I’m writing this post as much for me as for you. I know all about practicing gratitude: I read about it, and I study it in the Bible. And most embarrassing of all? I encourage my Bible study ladies to do this. But I keep failing at it. I start out the new year with good intentions, and then my practice fizzles. Has this happened to you? Or do you feel anxious with even the mention of journaling? Eeek! Writing something down? Hang with me here. Let me share some thoughts on why and how you (and me) can start a gratitude journal practice without adding stress to our lives.

Gratitude comes easily when life is good, right? When laughter and smiles fill your days and you feel safe and secure financially. In fact, when life is good, we tend to move to autopilot and assume life will keep going good. 

But then comes something hard. You lose a job, a friendship, or a loved one. You get a frightening prognosis. How can you feel grateful then? God tells us to be thankful in all circumstances, but how?

Biblical Examples of Gratitude

The Bible has a lot of examples of gratitude in hard times. (Thank you to Lisa Apello for her wonderful blog post, 6 Surprising Stories of Gratitude. I recommend you check it out if you want to dive deeper into stories of gratitude in the Bible.) 

• David gave thanks in the midst of suffering. (This Psalm begins with “Save me, O God!”) 
• Daniel continued to pray and give thanks three times a day as he awaited his fate in the lion’s den.
• Jonah repented and gave thanks in the belly of the fish before God released him.
• Hannah gave thanks to God when she gave Him her only son, Samuel, whom she had waited and prayed for.
• When he was a prisoner on a ship, Paul gave thanks to God in the midst of the storm while he and his crew didn’t know if they would survive. 
• Jesus gave thanks for five loaves and two fish before he fed the 5,000 people who had followed to listen to his teaching. 
• In the most beautiful example, Jesus gave thanks as He awaited betrayal and death on the cross. 

Each of these people gave thanks to God, even when it was hard, even when they weren’t sure things would work out. (Just reading these examples is a great reminder!)

Gratitude in all circumstances doesn’t come easily. It’s so easy to grumble about what we don’t have. And we can’t just decide one day “I’m going to be more grateful.” No, this is like a muscle we need to exercise.  We need to practice gratitude to have more of it in our lives. When we practice it intentionally, we will see more blessings in our days, even in the hardest days! 

And how can we practice gratitude? Gratitude journaling. 

What is gratitude journaling? 

Gratitude journaling is any form of journaling or recording that helps you focus on the blessings in your life. Gratitude journaling encourages you to reflect on your day and look for ways to be thankful. When you flip back through the pages of your journal (or scroll through your digital journal), you can see how God has been faithful in your life. 

One practice that I added to my devotional life five years ago is visual prayer and faith. You’ll find a plethora of material about this online. This is my favorite resource! And pop over here to read how one woman’s journal became a gift of joy. 

Why start a gratitude journal? 

Okay, I know what you might be thinking. Do I really need to write this down? I hate journaling. Why would this be any different? Hear me out. There are more than a few good reasons to start a gratitude journal. 

Number one: God commanded this. Well, maybe not the actual journal, but the gratitude part for sure.

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

When God encourages us to do something (or not do something), it’s because it’s good for us.

In recent years, a lot of research has gone into the benefits of gratitude, and science backs up God’s command. Dr. Robert Emmons and Dr. Michael McCullough are two psychologists who have studied the effects of gratitude on well-being and are often credited with studying the benefits of the modern practice of gratitude journaling. Their studies have found that people who practice gratitude journaling have improved wellness, reduced stress, increased happiness, better sleep, and improved relationships (Day One, Gratitude Journaling). 

Notice, their studies are on gratitude journaling: writing it down matters!

Positive Psychology lists some of the specific benefits of gratitude journaling. Gratitude journaling can:  

• Help lower your stress levels. 
• Help you feel more calm, especially at night.
• Give you a fresh perspective that helps you appreciate your life.
• Help you identify what you want more of and what you can do without. 
• Focus on what really matters to you.
• Teach you about yourself. 
• Remind you of the blessings in your life when you’re feeling down.

Are you convinced yet? I hope so! 

How to Start a Gratitude Journal Practice

So now you understand the basics of what a gratitude journal is, and you’re starting to see why you might even consider this. But how do you start? Luckily, keeping a gratitude journal is simple. You can spend just a few minutes each day on it and see the benefits. 

