The Practice of Gratitude

Text: Philippians 4:4-9 Theme: Gratitude is cultivated through consistent spiritual habits. Series Verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:18 — “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Philippians 4:4–9 KJV 1900

4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

INTRODUCTION — LEARNING TO LIVE THANKFULLY

Gratitude is more than a feeling — it’s a discipline. Most people treat thankfulness as something that happens to them when life is good. But the Bible teaches that gratitude is something that happens in us, even when life is hard.

Paul wrote these words from a prison cell:

“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.” (v. 4) He wasn’t surrounded by comfort or convenience; he was surrounded by chains. Yet his heart overflowed with thanksgiving because gratitude had become a habit, not a happenstance.

We often pray for God to change our circumstances, but God wants to use gratitude to change us. Gratitude steadies the soul when the world shakes around us. It guards the heart when worry tries to invade. And it trains our focus back to the faithfulness of God.

Today, we’ll look at how to practice gratitude — how to make it part of the rhythm of your walk with Christ.

Gratitude doesn’t begin with what we feel; it begins with what we choose. Let’s start with The Rejoicing of Gratitude.

I. THE REJOICING OF GRATITUDE - (Vs. 4)

“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.” (v. 4)

 “I am glad that we do not know what the quarrel was about; I am usually thankful for ignorance on such subjects; — but as a cure for disagreements, the apostle says, ‘Rejoice in the Lord always.’ People who are very happy, especially those who are very happy in the Lord, are not apt either to give offense or to take offense. Their minds are so sweetly occupied with higher things, that they are not easily distracted by the little troubles which naturally arise among such imperfect creatures as we are. Joy in the Lord is the cure for all discord.” (Spurgeon)

Gratitude flourishes where joy is chosen. Paul doesn’t tell us to rejoice sometimes but always — not in circumstances, but in the Lord.

A. It Is a Command to Obey

“Rejoice” is an imperative, not a suggestion.

Rejoice. Karl Barth, in a brief survey of the commands to rejoice in the book of Philippians, noted that we meet the command first in 2:18 where Paul tells the Philippians that they “should be glad and rejoice” with him, and then again in 3:1: “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord.” And, lastly, here in 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”

From the force of these three commands, Barth concludes that “ ‘joy’ in Philippians is a defiant ‘Nevertheless!’ ”—nevertheless “Rejoice.” Paul’s unqualified “Rejoice” certainly does defy the thankless, complaining nature of humanity and human custom through all of history.

Far too often we allow circumstances to dictate or be the indicator of our Joy…

Remember that Paul wasn’t writing while he lounged in a Roman bath or sipped espresso in Café Roma.

We must never forget that Paul delivered his defiant command to rejoice whatever the circumstances when it was unsure whether he would live or die and while he was confined to helplessly watching his competitors and enemies make advances among the churches of Rome and Philippi.

As if to answer any question from those who might ask incredulously, “Should we really rejoice during afflictions?” he stated twice, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” Get it?

Joy is not based on emotion but obedience. Choosing joy is choosing trust.

📖 Habakkuk 3:17-18 

Habakkuk 3:17–18 KJV 1900

17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, Neither shall fruit be in the vines; The labour of the olive shall fail, And the fields shall yield no meat; The flock shall be cut off from the fold, And there shall be no herd in the stalls: 18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

B. It Is a Confidence to Hold - (VS. 4, “…In the Lord.”

Our rejoicing is rooted in who God is, not what we have. Circumstances fluctuate; Christ does not…

The Apostles readers are commanded to find their joy “in the Lord” rather than in their circumstances. It comes from what the Lord has done in the past, from what he is doing now, and from the hope of what he will do in the future.

Blaise Pascal, the mathematical genius, physicist, Christian thinker, inventor, and literary stylist—one of the great minds of human history—had an experience that changed the course of his life. The experience was so pivotal that he wrote it down and had it sewn into his jacket. What Pascal wrote was this:

In the year of Grace, 1654, On Monday, 23rd of November … From about half past ten in the evening until about half past twelve FIRE God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, not of the philosophers and scholars. Certitude. Certitude. Feeling. Joy. Peace. God of Jesus Christ. “Thy God shall be my God.” Forgetfulness of the world and of everything, except God. He is to be found only by the ways taught in the Gospel.… Joy, joy, joy, tears of joy.… “This is eternal life, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and the one whom Thou has sent, Jesus Christ.” Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ. I have separated myself from Him: I have fled from Him, denied Him, crucified Him. Let me never be separated from Him. We keep hold of Him only by the ways taught in the Gospel. Renunciation, total and sweet. Total submission to Jesus Christ and to my director. Eternally in joy for a day’s exercise on earth.…

Poignantly, Pascal inscribed this experience on a piece of parchment as a Mémorial and had it sewn under the lining of his successive coats until the end of his life. With him doing that Pascal always bore close to his heart the memory of the fiery joy of his conversion.

