Grateful heart

Seven Points to Meditate On
The following are seven points to meditate on regarding the grateful heart:1. The grateful heart is a sign of a humble heart. In order to exercise gratefulness, you need to move your eyes off yourself and esteem God and others higher than yourself. Gratefulness and humility go together.2. The grateful heart is evidence of a worshipping heart.When you express your gratefulness to the Lord, it is evidence of a heart full of adoration and thankfulness to Him. This adoration releases worship.3. The grateful heart ministers blessing and encouragement to the Lord and others.Gratefulness warms the heart of those who receive it. It ministers encouragement.4. The grateful heart often opens the Heavens over us so that blessings are poured out.Whatever you sow, you will reap. If you sow the blessing of gratefulness into the Heavens, the Heavens will pour out blessings upon you. On the other hand, if you murmur and complain, the Heavens can be brassed over and you will be hindered from living under the blessings of Heaven above.5. The grateful heart will often give victory in warfare.We know that thanksgiving and praise will oftentimes release the victory of the Lord in the midst of battle. This was the case with Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20 when he called the nation to praise the Lord while enemies, much stronger than themselves, hemmed them in on every side. Their praise changed the atmosphere. They were delivered from being victims to victors.6. The grateful heart releases and sustains divine provision and miracles.Before the miracle of the loaves and the fishes took place in Mark 8, Jesus gave thanks. There was more than enough for the 4,000 people there that day. When ten lepers were cleansed in Luke 17:11-19, only one returned with a grateful heart. This was the one who was not only cleansed, but made whole.7. The grateful heart ushers in the glory.I have discovered that when I release my thanksgiving and gratefulness to the Lord, His tangible presence falls. This is what happened in 2 Chronicles 5:11-14 at the dedication of the temple. When they celebrated His goodness and mercy with thankful hearts, the glory cloud filled the house of God.Let's commit to living before God with a grateful heart. We have so much to be thankful for and He is forever worthy of our sincere praise.Give thanks with a grateful heart. Give thanks to the Holy One, Forever!Patricia King