The Blessings of Gratitude

Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. —Psalm 100:4

Did you know that your gratitude affects your closeness with God and sets the stage for your prayers to be heard by Him? In offering thanksgiving and praise, we bless God and make Him smile, and in turn, He opens the doors to His gates and welcomes us into His courts.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving.

The blessings of gratitude are vast. Our mood changes when we have a grateful heart. We make others feel good when we show them gratitude for what they’ve done. But most important, our gratitude toward God pleases Him, it blesses Him, and it gives us the ability to enter into His presence. Gratitude is a prayer key that unlocks the door to the Lord’s holy gates. The blessing of gratitude is that it sets the atmosphere for prayer and prompts heaven to open its gates to hear our prayers.

This may be a mind shift for you, but I want you to imagine praying a prayer of gratitude and thanksgiving and seeing the gates of heaven being opened by very large angels who are watching over them.

Go into his courts with praise.

In prayer, after we set the atmosphere with our thanksgiving and gain entry into God’s gates, we should praise God. This is when we acknowledge Him for who He is and what He has done.

Give thanks to him and praise his name.

There is so much to thank God for, and you can be specific. Our thanksgiving and praise are a blessing to Him, and we don’t have to be shy about how awesome He is. If you can imagine just how good you feel when someone you help expresses their gratitude, God is much more pleased.

REFLECTION

What aspects of your life are you most grateful for right now? Each morning and evening, think of something specific God has done that you can thank Him for.

PRAYER

Dear Lord, thank You for teaching me this important prayer key. I am grateful for Your wisdom and insight, and I ask that You would help me always live gratefully and remain blessed by this gratitude. In Jesus’s name, amen.

If you enjoyed this devotional, order a copy of the book: 52-Week Devotional for Women: Prayers and Reflections to Strengthen your Relationship with God by Natasha Brown Watson. Order a signed copy here or get the book on Amazon.com.