Attitude of Gratitude

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you…” Daniel 2:20, 23

When my children were young one of the most challenging attitudes to instill was the attitude of gratitude. It seems either we are born with it or not. Bruce and I would plan on doing something special for them, only for them to ask what was next while still enjoying the blessing. If you are a parent you certainly know what I am describing. You make a decision to please a child knowing how much it will mean to them. You reveal the blessing or the answered request for which they have been asking and their ‘thank you’ falls flat. Their minds are already racing to the next request so their gratitude is diluted with impatience for the next desire.

Sometimes we are no better than children and maybe even worse. When I think about all that I ask of God measured against the praise that I give to God…something falls flat. How many times have we moved on to the next request of God without really allowing His answered prayer to fall upon a heart of humility and gratitude? Each morning I ask that He protects my children during the day, only to repeat that request the following morning. If I would truly feel the praise of an answered prayer my joy and gratitude would fuel my worship. God answers our prayers so much more than we ever realize. As parents, our children grow to depend on us to feed and clothe them but few will take the time to come to us with praise and gratitude. They develop an attitude of entitlement and expectation, becoming complacent with the blessings.

We are so much like that in our prayer lives. We take for granted that we will be kept safe through the night. We assume that the job we have will still be there in the morning. We assume that the money in our bank accounts will still be available when we drive up to the ATM. God is the giver of all things and we receive an abundance of blessings for which we don’t even ask.

Just as it blesses us to see the enthusiastic response of thanks from others, it must bless God when we emphatically and joyfully thank Him for the immeasurable answers to prayer He bestows upon us. Many times the very thing we seek in others is what we fail to give to God.