Words of Gratitude
Introduction:
Today we are continuing our series and I want to ask you a question.
What’s coming out of your mouth when things aren’t going your way?
What are you saying, when life is harsh and hits you like a ton of bricks?
Is your mouth filled with grumbling or gratitude?
Have you ever noticed that two people can go through the exact same storm, face the exact same trial, walk through the same valley—and one walks out bitter, while the other walks out better?
Same storm, same trial, but totally different responses.
• What’s the difference?
• It’s not the storm.
• It’s not the trial.
• It’s not even the circumstances around them.
• The difference is their perspective.
• The difference is gratitude.
One person chooses gratitude in the wilderness; the other chooses grumbling.
One opens their heart and mouth to invite God’s presence; the other complains and pushes Him away.
pushes
Gratitude or grumbling—this is the choice we all face.
• At times, life can feel harsh.
• We’ll face trials that make no sense.
• We’ll battle situations that seem like they’ll never end.
We’ll walk through seasons where it feels like nothing is going right, and the weight of it all threatens to pull us down.
But hear me today—your gratitude in the storm is what makes all the difference.
It’s not about what’s happening around you—it’s about what’s happening inside you.
I believe that today, as we talk about gratitude, God is going to unlock something in your life that will change your perspective forever.
When you understand the power of gratitude, it will not only transform your attitude—it will transform your atmosphere.
It will invite the presence of God into your life in ways you’ve never experienced before.
So what’s the key? What’s the secret to walking out of the storm stronger, not weaker?
I believe its understanding gratitude.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT
18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
There are three powerful truths about gratitude we are going to look at today.
1. Gratitude is a Decision, not a Reaction
2. Gratitude Attracts God's Presence
3. Gratitude is Contagious
Let’s dive in—Because gratitude isn’t just about feeling thankful—it’s about living thankful!
~Prayer~
1. Gratitude is a Decision, Not a Reaction
1. Gratitude doesn’t happen to you—it happens through you!
a. We’re often told to “count our blessings,” but what happens when we can’t see any blessings?
b. When life is tough, it’s easy to think that gratitude is a reaction to good things—only when everything is going right.
c. But God calls us to give thanks in all circumstances—good or bad.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT
18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
a. You don’t have to feel grateful to be grateful!
b. Too many people are waiting for their circumstances to change before they decide to be thankful.
i. “When I get the promotion, then I’ll be thankful.”
ii. “When my marriage is better, then I’ll be grateful.”
iii. “When I’m healed, when the bills are paid, when life gets easier… then I’ll give thanks.”
c. But let me tell you something—if you wait for perfect conditions to be thankful, you’ll never be thankful!
i. Because life will always have challenges.
ii. There will always be a battle.
d. Gratitude isn’t about what’s happening around you—it’s about what’s happening inside you.
e. Again Paul commands us, Be Thankful. Be grateful. Have gratitude… in every season of our life!
f. Notice Paul doesn’t say:
i. “Give thanks when life is good.”
ii. “Give thanks when you feel like it.”
iii. “Give thanks when you understand what God is doing.”
iv. “Give thanks when everything is going your way.”
v. No! Paul says, “Give thanks in ALL circumstances!
g. That means when life is amazing and when life is a mess.
i. That means when the paycheck comes in and when the bills are overdue.
ii. That means when doors of opportunity are opening and when it feels like every door is slamming shut.
iii. That means when you’re surrounded by friends and when you feel completely alone.
h. When you thank God before the breakthrough, you’re showing that you trust Him.
i. When you worship in the wilderness, you’re positioning yourself for the Promised Land.
j. Gratitude isn’t just an attitude—it’s an act of faith!
k. Some of you may be in a season right now where finding the ability to be grateful feels like a battle.
i. No matter how hard you try, no matter how much you push yourself, you just can’t seem to feel that sense of gratitude.
l. But I want to remind you today: gratitude is not a feeling—it’s a decision.
i. Feelings come and go.
