Habits of Gratitude & Prayer

"Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:5-7

The Power of Attitude and Gratitude

Your attitude towards people will either open doors or shut doors. Does your attitude bring people down or are you bringing life?
We have the POWER to choose how we show up and the attitude we bring.
ATTITUDE is a composite of your thoughts, feelings, and actions. To change our attitude, change our thoughts and feelings.
“Nothing can stop the person with the right mental attitude from achieving his/her goals; Nothing on earth can help the person with the wrong mental attitude.” —Thomas Jefferson

A person of GRATITUDE...

* Intentionally looks for the good in every person and every situation (even the tough ones)

* Sees everything as a gift (even our challenges and failures give us opportunities to learn and grow)
* Takes daily inventory of the people, things, and situations to be grateful for
* Consistently expresses gratitude to God and others (family, friends, teachers, strangers, etc)
* When faced with anger or frustration, choose grateful thoughts because you can’t be grateful and angry at the same time.

Where are you starting?

Consider how often you intentionally call to mind what you are grateful for. Do you say thank you to others—rarely, sometimes, or often? Are you quick to find the good in a difficult situation?

How can you practice gratitude? Consider these ideas (or brainstorm your own!):

- Use sticky notes on your mirror and in your locker to remind you to FIND THE GOOD or EXPRESS GRATITUDE (or as your phone’s wall paper)
- Set an alarm at the beginning and end of every day to spend 1-2 minutes calling to mind everything you are grateful for.
- Invite your family to share at dinner: “What are you grateful for today?”
- Commit to sending one “thank you” text a day to someone you’re thankful for.
- Use a gratitude journal (or make a list on your phone) to record 1-5 things everyday you are grateful for

A person of PRAYERFULNESS...

Where are you starting?

Consider the ways you enjoy connecting with God already: When do you pray? How long do you spend in prayer? In what ways do you pray?
What is a habit/routine you already have that you can couple to a new or enhanced habit of praying?

For instance: Praying on the way to school or practice/while walking the dog/before bed

Where and how long to pray?

Cement a consistent time/place you can spend a few minutes with God everyday.

Write it down as your appointment with God.
Be realistic about how long. If you are just establishing a habit of praying, choose a manageable amount of time, like 3-10 minutes a day.

Create a conducive environment:

Intentionally create an environment with minimal distractions so you can do your best to focus on being present to Jesus, God the Father, and/or the Holy Spirit.

For instance:
* Utilize your phone! Turn it on airplane mode or do not disturb; set a timer for your desired time with God; pull up a loving image of Jesus; play a relaxing classical or Christian song.
* Use something tangible like a cross, holy card, religious statue or picture or a rosary to provide something for your eyes and hands to focus on.
* Express reverence and humility in your body posture: consistently kneel or sit with your hands open or in whatever body position conveys thoughtfulness to God.

Prayer Experiences

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