4 Simple Gratitude Tips to Help You Find Peace

“Tiffany, you need to be more thankful!”, came the comment from a friend almost 20 years ago.  From that one comment, God convicted me and planted in my heart a desire to grow in gratitude and thankfulness.  Today I will share 4 simple gratitude tips and over 50 resources to help you be more thankful today.

Good Questions Before You Apply Gratitude Tips?

At the time of my friend’s challenge, I was divorced, bankrupt, recovering from a miscarriage, running from God in anger and pain, and barely making it through my day-to-day life.  Can you imagine how miserable I was to be around?  To say that I was negative was like saying the grass is green.  It was my habit to use negative words, using toxic words, wallowing in bitterness, and spewing all my feelings out on everyone in my life.

Most of my friends had set firm boundaries around me to protect themselves.  Hard to imagine, I know…  😉

How was I supposed to be more thankful?  My life was over, I could see no way to start again. Do you ever feel that way?  If you have sought out these gratitude tips, there must be something deeper driving you to keep trying.  But you probably have some questions.  

• Are you asking, “How to be grateful in hard times?”
• What is daily gratitude?
• How can I make my habit of gratitude stick?
• Does gratitude really work? 
• How to be grateful for what you have?
• How to be grateful to someone?
• What is the best way to express gratitude?
• What are 5 or 10 ways to show gratitude?

How to be Grateful in Hard Times?

Before I can even give you examples of gratitude tips or gratitude examples, we have to face some of these questions head-on.  Can you be grateful in hard times?  I mean bottom of the barrel, life feels over hard times?  

Yes.  Why?  Because God never leaves you or forsakes you.  

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV

So, how can you be grateful in hard times?  Choose to believe in God no matter what your circumstances look like.  Believing God is for you and with you gives you something to be thankful for each day.  Daily gratitude will help lift you up.

What is Daily Gratitude? 

So what is daily gratitude?  This is the basic place to start when you have hit rock bottom or you notice a spirit of negativity in your heart.  This isn’t about how to feel grateful, but how to show gratitude when your feelings are off.  

Just choose one thing to thank God for each day and the habit will begin to stick.

How Can I Make My Habit of Gratitude Stick?

Perfect next question!  Pick a time each day to express gratitude to make the habit stick.  Any time will do, you just want to start making gratitude a discipline you practice.  At a certain time, a certain phrase maybe even in a certain place will help the habit stick.  

Will you use the 4 simple gratitude tips and 50 gratitude resources to bring peace into your life today? Share on X

What is the Best Way to Express Gratitude?

The best way I’ve found to express gratitude, at least in the beginning, is through prayer.  You may be wondering: how to be grateful for what you have, or how to be grateful to someone? Honestly, if you are at rock bottom, those are skills in gratitude that take more time.  You first have to be grateful for life and for God.  Over time, that habit will manifest itself toward others in your life.  

Start with prayer for 30 days.  Tell God thank you for your life, for never leaving you, and ask Him to help you show gratitude toward others.  

How Do You Practice Daily Gratitude?

“in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NASB

We know we can be thankful in hard times because God is always with us.  Also, God says we can and must be thankful in every situation.  The good, the bad, the “My life is over,” the “But God, this is more than I can bear,” and everything else in-between.

But how do you learn sustainable gratitude techniques?  I needed real help in learning how to practice gratitude.  God had to do some deep work to heal the broken places in my life that prevented gratitude and thanksgiving first.

There are some amazing things I’ve learned then that have paved the way toward becoming a Jesus Girl who is thankful every day.  You can learn this by following 4 simple steps or gratitude tips:

1. Forgive the hurt
2. Read your Bible daily
3. Give thanks regardless of your feelings
4. Bless others

Gratitude Tip #1: Forgive the hurt

Right away, God began to show me Bible verses about gratitude.  As I learned them and tried to apply them I failed miserably to show gratitude.  I was hurting too badly and holding onto the hurts of my past.

How can I make my habit of gratitude stick when I refuse to forgive others?  I could not.  The truth is, neither can you.

The choice to hold onto all the hurt inside, to punish those who hurt me, was turning me into a person that hurt others.  Do you ever see that in yourself and wonder why it’s there?  Unforgiveness…  Unforgiveness causes bitterness every time.  There were two reasons I chose not to forgive, but they were not good reasons in the end.

Forgiveness is a process that is hard but rewarding.  You will not be able to show gratitude consistently until you forgive consistently.

Related Post: A Free Forgiveness Challenge

Gratitude Tip #2: Read God’s Word daily

After learning to forgive, I set my mind to really be a grateful person. I had questions.

• Does gratitude really work to turn off the negativity?
• What does gratitude feel like?
• What are 5 or 10 ways to show gratitude consistently?

I found the answer to those questions by drawing nearer to God.