ii. One moment you’re on top of the world, the next, you’re hit with disappointment, loss, or frustration.
iii. One moment you’re full of joy, the next, you’re weighed down by worry.
iv. One moment you’re celebrating a victory, the next, you’re facing a setback that takes the wind out of your sails.
m. If gratitude was based on feelings, we’d live in a constant cycle going day to day from thankfulness to complaining the next.
i. But gratitude is not about how you feel—it’s about what you choose.
ii. It’s about making a faith-filled decision to trust God, even when life doesn’t make sense.
iii. It’s about saying, “God, I may not understand this season, but I trust You in it.”
iv. It’s about declaring, “Lord, I don’t see the breakthrough yet, but I will praise You in advance.”
v. Gratitude is a decision to stand firm in faith, even when your circumstances try to shake you.
vi. It’s a choice you make to focus on the good, to choose thankfulness even when everything else feels like it’s falling apart.
2. You can’t control what happens to you, but you can control how you respond.
a. You may not control the storm, but you can control the posture of your heart in the storm.
i. Life will hit you with curve-balls, and sometimes it will feel like everything is falling apart.
ii. But in those moments, gratitude is a choice.
iii. it’s deciding to look beyond your circumstances and focus on God’s goodness.
b. Psalm 34:1 says:
Psalm 34:1 NLT
1 I will praise the LORD at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.
a. You need to get this in your spirit today, that means this is a decision, not a reaction.
i. In every moment, you have the power to decide what you’ll focus on.
b. Will you focus on the struggles, the hardships, and the difficulties?
c. Or will you choose to focus on what God has done, on the blessings you have?
d. Viktor Frankl, a man who survived the unimaginable horrors of a concentration camp, suffered starvation, forced labor, extreme cold, and constant brutality.
e. He once said,
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: The last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.”
a. Think about that for a moment.
i. Frankl lost everything—his family, his freedom, his possessions.
ii. But the one thing that could not be taken from him was his ability to choose how he responded to his circumstances.
iii. And in that choice, he found a deep sense of peace, a sense of gratitude that no hardship could extinguish.
b. In the same way, we too have the power to choose how we respond to the challenges in our lives.
i. Gratitude isn’t about waiting for perfect circumstances to fall into place.
ii. It’s about making the decision, right where you are, to be thankful, to choose joy and hope—even when the road ahead looks difficult.
c. When Paul wrote, “Give thanks in all circumstances,” he wasn’t sitting in a comfortable church pew.
i. He wasn’t at a five-star resort, lying in a hammock on a beach somewhere, sipping a smoothie.
ii. No! He was in a Roman prison—dark, damp, chained, beaten.
iii. He had been whipped, shipwrecked, falsely accused, and abandoned.
iv. And yet, from that place, he still said: “Give thanks in all circumstances.”
d. If Paul could praise God in prison, what’s stopping you from praising Him in your situation?
e. Paul knew something we need to grab hold of today—gratitude has nothing to do with what you have but WHO you have..
f. When you realize who is with you, when you understand that God is with you in the highs and the lows, in the mountains and the valleys, you can always find something to be grateful for.
3. Gratitude starts in the heart, and then it comes out of your mouth.
a. Your words reflect your heart—so make sure you are guarding your heart!
b. Did you know that one of the greatest enemies of gratitude is grumbling?
c. It is a sign of discontentment, frustration, and a lack of trust in God.
d. But God has given us a different way to live—a way that shifts our focus from frustration to faith, from complaining to worship.
i. Instead of grumbling, He invites us to enter His presence with gratitude.
ii. Psalm 100:4 says it like this:
Psalm 100:4 NLT
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name.
a. Now, I want you to see something in this verse—it’s not just a suggestion, it’s a divine directive!
i. God is telling us, “This is how you approach Me.”
ii. You don’t approach God on your terms—you enter His gates His way—with thanksgiving and praise!
iii. Head high, heart full of gratitude.
