WEBVTT - A Prayer for Gratitude to Grow Your Joy

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you for listening to your Daily Prayer, a podcast

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<v Speaker 2>dedicated to helping you find the words you need to

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<v Speaker 2>connect with your Father in Heaven. No matter what is

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<v Speaker 2>going on in your life today, you can trust that

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<v Speaker 2>God wants to hear from you. Right after this short

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<v Speaker 2>word from our sponsor, you will pray that today's prayer

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<v Speaker 2>for gratitude to grow your joy together. A Prayer for

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<v Speaker 2>Gratitude to Grow your Joy written and read by Kerrie Eichberger.

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<v Speaker 2>I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart.

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<v Speaker 2>I will recount all of your wonderful deeds saw nine,

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<v Speaker 2>verse one. Far too often I find myself down in

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<v Speaker 2>the dumps for no good reason, and other times I

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<v Speaker 2>wind up discouraged, disappointed, or even depressed, and could rattle

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<v Speaker 2>off a rather long list of justifications. In fact, right now,

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<v Speaker 2>as I reflect on a difficult and drawn out season,

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<v Speaker 2>I'm still dragging my feed through. I struggle to smile

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<v Speaker 2>at all sometimes, but warranted or not. I wish this

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<v Speaker 2>were never the case, as I waste my days away

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<v Speaker 2>without joy to fuel and fill me, not to mention.

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<v Speaker 1>Deep down, I know there is always.

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<v Speaker 2>Something to delight in, because truthfully, God has blessed me

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<v Speaker 2>beyond measure. He abundantly gives good gifts to all his

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<v Speaker 2>beloved children. Do you feel much joy today? Or does

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<v Speaker 2>it seem, for one reason or another, that your smiles

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<v Speaker 2>seem to be hiding below the surface, too, smothered by

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<v Speaker 2>some sort of struggle you're facing within you or around you.

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<v Speaker 1>I think we could all agree, regardless of.

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<v Speaker 2>How much contentment and fulfillment we are feeling at this

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<v Speaker 2>very moment, we could always use a boost of spirit.

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<v Speaker 2>Yet we continually sabotage our own joy by dismissing so

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<v Speaker 2>much of the goodness God has placed in our very midst.

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<v Speaker 2>I know I am certainly guilty. I also know that

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<v Speaker 2>a simple, yet super hard solution exists. The truth is,

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<v Speaker 2>when we want to grow our joy, we simply need

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<v Speaker 2>to grow our gratitude, even when we are struggling or suffering,

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<v Speaker 2>Even and especially when the day is difficult, the moment hurts,

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<v Speaker 2>or this season has caused more disappointment than we ever expected.

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<v Speaker 1>And I get it. It's not easy, not at all.

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<v Speaker 2>We are fighting against an aggressive enemy who wants us

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<v Speaker 2>to wallow in our hurt, who works persistently to keep

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<v Speaker 2>us down, who is relentless in his disruption and distraction

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<v Speaker 2>against our pursuit of God. Because Satan knows that if

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<v Speaker 2>we become locked in with a steadfast gaze on God's goodness,

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<v Speaker 2>we wouldn't want to look away. We would give God

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<v Speaker 2>more glory, we would thank and praise him more and more,

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<v Speaker 2>and we would grow in our joy more and more.

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<v Speaker 2>And so that's what we should do. Turn our eyes

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<v Speaker 2>to God and his goodness. Fight back by fighting forward,

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<v Speaker 2>focusing on God's good promises, proclaiming his praise, and observing

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<v Speaker 2>every small, big, and beautiful blessing he is placed before us.

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<v Speaker 2>Psalm nine, verse one says I will give thanks to

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<v Speaker 2>the Lord with my whole heart. I will recount all

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<v Speaker 2>of your wonderful deeds. And God's word reminds us countless

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<v Speaker 2>other times to be thankful, to rejoice and praise, and

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<v Speaker 2>to remember all He has done for us, and to

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<v Speaker 2>do these things with a whole and sincere heart. But

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<v Speaker 2>how quickly we get lost in our own disappointments. How

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<v Speaker 2>often do we take our eyes off the light and

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<v Speaker 2>steer too long at the dark shadows. We need these

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<v Speaker 2>reminders repeatedly. We need to revive our awareness that it's

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<v Speaker 2>in our whole hearted worship that we experience the fullness

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<v Speaker 2>and joy we long for. I feel it every single

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<v Speaker 2>Sunday morning as it pour out my praise and song

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<v Speaker 2>alongside other believers. So right now, for the sake of

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<v Speaker 2>the joy we long for, let's consider the goodness around us.

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<v Speaker 2>Let's reflect on the beauty and blessings on the path

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<v Speaker 2>behind us, and let's ponder the promises on the wh

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<v Speaker 2>rise and before us, name them out loud, write them

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<v Speaker 2>all down whisper, then in worshipful prayer, one by one,

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<v Speaker 2>over and over, and see and feel your spirits rise.

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<v Speaker 2>Make us a habit, and watch your joy grow and

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<v Speaker 2>abundance flow.

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<v Speaker 1>I know that's what you want.

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<v Speaker 2>Every single one of God's children does, and he wants

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<v Speaker 2>to give exactly that and then some to each and

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<v Speaker 2>every single one of us. Let's pray, Lord Jesus, I

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<v Speaker 2>thank you with my whole heart for all the wonderful

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<v Speaker 2>things you have given and done. I know on hard

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<v Speaker 2>days of darkness and in long seasons of struggle, I

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<v Speaker 2>find my mind camped out on hardships and I lose

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<v Speaker 2>sight of your abundant blessings. But I know this is

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<v Speaker 2>when I am depriving myself up the joy I long

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<v Speaker 2>for that you also long for me to have. Lord,

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<v Speaker 2>I have found that when I've picks my eyes and

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<v Speaker 2>whole heart on you and your goodness, and when I

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<v Speaker 2>thank you over and over for your constant flow of blessings, joy.

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<v Speaker 1>Grows and a bound in my life.

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<v Speaker 2>So I ask that you help me stay in a

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<v Speaker 2>state of gratitude, because I know I certainly have so

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<v Speaker 2>much to praise you for every moment, every day, and

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<v Speaker 2>always thank you, Thank you, Thank you Lord.

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<v Speaker 1>Amen.

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<v Speaker 2>If you liked what you heard today, I think you

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<v Speaker 3>I hope it blesses you.

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