Moving toward God through intentional practice
The practices we keep in life shape and form us along the way. Being intentional about those practices allows us to hold agency over who we’re becoming. Without intentionality, we simply drift in whatever direction the winds of our world want to take us. We’re choosing to engage in spiritual practices that enable us to be and become the men, women and children God designed us to be.
Spiritual practices are:
“Habits, practices, and experiences that are designed to develop, grow, and strengthen certain qualities of spirit - to build the “muscles” of one’s character and expand the breadth of one’s inner life. They structure the “workouts” which train the soul.”
~ Richard Foster
Every other month, we’ll focus on one spiritual practice intended to shape and form us in God’s image …
Gratitude
November/December 2026
We humans can be quite resilient… swiftly adjusting to both negative and positive changes in our lives. Whatever the change, it soon becomes the norm as acute feelings associated with the new circumstances fade. For many of us, that new normal can be experienced as mundane, leaving us wanting for more. We longingly gaze at all the things we don’t have in our lives. We have common phrases used to capture this idea: the grass is greener on the other side; keep up with the Joneses. This kind of envy is not good for our souls!
This is why God regularly reminded the Israelites, “Remember, you were once slaves in Egypt.” In other words, remember the good things in your life… live in gratitude instead of deficit. When we do so, research suggests thankfulness is linked to better sleep, mood, and relationships. Better still, gratitude turns our hearts and minds to the goodness of God and aligns our lives with his purposes.
Join us in November & December as we practice gratitude…
Practice
Each day during these two months, take a few minutes to…
Notice
Pay attention to the moments you tend to default to complaining. Every time that happens, when you become aware of it, make the intentional decision to move toward our practice of gratitude.
Thank God
Remember. Take time each day to remember what God has done for you.
Remember the last day, the last week or take a longer time to reflect over your lifetime.
Express gratitude. Tell God what you’re thankful for and why you’re thankful for it.
Move slowly through gratitude, giving yourself time to actually feel the warmth of gratitude well up inside you.
Praise. Take some time to praise God out of that gratitude.
This can be particularly powerful if/when you’re actually feeling (not just thinking) the gratitude in your chest.
Praise can take many expressive forms: worship, adoration, proclamation (telling others about what God has done), expressions of joy, even tears
Thank a friend/family member
Tell them one or two reasons you’re thankful they’re in your life.
Thank a coworker/classmate/neighbor
Consider something you appreciate about them and tell them.
Tell others - don’t forget to tell others about how it’s going.