b. The pathway to God’s presence is paved with thanksgiving, and anyone willing to walk it can enter.
i. If thanksgiving is the way in, what do you think grumbling does?— It keeps us out!
c. We need to Trade our Grumbling for Gratitude!
d. Some of people are fluent in grumbling. Let’s be real—some people have a Ph.D. in complaining!
i. And some don’t even realize it, but they have made their problems bigger than their God.
ii. They’ve given their problems more attention than His promises.
e. Grumbling isn’t just complaining—it’s coming into agreement with something that’s contrary to God’s will.
f. Grumbling is a symptom of faithlessness.
i. When we grumble, we’re saying, “God, I don’t trust You. I don’t believe You’re in control.”
ii. Instead of standing on His promises, we give voice to our doubts.
g. Grumbling is the language of doubt, fear, and frustration.
i. It aligns our words with negativity instead of faith.
h. And since “life and death are in the power of the tongue”, grumbling can actually keep us stuck in a place God never intended for us.
i. We grumble about a lot of things:
i. The weather.
ii. Our families
iii. Politicians
iv. The economy
v. The price of eggs
vi. Even our parking spots
j. In fact, let’s be real—somebody in here probably grumbled about their parking spot this morning!
k. But look at what Jesus says in Matthew 12:37
Matthew 12:37 NKJV
37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
a. Let that sink in—your words aren’t just words.
i. They have weight.
ii. They have power.
b. What comes out of your mouth is shaping your life.
c. Grumbling doesn’t just express frustration—it locks you into it.
d. Every word you speak is either:
i. Pushing you toward faith or pulling you into fear.
ii. It’s either agreeing with God’s truth or aligning with Satan’s lies.
e. Your words will either justify or condemn—so what are you speaking?
f. Gratitude is the key that opens the door to God’s presence, but here’s the thing—gratitude doesn’t just let you in for a quick visit.
i. It gives you full access.
ii. Gratitude unlocks the door to God’s presence, His peace, and His power.
2. Gratitude Attracts God’s Presence
1. Gratitude is the magnet that draws God near.
a. I want you to hear this today—gratitude is the key that unlocks heaven.
b. It brings us straight into the direct presence of God!
c. When you choose to thank God—even in your toughest moments—you are inviting Him to come close and move in your situation.
Psalm 22:3 NLT
3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
a. God inhabits the praises of His people!
i. Where there is praise, there is God’s presence.
ii. That means the more we thank God, the closer we sense Him!.
b. Now, I want you to think about this for a minute:
i. The Hebrew word for “enthroned” means to sit, to remain, to abide—it carries the idea of taking up residence.
ii. When we praise Him, we build a throne for Him to sit on.
iii. When we thank Him, we’re not just being polite—we’re creating a space for His presence to dwell.
iv. Every act of gratitude is like placing a seat for God to come and rest in your heart, in your home, in your life!
c. God’s presence is already everywhere (omnipresence), but His manifest presence—the kind we feel in our hearts, the kind that moves in power—shows up in our gratitude and praise.
d. Complaining magnifies problems; praise magnifies God.
i. Praise moves our focus from our struggles to God’s strength.
ii. It shifts despair into hope, fear into faith, weakness into strength.
e. That’s why Satan fights your praise!
i. That is why he will do anything he can to keep you grumbling and keep you from praising!
ii. Because when you praise with a heart of gratitude—you’re building a throne for God to rule in your situation.
f. When we praise, God doesn’t just make a quick appearance—He moves in and makes Himself at home!
g. Let that sink in for a second—your gratitude captures the attention of the Creator of the universe.
i. The One who set every star in place, who mapped out the orbits of planets, and who intricately arranged every atom in existence—He comes and dwells with you!
h. That ought to make you shout like you’ve just won the lottery!
i. Because when God moves in, everything changes.
j. Your problems are no longer just yours—they become His.
k. God is right there with you— not as a distant observer, but as a present help, a constant companion, and a powerful force in your life.
l. When He sets up camp in your life, nothing stays the same.
i. His presence begins to fill every corner, every moment, every struggle.
m. When we give thanks, we’re not just offering words—we’re inviting His goodness and love to flood our lives in a way that nothing else can.
n. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
i. Freedom from fear.
ii. Freedom from worry.
iii. Freedom from everything that holds you back.
iv. His presence transforms your life—when He moves in, you can’t stay the same… Everything changes.