Perhaps during needy times he felt for the parchment to steady his fainting soul. Blaise Pascal’s Mémorial was rooted in the Biblical reality that “the joy of the LORD is your strength”

Nehemiah 8:10 KJV 1900

10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Gratitude grows from the soil of stability — knowing God remains good…

📖 Psalm 34:1 

Psalm 34:1 KJV 1900

1 I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Paul’s joy wasn’t based in a sunny optimism or positive mental attitude as much as it was the confidence that God was in control. It really was a joy in the Lord… There are many things that people are reliant on these days…

Malachi 3:6 KJV 1900

6 For I am the Lord, I change not; Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

C. It Is a Contagion to Spread - (Vs. 5)

Joy and gratitude are infectious. A thankful spirit brightens every room it enters.

Quote: “It is not happiness that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us happy.” — David Steindl-Rast

“There’s an old story of a man grumbling because he had no shoes. He complained loudly — until he met a man who had no feet. In that moment, his heart shifted from resentment to reverence. Paul says: ‘Rejoice in the Lord alway’ — not because you have everything, but because in Christ, you have enough. And when gratitude fills your heart, even your complaints turn into praise.”

Complaining repels; gratitude attracts.

Illustration: A missionary once said, “I have learned to thank God not only for what He gives, but for what He takes away — for both reveal His wisdom.” His joy lifted everyone around him.

This verse (Vs.5) is the hinge between the call to rejoice (v. 4) and the command to replace anxiety with thankful prayer (vv. 6–7). It functions as both motivation and method for the entire section (vv. 4–9), grounding gratitude in Christ’s nearness and shaping how we live it out publicly.

Rejoicing isn’t just internal—it must be visible. Paul says: “Let your (Moderation) gentleness be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.” (v. 5)

Why can we rejoice in chains? Why can we pray instead of panic? Because Jesus is near—coming soon, and here now. His nearness makes harshness unnecessary and gentleness irresistible. A grateful heart doesn’t demand its way—it yields, trusts, and thanks.

Philippians 4:5 teaches that gratitude, rooted in Christ’s nearness, expresses itself as public gentleness—freeing us from anxiety and making room for prayer and peace.

Rejoicing is where gratitude begins, but prayer is where it deepens. Let’s move to The Request of Gratitude.

II. THE REQUEST OF GRATITUDE

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (v. 6)

Paul links gratitude directly to prayer. Worry is replaced by worship when prayer is soaked in thanksgiving.

A. The Presence of Peace - (Vs. 6A)

“Be careful for nothing” — don’t be anxious.

This is a command, not an option. Undue care is an intrusion into an arena that belongs to God alone. It makes us the father of the household instead of being a child.

Scholars interpret it (Anxiety) as "practical atheism," dividing the mind between hopes and fears, leading to instability (James 1:6-8

James 1:6–8 KJV 1900

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Anxiety is talking to yourself about your problems; prayer is talking to God about them. Gratitude turns panic into peace.

In context, Paul just reminded the saints about God’s nearness (His presence and/or His parousia), and follows with the exhortation that believers should not be fearful, anxious, or wavering. There is no greater source of spiritual stability than the confidence that the Lord is near, not only to hear our cry for help but also able to provide help and strength

📖 Isaiah 26:3 

Isaiah 26:3 KJV 1900

3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on thee: Because he trusteth in thee.

B. The Posture of Prayer - (Vs. 6)

“With thanksgiving” — not after the answer, but during the asking.

Thanksgiving acknowledges God’s goodness before the provision comes. This guards against a whining, complaining spirit before God when we let our requests be made known. We really can be anxious for nothing, pray about everything, and be thankful for anything.

Faith says, “Lord, I thank You that You hear me.”

📖 John 11:41 

John 11:41 KJV 1900

41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

In his book FOLK PSALMS OF FAITH, Ray Stedman tells of an experience H. A. Ironside had in a crowded restaurant. Just as Ironside was about to begin his meal, a man approached and asked if he could join him. Ironside invited his to have a seat. Then, as was his custom, Ironside bowed his head in prayer. When he opened his eyes, the other man asked, "Do you have a headache?" Ironside replied, "No, I don't." The other man asked, "Well, is there something wrong with your food?" Ironside replied, "No, I was simply thanking God as I always do before I eat."

The man said, "Oh, you're one of those, are you? Well, I want you to know I never give thanks. I earn my money by the sweat of my brow and I don't have to give thanks to anybody when I eat. I just start right in!"

