21 Days of Fasting and Prayer Devotional: Send RevivalSample

Day 11: Beginning with Gratitude

Studies consistently show that some of the happiest people on earth are those who excel in showing gratitude. The more people are able to show their gratitude to others, the happier they become. Throughout Scripture, we see this to be true and not just a result of a scientific study. Gratitude is in the very fabric of how God created us and desires us to be. Psalm 100:4 calls us to, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name!”

One of the keys to prayer and fasting is gratitude. Before we ask God for a single thing, we ought to start by thanking Him for what He has already done. Psalm 143:5 says, “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that You have done; I ponder the work of Your hands.”

Looking back at what God has done in our lives serves as a powerful reminder of all the ways God has been faithful. What are a few things you need to thank God for today? How has He provided, healed, restored, or helped you through a situation when you did not know what would happen? When did He protect and sustain you in circumstances that you know you could not get through on your own? Or perhaps simply acknowledge His overwhelming goodness to you, your family, and friends in the simple everyday things that we so often overlook.

When we enter into God’s presence with thanksgiving and gratitude, we bring honor and glory to Him. It also builds our faith and confidence that if He supplied for our needs in the past, He will do it again!