“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT)
I love fresh starts!
And today, January 1st, 2026… well, in many ways, it’s a fresh start for all of us because today is DAY #1… in both 2026, as well as in our 21 Days of Prayer.
As I look back to what was 2025, I give thanks. And not because everything in 2025 was awesome… there were certainly some awesome moments, but there were also plenty of ‘challenging’ and ‘frustrating’ and ‘disheartening’ moments. I won’t share what all of those moments were, but needless to say, I’ve learned that if I don’t practice gratitude in all things then gratitude will not be something I practice at all.
As you begin these 21 Days of Prayer, I invite you to join me in a posture of gratitude. Take a moment to pray…
“LORD, please remind me of the things I need to say, ‘thank you’ to you for.”
If you have a journal nearby, write those things down and then one by one, pray, giving thanks to God for each and every thing. Whether you deem it to be a ‘big thing’ or a ‘small thing’, give thanks to God in ALL things.
And if after praying for a few moments you’re struggling to know what to give thanks to God for because 2025 was just a really tough year, that’s ok… you can simply give thanks that there is a God who has invited you to come to Him exactly as you are so He can give you exactly what you need to take one more step in friendship with Him.
Top on my list of what I’m giving thanks to God for is you GENESIS!
Can’t wait to see what the LORD has in store for us as we begin in a posture of gratitude for God’s goodness towards ALL of us.
“When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.”
G.K. Chesterton