Ironside said, "Yes, you're just like my dog. That's what he does too!" (Ray Stedman, Folk Psalms of Faith)

Many times we have to wait for the arrival of the blessing before we have Thanksgiving. There were times in the life of the apostle He had prayer request go unanswered. ..

Colossians 3:17 KJV 1900

17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

C. The Promise of Protection - (Vs. 7)

“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds…” (v. 7)

This is the peace that God himself possesses, “the serenity in which he lives,” so to speak. In this sense it is the same as the peace that Christ embodies and gives:

John 14:27 KJV 1900

27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

The Bible describes three great aspects of peace that relate to God.

Paul continually used this as an introduction to his letters; it reminds us that our peace comes to us as a gift from God.Peace from God: 

: This describes a relationship that we enter into with God through the finished work of Jesus Christ.Peace with God

: This is the peace spoken of in. It is beyond “all mind”; that is, beyond our power of thinking.The peace of God Philippians 4:7

“What is God’s peace? The unruffled serenity of the infinitely-happy God, the eternal composure of the absolutely well-contented God.” - C.H. Spurgeon

Gratitude becomes a guard over our hearts. When you thank God in prayer, worry loses its grip.

Illustration: Corrie ten Boom once thanked God for the fleas in her concentration-camp barracks. Later she learned those fleas kept the guards away and allowed Bible studies to continue unhindered. Gratitude protected her peace before she ever saw God’s plan.

A thankful heart not only prays differently — it thinks differently. Let’s consider The Reflection of Gratitude.

III. THE REFLECTION OF GRATITUDE - (Vs. 7-8)

“Whatsoever things are true… honest… just… pure… lovely… of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (v. 8)

The battle for gratitude is fought in the mind. Our perspective shapes our praise.

A. Guard Your Mind - (Vs. 7b)

The word guard speaks of a military action. This is something that the peace of God does for us; it is a peace that is on guard over our heart and mind.

“Shall keep them as in a strong place or a castle.” - Adam Clarke

When people seem to “lose” their heart or mind, it often is connected to an absence of the peace of God in their life. The peace of God then does not act as a guard for their hearts and minds.

The devil loves to sow negativity, fear, and complaint. What occupies your mind will overflow from your mouth.

Gratitude filters your thoughts through the goodness of God.

2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV 1900

5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Don’t let your mind get away from you! The capacity of the human brain is the subject of ever-widening scientific wonder. Its twelve to fourteen billion cells are only a shadow of its complexity, because each cell sends out thousands of connecting tendrils so that a single cell may be connected with 10,000 neighboring cells, each of which is constantly exchanging data impulses.

These twelve to fourteen billion brain cells times 10,000 connectors make the human mind an unparalleled computer. The mind’s activity has been compared to 1,000 switchboards, each big enough to serve New York City, all running at full speed as they receive and send questions and orders. Put another way, there is more electronic equivalent in one human brain than in all the radio and television stations of the entire world put together!

The human brain does not miss a thing. It is capable of giving and receiving the subtlest input—from imagining a universe in which time bends to creating the polyphonic texture of a Bach fugue or transmitting and receiving a message from God himself—feats no computer will ever accomplish.

Far more often than we will admit, our thinking is not Christian. John Milton wrote, “A mind is its own place, and in itself / Can make a heav’n of hell, a hell of heav’n.…” And that is the experience of every Christian.

B. Guide Your Meditation - (Vs. 8)

Paul gives a checklist for healthy thinking… (Vs. 8) It is imperative that we invite Christ to take over our minds.

Proverbs 4:23 KJV 1900

23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.

Fill your mind with God’s Word, not the world’s worry.

Thanksgiving refocuses your meditation from problems to promises.

Psalm 1:2 KJV 1900

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; And in his law doth he meditate day and night.

C. Grow in Maturity - (Vs. 9)

Verse 9: “Those things… do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” Gratitude matures when thoughts turn into actions.

It’s not just what you feel thankful for — it’s how you live thankfully.

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the rest.” — Cicero

Transition to Conclusion

When gratitude shapes your joy, your prayers, and your thoughts, peace becomes your constant companion. Let’s bring this together.

CONCLUSION — A LIFESTYLE OF THANKSGIVING

Paul’s words echo through the centuries: Rejoice … Pray … Think … Thank. That is the rhythm of a grateful life.

You may not be able to control every circumstance, but you can control your response. You can choose gratitude in the storm, gratitude in the waiting, gratitude in the blessing.

When gratitude becomes your practice, peace becomes your portion.

“And the God of peace shall be with you.” (Philippians 4:9)

Let gratitude be your daily practice — for a thankful heart is a peaceful heart.