2. God’s presence changes the atmosphere.
a. Gratitude doesn’t just change your heart—it changes the environment around you.
b. When you choose to thank God in the middle of your mess, you’re not just changing your heart—you’re setting the stage for a divine shift.
i. Your praise acts like an explosion... shattering every chain that’s held you captive.
ii. It breaks through every wall that’s been keeping you stuck.
c. What once seemed impossible becomes a place where miracles can happen, because when God shows up, everything changes.
i. The atmosphere shifts from despair to hope, from defeat to victory, and from chaos to peace.
ii. Your praise has the power to turn the impossible into the possible!
d. There is an account int he book of Acts that illustrates this very thing.
e. Paul and Silas, two men of God who were doing kingdom work, found themselves in a situation that seemed absolutely hopeless.
f. They were on their second missionary journey, traveling to spread the gospel, when something unexpected happened.
g. They encountered a woman—a demon-possessed fortune teller—who became a constant annoyance to them.
h. She followed them around, declaring them to be servants of the Most High God.
i. Now, Paul wasn’t going to tolerate this disturbance, so he cast the demon out of her, and that’s when things took a turn.
i. You know, sometimes doing the right thing doesn’t always lead to the smoothest road.
ii. In fact, doing the right thing can sometimes lead you into trouble.
iii. And that’s exactly what happened to Paul and Silas.
j. For their obedience to God, they were publicly humiliated, beaten with rods, stripped of their dignity, and thrown into the deepest, darkest dungeon.
Acts 16:22–24 NLT
22 A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods.
23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape.
24 So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.
a. But here’s the thing: In that moment, Paul and Silas had a choice to make.
i. They could have complained.
ii. They could have grumbled about how unfair it all was.
iii. They could have sat there in that dungeon, feeling sorry for themselves.
iv. They could’ve said, “God, I’ve been serving You...I’ve been doing Your work. And this is what I get?”
b. But instead of complaining, instead of becoming bitter, they made a decision to praise.
c. They made a choice to thank God, even in one of the worst situation of their lives.
d. And that decision—church, that simple act of gratitude—changed the entire atmosphere of that prison.
Acts 16:25–26 NLT
25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.
26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!
a. Gratitude changed the atmosphere!
i. When Paul and Silas began to sing, when they started to praise God in that dark, dank, dungeon, something powerful happened.
ii. The atmosphere shifted, the ground itself trembled.
iii. And in that moment, God’s presence invaded that place in a mighty way.
iv. What was a prison of despair became a platform for God’s power to be displayed.
v. See, I believe earth was responding to God inhabiting their praises!
b. Not only were Paul and Silas set free—but everyone around them was set free too!
c. They didn’t just break out of their chains—their praise broke the chains off of everyone in that prison.
d. Their gratitude changed the atmosphere, and everyone around them experienced the power of God’s presence.
e. The key is this: When you choose to praise in the middle of your struggle, you are inviting God’s presence to move.
f. You’re telling God:
i. “I trust You, even when it doesn’t make sense.”
ii. “I’ll worship You, even when the situation looks impossible.”
iii. And when you do that, you’re creating an environment where miracles can happen.
iv. Suddenly, that place of bondage becomes a place of freedom.
g. Gratitude turned a prison into a sanctuary.
i. When you praise God in the midst of your darkest hour, He shows up and makes the impossible possible.
ii. He shifts your atmosphere.
h. Maybe you’re facing a tough situation today.
i. Maybe your life feels like a prison—your marriage, your finances, your health, your emotions.
