I received a review copy of this book; all opinions expressed are mine.

“Having a grateful heart has more power than we can imagine,” writes Joyce Meyer in the introduction of her new book, The Power of Thank You: Discover the Joy of Gratitude (FaithWords, hardcover). She adds, “Thankfulness releases joy in our lives, has a powerful effect on our prayers, and keeps us focused on the positive aspects of our lives.”

Meyer writes about how she practices being grateful in her own life: “This morning I thanked God that I could see, hear, think, talk, and walk. Just imagine how we would complain and how challenging our lives would be if we couldn’t do any of these, and yet we rarely thank God for the ability to do them.” She also points to the apostle Paul as an example of an extremely thankful person—how he had learned to be content whether he had little or much (Philippians 4:11). And Meyer includes additional examples of what true gratitude looks like from the lives of Job, Joseph and others in the Bible.

Throughout her book, Meyer writes about the importance of being thankful and explains how having a grateful attitude can make a difference and bring joy to your life. And it can bring health benefits too: “In reading about gratitude, I learned that grateful people may experience better sleep, have healthier hearts, and suffer from fewer aches and pains. They are happier and have better relationships.” Living with a focus on being thankful doesn’t mean you’ll have a problem-free life, but Meyer points to Romans 8:28 and explains, “Truly believing that all things work together for our good helps me to remain hopeful and positive through hardship and suffering.”

Having a thankful attitude not only adds to your joy, it can also become a blessing to people around you—family, friends, and just about anyone you cross paths with. As people practice thankfulness, they are more likely to be generous and encouraging, showing appreciation or helping lighten someone’s load. Meyer explains it like this: “God is generous to us, and when we are generous to others, we show that we are truly thankful for all He does for us.”

If you’re wanting to be more intentional about cultivating a thankful heart, I think this book will both inspire you and encourage you to live grateful—I know it inspired me! There’s even a section at the back of the book with Scriptures that you can use each day of the month to help you focus on being thankful. Meyer encourages anyone who reads her book to “Let today be a new beginning for you—a place where you start fresh, letting go of what lies behind and beginning anew with an attitude of gratitude and thanksgiving.“

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Something helpful Meyer mentions in The Power of Thank You is journaling about what you’re thankful for: “I highly recommend keeping a gratitude journal. Each day, write something for which you are thankful. When God blesses you in special ways, write them down, so you don’t forget them. Anytime you start to feel discouraged or depressed, read your gratitude journal.” And great news: there’s a journal available that accompanies Meyer’s book called My Thank You Journal (Ellie Claire, hardcover). It has a pretty floral cover design and all of the inside pages include a quote or a Scripture from the book to inspire you as you journal. Both the book and the journal make a really special gift set too, for birthdays or other special occasions. This gratitude journal is a great way to remember and reflect on how God is working in your life and how much there is to be grateful for!

Sharing at Sunday Sunshine, Grace at Home.