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If you’ve ever wondered what habits to gratitude actually looks like when you don’t feel thankful, you’re in the right place.
This week on A Faithful God Podcast, we’re continuing our gratitude series by tackling that exact question. We’ll look at what the Bible teaches us about giving thanks in all circumstances, not necessarily for them.
(If you missed last week’s episode, start here with Episode #173 where we talked about cultivating 3 daily habits to foster gratitude in your everyday life.)
Throughout this series, we’ll look at
- how to practice gratitude daily
- what to do when you don’t feel thankful
- why gratitude can sometimes feel fake (and how to fix that)
- how the Apostle Paul found reasons to give thanks — even in prison.
Each episode will help you see that gratitude isn’t about pretending everything’s okay when it isn’t. It’s about finding God’s presence right in the middle of it.
When Gratitude Doesn’t Come Naturally
There are days when you can quote all the right verses, listen to worship music, and still feel… off. Your heart’s heavy. Your prayers feel flat. You want to be thankful, but honestly…you’re just plain tired.
And that’s where today’s episode steps in.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Paul writes,
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” NIV
Notice that tiny word — in. Paul didn’t say be thankful FOR all circumstances, he says be thankful IN all circumstances.
That’s a big difference.
You see, God isn’t asking us to be thankful for the pain. He’s inviting us to find Him in the midst of it. And that’s where real gratitude begins — not in the comfort, but in the surrender.
Finding God in the Hard Places
When Paul wrote those words, he wasn’t sitting on a beach sipping some fancy drink. He was sitting in prison, chained to the cement floor, and had no idea what was coming.
And yet, he CHOSE gratitude anyway.
That’s not a feeling, my friend. That’s faith in action.
Gratitude isn’t something we wait to feel; it’s a spiritual practice that trains our hearts to look for God when everything else feels upside down.
Habakkuk’s “Even Though” Gratitude
One of my favorite biblical examples of how to be grateful in hard seasons comes from Habakkuk, a prophet who wrestled with God’s silence while his world fell apart.
Habakkuk questioned. He doubted. He pleaded for answers. But by the end of his story, something shifted. He learned to thank God “even though.”
In Habakkuk 3:17-18, he writes,
“Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails and the fields lie empty and barren, even though the flocks die in the fields and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation.” NIV
That’s “even-though” gratitude — the kind that says, “Even though it hurts, even though I don’t understand, I will still praise You.”
Habakkuk didn’t thank God for the loss. He thanked God for being faithful in it.
Want to Dive Deeper
If podcasts aren’t your thing — or if you’d like to take some time to reflect — I’ve included the full transcript from this week’s episode.
You can print it, underline it, and mark it up for your personal study this week. Download the transcript here.
3 Practical Ways to Be Grateful When You Don’t Feel It
So, this is all well and good, but how do you live this out when life feels messy?
These three habits to gratitude are small but powerful shifts that’ll train your heart to stay grounded, even when everything around you screams impossible.
1. Pause Before You Pour It Out
Before you rush into complaining, stop and whisper one small “thank You.”
It can be as simple as giving thanks for your morning coffee, a quiet moment in the car, or the way the sun hits your kitchen window.
This small pause retrains your heart to notice God’s blessings before frustration takes over.
2. Thank God for His Character, Not Your Circumstances
When life feels heavy, thank Him for who He is — not just for what He’s done.
God is always faithful, always near, and He’s your peace when everything feels loud.
That little shift changes everything. It turns your focus from what’s missing to Who’s been there all along.
3. Turn Worry into Worship
When anxiety starts creeping in, use it as your cue to pray. Short, breath-prayers work beautifully in this situation. It can be something as simple as,
- “Lord, I know You’re still here.”
- “Thank You for seeing me.”
- “I know You’re still working.”
Every time you lift up a breath prayer, you’re replacing fear with faith, and worry with worship.
Real gratitude doesn’t erase the hard stuff, but it does reveal where your trust lies. It reminds you that even when your circumstances haven’t changed, your heart still can.
Watch the Full Episode: 3 Practical Habits to Gratitude
So this week, try writing your own “Even Though” list. Each day, finish one sentence that starts like with,
“Even though ___, I thank You because ___.”
You’ll be amazed at how it begins to shift your focus — not because life gets easier, but because you start seeing God right in the middle of it.
If you’ve ever struggled to feel thankful when life doesn’t make sense, this episode is for you.
Join me for this week’s show as I unpack three practical habits to gratitude when your heart’s weary and the answers aren’t coming.
- 00:00 Introduction
- 01:00 – What the Bible Says About Gratitude
- 02:42 – What Habbakkuk Teaches Us About Gratitude in Hard Times
- 04:20 – Thankfulness in Trials – Real Life Examples
- 07:13 – 1st Practical Habit to Gratitude When You Don’t Feel It
- 07:47 – 2nd Practical Habit to Gratitude When You Don’t Feel It
- 08:17 – 3rd Practical Habit to Gratitude When You Don’t Feel It
- 09:14 – Gratitude to Spiritual Growth
- 09:42 – Encouragement for Your Christian Journey
[Check out everything mentioned in the show here.]
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