DAILY HOPE DEVOTIONAL: DECEMBER 31 TAKING STOCKS OF YOUR BLESSING IS KEY TO BE THANKFUL SCRIPTURES: PHIL. 4: 6 – 7; JOHN 1:16

One Lisa Firestone, a Doctorate Degree holder on psychology, once wrote in Psychology Today that “Paying attention to what we are grateful puts us in a positive frame of mind.” What this quote means is that if one is able to take account of what God has allowed him or her to acquire in a grateful manner, all negative attitudes toward one’s ugly circumstances that gives depressions will put the mind in positive light of how good and faithful God has been. Occupying one’s minds on failures in life, evil occurrences in lives, where things have never worked well, etc., are reasons for our ungrateful attitude to God and mankind. It is better as Christians to know that we always and can always have what we needed in Christ Jesus.

The Bible says “But of His fullness we receive grace upon grace (John 1: 16). Thinking and remembering one good thing that happen to us and placing great value on that which happened will enable us take away our minds from the negative things which seldom happen to us.* The more we think on where we never measured up, the more the grateful mind to give thanks to God diminishes from our minds. Our devotional today puts a demand on us to take stocks of the good things we have gotten from God, weigh the values against those ugly experiences we stick to and failed to be grateful. This exercise will reveal to us how good the Lord has been to every one of us over times.

As Christians, we are enjoined to acknowledge the faithfulness of God around us. This will give us peace of God in our hearts or around our environments. This in turn, grant us understanding and will guard our hearts and minds to value good things which have come to us in Christ Jesus. A worrying heart will never have God’s peace. Giving our minds to too many anxieties blocks the mind from seeing good things God does for mankind. Until we allow peace of God to enter our minds we will find it difficult to count our blessings and see what God is doing for us. The passage in Galatians 5:1 seems clearer on this discussion. It asks us to “… stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery”. This yoke of slavery suggests being chained to things not working for us as Christians but rather makes us feel shameful or guilty in life. The longer we harbour such guilt and related incidences we are in the more we are down with yoke of slavery to such incidences.

The major focus of today’s devotional is, if we avail ourselves with taking stock of our blessing every day, we will definitely become people who give thanks to God effortlessly and gracefully every day. The more we allow ourselves take stock of good things around us, gratitude will take over our hearts. A Writer in Psychology Today was quoted saying “gratitude is perhaps the most important key to finding success and happiness in the Modern day.” We must all stick to taking stocks of good things God is doing for us every day. This enables us discover our blessings, which in turn gives us happiness that will place on the place of thanking God ceaselessly. December 31 every year welcomes another New Year. It often makes those who do not usually see God’s goodness around them enter the New Year with gloomy attitudes. But if a positive mind is developed in us today, the upcoming New Year will be entered in with a grateful attitude. Let us try to do just this!
We have to prayer these prayers:-

1. Father, fill my mind now with those good things you brought on my ways from January till date in Jesus name.

2. Holy Spirit of God, take away all negative attitudes toward failures from my heart today in Jesus name.

3. I receive God’s grace to see all things around in glorious appearances in Jesus name.

4. Father, I sincerely thank you for your blessings, provisions and Divine protections from January till today and for the coming year in Jesus name.

5. Use the Blood of Jesus upon your minds and hearts to wash them of all evil thoughts which were built in your life over times.

CONTACT US?* You can contact us for prayer requests or discussion through ubasimon341@gmail.com

bishopubaudenyi@hopealivechurch