“From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.”—Psalm 113:3 

With Easter approaching, I thought Psalm 113:3 would be a good verse to put as my screensaver this month. It will serve as a daily reminder that I should be praising God at the start and end of each day. No matter what, before my feet hit the ground, I thank God for another day. I do the same when I lay my head down on my pillow each night. I find when I thank God for all of the big and small ways He provided for me that day, I am asleep in no time. 

When I can cherish every minute of my day by giving thanks throughout it, my perspective changes. I am filled with gratitude instead of negativity. Finding more things to celebrate than complain isn’t an easy task in our world today. I know I don’t always embrace both the good and bad in my life or in our culture. Living with gratitude is a choice. It is learning how to be thankful even when life is hard. Being resentful only puts a wall up between me and God. 

It is our natural inclination to focus on what is wrong when our life seems to be in turmoil. If my mind goes to that place, I find it helps to make a mental list of what all is going right. Thanking God for the little things in my day. Thank You, Lord that I woke up this morning, Thank You that I have a roof over my head with running water and electricity,… As I do this, the negativity starts to dissipate

Next, I start to thank God for all of the people in my life. As I look around my home, I am reminded to thank God for my husband’s job, my knitting and how God has equipped me for a knitting ministry. I am thankful for the words He gives me to write. Having the privilege to freely worship and study God’s Word are all things I don’t ever want to take for granted. 

I don’t forget to brush my teeth when I wake-up and before I go to bed. Why not use this time of your day to also give thanks to God so that it becomes an automatic part of your day? It’s a win-win. It turns our focus to our Heavenly Father at the start of the day as well as giving us peaceful thoughts before we go to bed. Try it this week and see how your attitude can turn to one of gratitude.

 Father God,

Open my eyes to see all the blessings in my life. Forgive me when I choose to focus on what is going wrong in my day and the world around me. Turn my focus back to You. Help me to embrace the peace and joy that only You can provide for me. I thank You for being with me in ALL circumstances. For those struggling with finding joy in their day, I lift them up to You. I ask for You to give them a glimmer of hope to give them the strength to take another step. Wrap Your arms around them and let them feel Your love despite their struggles. It is in the name of Jesus that I pray these things. Amen. 

April Verse

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.”—Psalm 113:3 

If you are knitting or crocheting gifts to give away, please make sure you tweet @KnitPrayShare or share your projects on the Knit, Pray, Share Facebook page or Instagram using the hashtag #KnitPrayShare. Be sure to attach a tag to whatever gift you make.