30 Days of Gratitude Challenge

Take the 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge with small, simple daily tasks to grow a more grateful heart of thankfulness and joy.

Gratitude Meaning

There are all kinds of different definitions out there for this simple concept, but essentially gratitude is a feeling of thankfulness.

It’s not an obligatory, “thank you” when you get an ugly sweater from Aunt Margaret.

It’s a heart that is genuinely grateful for the tangible and intangible gifts in your life.

It’s a recognition and a deep appreciation of the things around you, from the seemingly insignificant things to the overtly wonderful blessings.

Download Your Gratitude List – 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge

I have put together a list of 30 small tasks to help you develop a heart of thankfulness this month.

There are a mixture of all kinds of types of activities to meet you on every level – Bible verses, journaling prompts, acts of service to connect with others, and more.

Whether you go through this calendar during the month of November (the most popular time of year for people to focus on Thanksgiving) or you want to boost your thankfulness in June, take this free gratitude challenge to help you become more deeply grateful for the blessings in your life.

Don’t forget to share your stories, pictures, and Facebook or Instagram!

Gratitude Attitude

There’s a reason people talk about having “an attitude of gratitude,” especially around Thanksgiving.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the stress and busyness of life that you forget to look around and see the daily blessings in your life.

And gratitude isn’t something that can be simplified to a task on a to-do list (though those things can sure help!).

Gratitude is the feeling beneath it all.

Gratitude can give you joy as a stay-at-home mom while you are washing the gazillionth load of laundry this week.

It can improve your marriage as you place more importance on the things your spouse does do instead of dwelling on all the ways they fall short.

Thankfulness can even transform your weight loss journey as you learn to truly thank God for the gift of the body He has created just for you, flaws included.

Gratitude doesn’t change the outward situation around you, but it has the power to change the way you experience life, giving you more peace, contentment, joy, and satisfaction in your work, your family, and your relationship with God.

Gratitude Bible Verses

There are so many Scriptures that mention gratitude and thankfulness.

This Bible verse is my absolute favorite because I love the picture that comes to mind as I envision “overflowing with thankfulness.”

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” – Colossians 2:6-7

And I love that the heart of thankfulness described in Scripture isn’t based on a perfect life. Gratitude and joy is much easier to feel when things are going the way we want them to, but the Bible says there is joy in the struggles of life, too.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” – James 1:2-4

Looking for more? Check out these 15 Bible Verses On Thankfulness

My friend Sara is also offering a fantastic 30 Days of Gratitude Daily Bible Reading Plan that meshes perfectly with this challenge, adding a Bible verse to every day of the challenge. Make sure to grab your free plan!

Gratitude Quotes

Here are just a few gratitude quotes to inspire you.

• “Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” – Anonymous
• “In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• “As with all commandments, gratitude is a description of a successful mode of living. The thankful heart opens our eyes to a multitude of blessings that continually surround us.” – James E. Faust
• “The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see.” – Mary Davis
• “Being thankful is not always experienced as a natural state of existence, we must work at it, akin to a type of strength training for the heart.” – Larissa Gomez
• “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” —Robert Brault
• “Some people grumble that roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses.” —Alphonse Karr

Gratitude Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Grow a more grateful heart in me.

I take You and others for granted far too often. I get sucked into the busyness and stress of life and I just forget.

I forget to see the multitude of blessings you give me every single day. I forget to stop and look for the good things because it’s so easy to dwell on the bad stuff.

Give me faith eyes to see You at work in my life, answering prayers left and right. Teach me to look around and appreciate the beauty in the world You created for us – the sights, the sounds, the textures, the smells. 

Help me dwell more on what I do have than the things I don’t.

Fill my mind and my heart with peace, joy, contentment, and overwhelming gratitude for all that You’ve done for me.

I want to fall even more in love with you with a heart overflowing with thankfulness.

I love You so much, God. In Your Son’s precious name, I pray.

Amen.

Gratitude Expression

A heart of thankfulness starts in your heart, but often overflows into action. In the challenge, I’ve given you 30 ideas of ways to experience thankfulness in all kinds of different ways.

When you notice those things you are so grateful for in your life, it’s so easy to forget them, even when they were very meaningful.

Here are two very tangible ways to record your moments of gratitude so that you can remember them and carry on the thankfulness and joy it brings long after the moment has passed.

Gratitude Jar

Starting a gratitude jar is a great way to remember the things you’re grateful for.

I made this jar with a group of ladies from my church.

I’m not a very crafty person, but they brought the supplies and it turned out beautifully. I bring the jar out every November and try to fill it during the month and read through the entries on Thanksgiving.

I have a friend that keeps a gratitude jar on her counter. She writes her gratitude down all year round and reads all of the slips of paper on New Year’s Eve to celebrate all of her blessings that year.

Gratitude Journal

This, however, is my very favorite way to record my gratitude. I’m not crafty, but I am a journaler and I express myself much better in writing.

When I’m having tough days, I can flip through the journal and see the thousands of blessings and answered prayers.

This isn’t a November-only habit for me. I’ve tried to make gratitude a daily habit, spending even just a few minutes on it every single morning.

Some mornings, I have to stick with the basics. thanking God for a roof over my head, running water, and warm clothes.

Other mornings. once I get started, I can hardly stop penning an endless list of blessings.

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Looking For Other Posts On Thankfulness? Check These Out!

15 Bible Verses On Thankfulness

5 Reasons to Keep A Gratitude Journal

Why Your Gratitude Journal Isn’t Making You Grateful

Savoring Today – A Life Of Everyday Gratitude

10 Bible Verses On Joy

The Power of Gratitude

Unconventional Gratitude: Grateful For Flaws

Unconventional Gratitude: Grateful For Weakness

Unconventional Gratitude: Grateful For Not Enough