j. But listen to me: If you’ll choose gratitude, if you’ll make the decision to praise Him in the middle of it all, you’re inviting His presence to move.
k. And suddenly, that place that felt like a dungeon will become a launchpad for miracles.
i. You want breakthrough? Praise God in the midst of your battle.
ii. You want healing? Thank Him in the wilderness.
iii. You want freedom? Sing His praises even when you’re bound.
l. Gratitude doesn’t just change your heart—it changes the environment around you.
m. And the environment of your life will shift from despair to breakthrough, from hopelessness to healing, from bondage to freedom.
n. Church, it’s time to let your praise do the work.
o. Because when you praise, God moves.
p. And when God moves, the impossible becomes possible.
3. Gratitude is Contagious
1. A Grateful Heart Impacts Those Around You… It Has a Ripple Effect.
a. Gratitude isn’t just personal—it’s powerful.
b. It doesn’t stay contained in your heart; it overflows.… It spreads… It multiplies.
i. A grateful heart is like a match on a pile of dry tinder!
ii. It ignites a fire that spreads quickly, lighting up everything around it.
iii. Just like a single light can brighten a dark room… your gratitude can illuminate the lives of others
iv. Drawing them closer to God’s presence.
c. Have you ever noticed how one person’s gratitude can shift an entire room?
i. One worshiper, in the middle of their struggle, can spark a fire in everyone around them.
ii. When they choose praise, despite the storm, it’s contagious
iii. It lifts others, draws them into faith, and reminds everyone in the room—God is bigger than our circumstances.
d. It declares that hope is still alive.
i. Gratitude doesn’t just stay with one person—it spreads like wildfire, multiplying and calling everyone to lift their eyes to Jesus. It’s a domino effect of praise!
e. When you begin to thank God—especially in the middle of a trial—something supernatural happens!
f. Look at Psalm 34:3
Psalm 34:3 ESV
3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!
a. David wasn’t just praising by himself—he was calling others into that moment of gratitude!
b. Because gratitude has a way of drawing people in.
c. Think about Paul and Silas again, locked up in that prison cell.
d. They weren’t just singing to comfort themselves.
e. They weren’t just worshiping to pass the time.
f. They were declaring God’s goodness—right in the middle of their darkest night!
g. And as they worshiped, the other prisoners were listening and they were watching.
i. They were seeing something they hadn’t seen before: freedom that wasn’t dependent on circumstances but on the presence of God.
ii. And then, when the earth shook and the prison doors flung open, it wasn’t just Paul and Silas who were freed—everyone in that prison experienced a breakthrough.
iii. What makes this so powerful is this: when the doors opened, no one left.
iv. They stayed!
v. They forfeited their freedom just to stay in the presence of God that was so thick, so undeniable, that nothing else mattered.
h. That’s the kind of breakthrough gratitude brings.
i. it doesn’t just free you; it impacts everyone around you.
j. That’s why your gratitude matters!
i. Somebody is watching how you handle this season.
ii. Somebody is listening to how you speak about your struggle.
iii. Somebody’s breakthrough is on the other side of your gratitude!
k. Gratitude Shifts the Atmosphere
i. When you walk into a room, you bring an atmosphere with you.
ii. You either bring the fragrance of joy or the weight of complaint.
iii. You either lift the room or you drain it.
l. Ask yourself: What’s my presence doing to the people around me?
i. When you speak, do your words build up or tear down?
ii. When you walk into your home, do you bring peace or frustration?
iii. When people see you go through difficulty, do they see faith or fear?
m. Gratitude shifts the atmosphere because it invites the presence of God into every space you step into.
n. When you choose to be grateful in the hard times, it doesn’t just bless you—it creates a ripple effect.
o. Your thanksgiving spills over into the lives of the people around you.
p. Your joy, your peace, your hope in the midst of struggle becomes a testimony that draws others to God.
