Steps to interactive gratitude

Step 1) Gratitude from me to God

Take a moment right now and prayerfully ask the Spirit to help you remember a moment of gratitude. This memory can be anything that comes to your mind. It can be something simple that happened during the day or a theme you have encountered many times. When something comes to mind, take time to write down what you are thankful for in a conversational manner with God. Thank Him for those things (or events) that you appreciate. You may want to focus on appreciating Him for who He is, what He has done and how He has treated you. Allow the feeling of gratitude to fill you. If you are able, add why you are grateful for that particular experience. If it is difficult to remember anything, start your conversation by letting Him know your difficulty and asking Him to help you. Usually we find that when we are able to admit we are stuck it relieves the pressure of producing results. God meets us where we are and helps us to get unstuck.

Example

Dear God,

I am thankful that my friend Susan offered to help me by picking up my kids at school when she found out that I was at home sick. Her kindness reminds me of the truth that You are always looking out for me and finding ways to meet all my needs. You are so thoughtful and considerate.

I am thankful for Alicia who made homemade chicken soup and delivered it to my home. Because of her I did not need to worry about cooking, and our family enjoyed a healthy meal. All these friends' kindnesses led me to see how You are always working to bring goodness into my life.

I am thankful for my husband who dropped off the kids at school this morning. He did it in spite of his busy schedule, knowing that it would serve me greatly since I was not feeling well this morning. Thank you for his thoughtfulness and willingness to go an extra mile for me.

Step 2) God’s response to our gratitude

Once you have written down your thanksgiving, pause for a moment to reflect on what you wrote. Next, ask God what He would say to you. Begin writing, but don’t filter your thoughts at this time. Focus on putting down what you sense about His response to your gratitude. This is our humble attempt to hear God. What you write should resemble what good parents would say to their children after being touched by their children’s gratitude.

Example

My dear child (or add your name here),

I am so glad that you were able to rest today. Even though your body was weak, you remembered that your spirit was lifted up through your good friends giving you comfort. I am glad that you recognized My love and care for you through Susan and Alicia. Thank you, too, for noticing My thoughtfulness and care for you. I am always looking out for you. I know you are concerned about your work. Remember! I am always looking out for you!

Once you are done with this part of the exercise you can either read it to a friend or group that you consider trustworthy and safe. Sharing our interactions with God is a blessing to others because it provides an opportunity to see God and ourselves in a fresh way. When we listen to one another’s interaction with God, we get to interact with God, too. Through each other’s stories we experience the Spirit that gratitude brings. Our brain actually amplifies joy as we share joy together.