Being close to the Giver of Life helps me keep my eyes focused on Him rather than the current storm in my life.  That gives me peace enough to see the things that are real blessings in my life and be thankful for them!

Gratitude Tip #3: Give Thanks Anyway

One of the gratitude tips, tricks, and hacks I turn back to over and over again is practice.  You just have to give thanks and praise whether you feel like it or not. Cultivating a daily habit of praise is how to stay grateful and thankful every day!

Thankfulness is a discipline of the Heart we have to practice daily to master – no matter what our feelings say.  Each day as I get up I thank God for a new day, the bed I am laying on, the clothes on my back, food in the pantry, and anything else I can.

Starting the day with a thankful heart is a huge first step on the path to be more thankful!

Gratitude Tip #4: Bless Others

The last of the 4 steps or tips for practicing gratitude is to bless others when you feel like complaining or being negative.  Sometimes this looks like sending a verse by text or calling to chat. The very act of thinking of others shifts our thinking and helps us be more thankful!

Today I thought I would bless the online community that encourages me and supports me in big and small ways to make Hope Joy In Christ such a practical place to come and grow in faith. 

50 Great Gratitude Resources To Help You Get Started

I’ve gathered over 50 amazing gratitude resources to help you get started in this process. In them, you will find:

1. Gratitude quotes
2. Bible Verses about Gratitude
3. Gratitude journals and gratitude journal tips
4. Inspiration to show thanks
5. Encouragement for your own heart
6. And many freebies to keep you thankful all year long. 

My Top 5 Favorite Gratitude Resources

First I have to be honest and say that of these, I can easily get overwhelmed.  So I have listed my top 5 just to help you weed through things.  They are things for myself, my family, my faith, and my marriage.  

1. A 30-day Gratitude Challenge for Marriage
   • This is my own free challenge to keep my marriage flourishing.  Use it as a marriage gratitude journal and find the many gratitude journal benefits that can help your marriage in any season.
2. Mom’s Pocket Bible Study – How to Cultivate a Thankful Heart by Lee at Like Minded Musings
3. This Family Thankfulness Tree is easy to make and a blessing to the whole family!  Love the tips and tutorial by Jen at Being Confident of This
4. What To Do When You Don’t Get What You Want is a great ready by Digging Deeper with God.
5. Sara at TheHolyMess has an amazing Thanksgiving Planner I love to use and some fun ideas in the Craft Section

Freebies to Be More Thankful

Next in the round-up of gratitude resources are freebies!  Yes, I love getting things for free.  These are super cute and easy to use.  Let me know if you know of others that are high quality!

• Pumpkin Prayer Printables for Preschoolers by Lullaby Lark
• Free Bible Study for the Overwhelmed Mom by Lee at Like Minded Musings
• Free Thanksgiving Journal – Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving in Your Heart from Alisa at Flourishing Today
• 30 Day Gratitude Challenge by Becky of So Very Blessed
• 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Coloring Sheet by Jodi at The Meaningful Moma
• Free Thanksgiving Coloring Pages for Adults and Kids by Jo Ditt
• Free 5 Day Gratitude Challenge by Kate at My Joy in Chaos

Scripture Writing Plans

In the 4 gratitude tips, I said you need to get into God’s Word.  That is for real and these are some easy free ways to do it.  What we write we often remember, so why not try a scripture writing plan? 

• Verse of Thanksgiving in the Scripture by Lil of Embracing The Lovely
• 8 Days to Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart by Kay of Heart-to-Heart Homeschooling
• Bible Verses on Thankfulness by Starla Jimenez

Bible Verses about Gratitude and Thanksgiving

Let’s stay on the theme of Scripture writing plans. These are not, but they are amazing Bible verses about gratitude and thanksgiving that you can read, write or journal to help you focus on this topic.  The more you read God’s Word, the more thankful you will become.

• The Power and The Importance of Gratitude in Life by Lullaby Lark
• What does the Bible Say About Gratitude? By Busy Blessed Women
• 20 Psalms of Thanksgiving and Praise by His Dearly Loved Daughter
• Embracing a Life oF Gratitude when Marriage is Hard by Lessons From Home
• Giving Thanks to God by Fresh Grace for Today
• How to Be Grateful in Hard Times by One Exceptional Life
• 7 Ways to Give thanks to God by Kingdom Bloggers
• Embracing a Life of Gratitude When dealing with toddler tantrums by Lessons from Home
• 5 Ways to Show Gratitude for Unplanned Plans by Kingdom Bloggers
• Peace in the Power of Gratitude by One Exceptional Life
• 5 Ways to Avoid Becoming a Mara When Life is Hard by Kingdom Bloggers
• 6 Essential Resources To Develop an Attitude of Gratitude by Holistic Faith Lifestyle
• Thanksgiving: A Holy Holiday by Rosevine Cottage Girls
• Bible Verses about Transforming Your Heart by My One Comfort

Gratitude Tips and Resources For The Family

As a wife and mother, getting my family to be thankful is NOT always on the top of my list.  It should be.  The truth is, it isn’t until the complaining and bickering hit a high that I realize we’ve been neglecting this critical character piece.  So here are some great gratitude resources for the whole family. 

