Wanting to start counting your blessings to see God at work in your life, but not sure where to start? Here is your guide to counting your blessings (why you should and exactly how to do it).
As Christians, we often talk about how we desire to have God’s blessings poured out over our lives. This is a good thing to want and strive for. However, what about the blessings that we already have? How can we appreciate and recognize the blessings that we have already been given and use them as fuel for our worship?
In this article, we want to show you how (& why) to count your blessings each and every day. We’ll give you practical steps that you can apply to your life right now and show you what the Bible says about counting your blessings in the first place. We hope this will be inspirational and motivational for you to begin to live a life of gratitude, recognizing and counting your blessings continuously in your own life.
How (& Why) To Count Your Blessings
Why Should You Count Your Blessings?
1. Counting Your Blessings Promotes Gratitude
While we tend to always be looking forward to future blessings, the Bible calls us to be grateful for what we have now, always being thankful to God for all that He has given us. However, how can you be grateful if you have never counted your blessings or purposefully recognized what you do have?
When you count your blessings, you realize just how much you have been given and you become a much more grateful person as you become aware of all of your blessings. When you are staring at a long list of things that you have been blessed with, it’s hard to be anything but grateful.
Counting your blessings promotes gratitude which, in turn, cultivates a grateful heart. We are called, as Christians, to have hearts of gratitude. After all, gratitude/thankfulness is a fruit of the Spirit. Count your blessings and embrace gratitude in your life.
2. Counting Your Blessings Builds Your Faith
Counting your blessings builds your faith, perhaps even more than anything else in this world. In fact, we see this play out time and time again in the Bible. When the faith of the Israelites is tested and begins to falter, God always calls them to remember how they have been blessed. Most commonly, He tells them to remember Egypt and how He brought them out of Egypt.
Why is this so important? Well, for the Israelites, it was meant to make them find peace and solace in the fact that God had provided a way for them before and could certainly do it again. In our own lives, counting our blessings and remembering what God has already done has a similar effect.
It reminds us that God can provide and will provide according to His plan. It builds our faith in Him, empowering us to trust Him more deeply and lean on Him more wholly than ever before. When we count our blessings, we cultivate a deeper and more reliable dependence on God because we remember how He has come through for us already.
3. Counting Your Blessings Ignites Worship
As you count your blessings and realize all that God has given you in your life, it begins to ignite your worship of Him. Seeing God’s character play out in your life in that way should show you how worthy He is of being praised wholeheartedly. If God has blessed you with so much that you didn’t deserve, how could He not be worthy of your praise?
In fact, I would go as far as to say that counting your blessings is one of the best remedies for a faith that feels cold. So often, we fall into a “What have you done for me lately?” mindset when it comes to God. Instead, let’s count our blessings and allow that awareness to reignite the flame of worship in our hearts for the One who has given us all that we need and more.
How Do You Count Your Blessings?
4. Ask God to Open Your Eyes
When it comes to actually counting your blessings, you should first ask God to open your eyes through prayer to all of the ways that you have been blessed. We often look over the little things that we have been given and focus only on the big things. We need God to help us see to count each and every one of our blessings.
To do this, you could pray something like this:
Dear God, please open my eyes to see all of the ways that you have blessed me. Help me to recognize every little thing from the biggest blessing to the smallest blessing and give me a grateful heart for it all. Thank you for all that you have given me. Amen.
5. Be More Present
In the hustle and bustle of the average life today, it’s difficult to truly see and recognize blessings as they come. So often, we are already onto the next thing before we’ve even processed what God has done for us on any given day.
One way that you can practically count your blessings is to simply be more present in your daily life. Try to be more aware of all that is happening around you and make an effort to see where and how God is working in your life. I promise you, the blessings are there. You just have to make an effort to see them and be present enough to recognize them.
6. Count Your Blessings Daily
Finally, as you count your blessings, don’t just do it once. Make it a habit to count your blessings daily. A great way to instill this habit is by putting them down somewhere. To make it a little more visual and interactive, you should try out our 100 Blessings Tracker.
Using this tracker gives you a template to fill in that allows you to easily track and reflect on your blessings over the course of a month. Each day, you can visit your tracker and count your blessings using words, stickers, or drawings. Then, at the end of the month, you can see your entire month of blessings and realize just how much God has blessed you.
Whether you use our tracker or just a pen and paper, counting your blessings consistently is sure to bring you joy in your daily life and attract even more blessings in the future.
Scriptures On Gratitude
7. Philippians 4:11-13 – Contentment Found In Christ
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. – Philippians 4:11-13
In these verses, Paul shares his discovery of the secret to being grateful and content in every situation. Ultimately, it comes down to being wholly and deeply satisfied in Christ. Regardless of the situation that you find yourself in, He is enough to sustain you and He will give you what you need at the right moment. Learn to trust in Him and you too will find true contentment in Christ alone.
8. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – God’s Will Is For You To Give Thanks
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
In these verses, we are commanded to give thanks in all circumstances, not just because it is good for us, but because it is also God’s will for us. God desires for us to give thanks in every situation that we find ourselves in, even the bad ones. Start today to begin to cultivate a habit of gratitude and soon enough, you will be giving thanks in all circumstances.
9. Psalm 103:2-5 – Don’t Forget God’s Benefits
Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. – Psalm 103:2-5
Sometimes, it seems as though we forget all of the benefits that our relationship with God gives us. As we grow in our knowledge of and love for God, we grow deeper in the understanding of how He blesses our lives. Let us strive each and every day for that understanding and wisdom so that it will continue to ignite our worship and praise of Him.
10. James 1:17 – Every Good Thing Comes From God
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. – James 1:17
At the end of the day, the key to counting your blessings is to recognize that all good things come from God. Think about that; every single good thing in your life came from God. Whether you’re thinking of the big things like family members, friends, and financial provision, or the little things like a smile from a loved one, good coffee, and warm days, each of them came from God Himself. Let us never forget that as we strive to become more and more grateful and count our blessings every single day.