#1. Decide on a journal. 

Your chosen journal can be physical or digital, but I recommend using the same method every time you practice gratitude journaling–that way it’s all in one place when you want to reflect on your blessings. Here are some options:

• Use a special notebook. (Here’s a post to help you choose your journal tools if you want some resources!)
• Go digital, and use the Notes app on your phone or a journaling app like Day One.
• Grab a stack of plain lined or printer paper, and keep them in a 3-ring binder. 
• You can use your calendar or a section of your planner to write 1-2-3 things or people you are thankful for each day. (This is something I do with some regularity.)

There are pros and cons to physical and digital, so choose what works best for you and your life!

Some considerations, though: 

• A physical journal can be left by your bedside table and serve as a visual reminder to practice gratitude and eventually a visual trigger to feel gratitude. 
• A physical journal is almost like a diary (gasp!), something that can be handed down to the next generation. (I would have loved my grandmother’s gratitude journal!)
• A physical journal gives you the flexibility to play with visual faith or doodles. (An iPad or Surface Pro will also let you do this if you’re set on digital and have access to one of these techie tools.)
• A digital journal allows you to keep a running list and you never need to buy a new notebook/journal. 
• As your gratitude muscles get stronger, you’ll start giving thanks to God at random times. When you use a digital journal, you’ll have your “journal” in your pocket and you can add spur of the moment gratitude to your list. 

#2. Pick a specific time of day to journal.

Gratitude journaling is a great way to start your day on a positive note. It also helps with sleep, so there are benefits to journaling right before bed. 

When will you be most likely to remember to journal? Least likely to skip it in favor of something else? Again, the most important thing is to choose what works best for you and your life. Pick a time and commit to it. It just takes 5 minutes!

#3. Write.

The easiest way to practice gratitude journaling is to simply write what you’re grateful for each day. You can also use a prompt to challenge yourself to think of specific things you are grateful for and to help you dig deeper into that grateful feeling. I’ve included a free pdf with 30 prompts and a few pages to help you start your practice!

Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your gratitude journaling: 

Keep it positive.

Remember the gratitude of Daniel, Hannah, Paul, and Jesus? Even when you’re going through a challenging time, practice praising God. 

Be as specific as possible. 

Instead of writing “I’m grateful for food,” write about the melt-in-your-mouth buttery shortbread cookies or the cheesy pizza you had that day–how it tasted and how it nourished you. But also, don’t try too hard to be descriptive unless that’s something you love to do. Remember, make this a practice you will enjoy so you come back every day!

Focus on people over things. 

Who are you grateful for and why? Studies have shown that there are more benefits to focusing on the people we are grateful for than the things in our lives. 

Go for quality over quantity. 

If you can only think of one really good thing to be grateful for that day, that’s better than a list of 10 superficial things. 

Mix it up. 

You can definitely be grateful for the same things multiple times, but challenge yourself to look for new things, reasons, and people to praise God for. 

Be flexible. 

Some days, you may just list three specific things you’re grateful for, bullet-point style: the feel of the crisp, clean sheets when you got into bed, the warm sun shining on your face as you worked at a coffee shop, the big hug you got from your husband when he came home from work. Other days you might want to use a prompt (included at the end of this post) and write a long-form journal entry. Totally up to you!

#4. Set yourself up for success. 

Make this gratitude journaling thing easy. Keep everything you need where you will see it or set a reminder to journal every day. Whether it’s a physical notebook and pen on your bedside table or a reminder on your phone, decide on a cue for your practice. Eventually it will become a habit, but in the meantime, you’ll have to remind yourself to look for the good things and write them down. 

A Free Download to Get You Started

Click here to download Tools for Your Gratitude Practice, including 30 days of gratitude journal prompts. 

Share Your Gratitude

Finally, remember to share your gratitude with others! At a recent meeting, the pastor shared a devotion about the ten lepers and how only one came back to thank Jesus. He said something that struck a new chord with me. Gratitude is an emotion. Thankfulness is an action.

So as you practice your attitude of gratitude, consider what action you can take. Tell your coworkers you appreciate them. Send your hubby a text about how grateful you are for his hard work on the leaves this week. Hug your kids and grandkids and tell them you’re grateful to see their sweet faces. And most importantly, say it in prayer to the Lord. I’ll quote it once again:

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

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