2. Gratitude doesn’t just change you—it inspires faith in others.
i. When you thank God in the storm, you show others that He is still good.
ii. When you praise in the prison, you remind others that breakthrough is possible.
iii. When you worship in the wilderness, you declare that God is still faithful.
a. That’s why your gratitude matters! Someone around you needs to see faith in action.
b. They need to see someone who refuses to let circumstances dictate their praise.
c. The Bible says in Romans 15:13
Romans 15:13 NLT
13 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
a. When you are grateful, you overflow with confident hope! And that hope spreads.
b. Your gratitude becomes a testimony…
c. It tells the people around you, “If God did it for me, He can do it for you!”
3. Gratitude helps others find hope.
a. Your gratitude preaches louder than your words.
b. See, anybody can praise God when the bank account is full, when the diagnosis is good, when the doors of opportunity are flying open.
c. But when you can still say, “God, You are good!” in the middle of uncertainty, that’s when your gratitude shifts atmospheres.
1 Chronicles 16:8 NLT
8 Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done.
a. Thankful hearts create thankful communities.
b. Thankful hearts create thankful workplaces.
c. Thankful hearts create thankful homes.
d. Gratitude is contagious!
e. When you carry it, you spread it.
f. When you choose it, others catch it.
g. And when you walk in it, God’s presence moves through you in ways you can’t even imagine!
h. Somebody here today needs to hear this: You are ONE thankful prayer away from shifting the atmosphere in your home.
i. If you’ll just stop magnifying the problem and start magnifying your God…
ii. If you’ll just open your mouth and declare, “God, I THANK YOU!”…
iii. You’re going to see chains start breaking in your family.
iv. You’re going to see strongholds come down in your household.
v. You’re going to see the enemy lose his grip because your gratitude invites God’s presence!
i. So what’s coming out of your mouth today? Truth or Trash?
j. Because what you speak—what you declare in faith—can change everything!
k. Let’s be a people who choose gratitude!
Conclusion: The Power of Gratitude in Your Life
Gratitude is more than just a good habit. It’s more than just a positive mindset.
It’s spiritual warfare!
When you choose gratitude, you are shifting the atmosphere of your life.
You are declaring to the enemy:
• You will not steal my joy!
• You will not control my mind!
• You will not silence my praise!
When you choose gratitude, you are making room for God to move!
The enemy wants to keep you grumbling because he knows grumbling keeps you out of God’s presence.
He knows:
Gratitude opens the door for miracles.
Gratitude shifts your eyes from the problem to the Provider
Gratitude invites the presence of God into your life.
Psalm 22:3 says, “God inhabits the praises of His people.”
So let me ask you:
Is He inhabiting your praise, or are you pushing Him away with your complaints?
I love what Corrie ten Boom once said:
“If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you’ll be at rest.”
It’s time to shift our focus.
It’s time to stop waiting for circumstances to change before we give thanks.
It’s time to decide to be grateful right now.
Reflection Time: A Heart Check on Gratitude
I want you to stand with me this morning...
What words have been coming out of my mouth lately?
Words of gratitude or words of grumbling?
Have I been inviting God’s presence with my praise, or have I been blocking His presence with my complaints?
Is there something in my life right now—something difficult, something painful—that I need to thank God for even though I don’t understand it yet?
I want to challenge you—right now, in this moment—to shift your words, shift your perspective, and shift your heart.
If you’ve been struggling with grumbling, if you’ve been caught up in negativity, if you’ve been focusing more on your problems than on your Provider—this is your moment to turn it around.
Don’t wait for your situation to change before you give thanks—your thanksgiving might be the very thing that changes your situation!
I want you to lift your hands in surrender.
And right now, I want you to open your mouth and begin to thank God.
• Thank Him for what He’s done.
• Thank Him for what He’s doing—even the things you can’t see yet.
• Thank Him in advance for the breakthrough, the healing, the provision, the open door that’s on the way.
Because here’s the truth—if you can thank Him in the wilderness, you’ll see Him move you into the Promised Land!