• How to Cultivate a Genuine Heart of Gratitude by Allyson of Rapt Motherhood
• A Thanksgiving Journal from Rachel Schmoyer Writes
• 20 Questions for Cultivating Gratitude by Lily of Proverbs 24:26
• A Season of Thankfulness is a great devotional by Allysha Lynn
• 5 Simple Ways to Show Gratitude to God by Kingdom Bloggers
• Raising a Grateful Child by Cheered On Mom
• How to Weave History into Thanksgiving Traditions for Families by Lessons from Home

Craft Ideas to Help you Be More Thankful

Along with tips for gratitude, I need hands-on projects for my kids.  Kids learn best while doing things!  So these craft ideas fit with our theme of gratitude tips.  That could be tip # 5 for moms with small kids!  Teach while they do!

• Thankful Tree Craft Day by Erica Pelzel
• Thanksgiving Wreath by Jodi at The Meaningful Moma
• I will Statements for Thanksgiving by Jodi at The Meaningful Moma
• Thanksgiving Memories Tablecloth by Sara at The Holy Mess
• Encourage A Grateful Heart with these Gratitude Activites for Kids by Lessons From Home

Tips to Be More Thankful When Life is Hard

Earlier I shared that sometimes life has been so hard I couldn’t think of a thing to thank God about.  Sometimes life is hard.  These are great articles filled with gratitude tips and tricks to help when life is too hard!  

• How An Attitude of Gratitude Changed My Life by One Exceptional Life
• How do I find Thankfulness and Joy When I’m Running on Empty by Julie of Unmasking The Mess
• In Every Thing Give Thanks by Jennifer at Helping Hands Homeschool
• 10 Thanksgiving Quotes to Help you Embrace an Attitude of Gratitude by Shanique of Rock Solid Faith
• Thanking God for ALL Experiences by Clarie Musters
• Can You Have Gratitude in the Midst of Grief by Charlie of Mississippi Mom
• How to be Thankful While You Wait by Sara Geringer
• Remembering The Last Supper as a Thanksgiving Feast by A Daughters Gift of Love
• Contentment and Thanksgiving by Carmen at Galloway Musings
• Seeking God’s Kindness in Daily Life by This Grateful Momma
• Cultivating a Heart of Thankfulness by Jen at Embracing Life
• Thanksgiving is a Holy Holiday by Rosevine Cottage Girls
• Gratitude when You’ve got a Bad Attitude by Showered in Grace
• Thankful People are Happy People by Lori at Frogs Lilly Pad
• A Grateful Heart: 3 Key Steps to Growing in Gratitude by Cheered On Mom

Challenges to Inspire you to Be More Thankful

Many times we are looking for relationship gratitude tips, but for me, a challenge does better.  These are wonderful challenges to help you focus on being grateful.  Being grateful at heart will cause your relationship to thrive!

• 25 Wonderful Ways to Find Joy in Jesus by Deb of Counting My Blessings
• A Thanksgiving Challenge for Any Time of Year by Robbi of Timeless Moma
• Prayers of Thanksgiving by A Devine Encounter
• 8 Thankfulness Scriptures from Minding The Kings
• Why We Can Thank Jesus Everday By Dani of Living Free Indeed
• Thanksgiving In Action by Earl Grey and Yellow
• Try Saying Thank You by Hannah at Tranquared Youth Ministry
• Thanksgiving that Just Bubbles Over by Steeped in The Word
• What if You Could Say Thank You In Advance by Madeleine of The Salt Compass
• 9 Thanksgiving Bible Verses by The Modern Mary
• 3 Key Steps to Growing in Gratitude by Laura of Cheered on Mom
• A Thankful Heart by Jessica Wright
• 30 Days of Thankfulness: You Are What You Think by Spirit Body Mind Renewal
• Thank You, Lord, by Sue of The Word Washed Wife
• 7 Ways to Cultivate Thankfulness in Your Home by Aimee of A Work of Grace

Will You Use the 4 Simple Gratitude Tips and 50 Gratitude Resources

I would love to hear how you are focusing on giving thanks In all you do this year. Are you struggling to show gratitude? Would one of the 4 tips to cultivate gratitude help?

1. Learn to Forgive the hurt
2. Get in the Word of God daily
3. Give thanks whether you feel like it or not
4. Bless others

Which of these gratitude tips will you try today?  Are there others that could help us? Would you drop me a comment and let me know?

in HIM,

If you liked this, you will love these articles:

• 30 Day Marrige Challenge for Gratitude
• 3 Simple Ways Gratitude Will Reclaim Joy in a Christian Marriage
• Complete Surrender to God Is Hard Without This

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