. The Lord will even defeat your enemies when they attack you . . . Yes, the Lord will send his blessing on all you put your hand to and bless everything you do."         Deuteronomy 28:1-8
 
"Always be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you."  1 Thes. 5:18 (NLT)

ACTION PLAN: During your Thanksgiving Holiday, use your phone or digital assistant to set an alarm every 15 minutes.  When the alarm goes off, thank God for a different blessing than the time before.  In this way, train yourself to have a more constant mindset of thanksgiving. 

BOTH SCRIPTURE & SCIENTIFIC STUDIES SHOW HAVING
A MINDSET OF GRATITUDE YIELDS GREAT BLESSINGS

• Gratitude improves your brain and physical health
• Gratitude creates happiness
• Gratitude helps you sleep better
• Gratitude is the antidote to toxic emotions
• Gratitude improves relationships
• Gratitude opens the door to people and opportunities
• Gratitude is the evidence of maturity
• Gratitude pleases God and brings his blessing

A STARTER LIST FOR THANKING GOD THIS THANKSGIVING

"You created and formed me in my mother's body. So I thank you
  because you made me."                                  Psalm 139:13-14 (NCV)

"Be grateful for every year you live."                  Eccl. 11:8 (TEV)

"My heart is happy because you saved me!"      Psalm 13:5 (NCV)

"I give you thanks because you are good."         Psalm 54:6 (TEV)

"I praise the Lord for answering my prayers."    Psalm 118:21 (CEV)

"I praise the Lord, because he guides me."         Psalm 16:7 (TEV)

"Tell the Lord how thankful you are, because he is kind and alwaysmerciful."    Psalm 118:1 (CEV)

"Give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love."              Psalm 107:8 (NIV)

GOD'S 3 FAVORITE WAYS FOR ME TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE

1ST HABIT OF GRATITUDE:Singing to God
"Sing out your thanks to him; sing praises to our God." Psalm 147:7 (LB)

"Sing psalms, hymns, and sacred songs, singing to God with thanksgiving in your hearts."         
Colossians 3:16 (TEV)

2ND HABIT OF GRATITUDE: Giving Back to God
"I will offer a sacrificial offering as a special gift to thank you Lord, because you are so good."                                        Psalm 54:6 (NCV)

"Celebrate the Harvest Festival, to honor the Lord your God, by bringing him a freewill offering in proportion to the blessing he has given you . . . Do this at the Place of Worship."  Deut. 16:10-11 (TEV)

"I will sacrifice a thanksgiving offering to you."  Psalm 116:17 (NIV)

"Those people who truly honor me are those who bring me offerings
 to show thanks. And I, God, save those who do that." Psalm 50:23 (NCV)

"Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of all your income, and he will fill your barns and barrels to overflow with more than you store." Proverbs 3:9-10

"Bring your tithe to the Lord . . . the first of all you earn. The purpose of tithing is to teach you to always put God first in your lives." Deut. 14:23 (LB)

"'Bring your whole tithe to the storehouse,' says the Lord, 'so there will be food in my house. Test me in this and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will
not have room enough for it!'"                          Malachi 3:10 (NIV)

ACTION PLAN: Give back to God to express your thanks. Visit saddleback.com/give .

ACTION PLAN: Once you've given to God, find some other way to be generous. For example, join the grateful members of Celebrate Recovery who are hosting an Angel Tree event where you can sponsor a child of incarcerated parents by providing requested gifts in time for the Christmas holiday.  For more information, email angeltree@saddleback.com. 

3RD HABIT OF GRATITUDE: Communion with God

See 1 Corinthians 11:23-27

"Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?"                                         1 Corinthians 10:16 (NIV)

"How we thank God, who gives us victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord!"                                        1 Corinthians 15:57 (NLT)

"So now, everything you do or say should be done in the name of our Lord Jesus with thanksgiving to God the Father."            Colossians 3:17

"Thank the Lord! Praise his name! And tell the world what he has done!"
Isaiah 12:4 (NLT)

"The grace that is reaching more and more people will cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God!"                   2 Corinthians 4:15 (NIV)