Day 20 — Enter with Thanks

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and bless His name. For the LORD is good, and His loving devotion endures forever; His faithfulness continues to all generations.”

— Psalm 100:4–5 (BSB)

One day, as Jesus was walking into a village, ten men stood far off and called out to Him. They had a terrible skin disease called leprosy. People with leprosy had to live apart from everyone else. They couldn’t hug their families or go to the market.

“Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” they shouted.

Jesus told them to go and show themselves to the priests, which is what people did when they had been healed. And as they went, their skin became clean!

Ten men were healed. But only one came back. He ran to Jesus, threw himself at His feet and thanked Him with a loud voice. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where then are the other nine?” (You can read the story in Luke 17:11–19.)

Nine people got the miracle but forgot to say thank you.

It’s easy to be like the nine. God gives us so much every day, but we often forget to thank Him. We ask for help, God answers, and then we move on to the next request.

Psalm 100 says to “enter His gates with thanksgiving.” In the Old Testament, God’s people went to the temple to worship. As they walked through the gates, they sang songs of thanks and praise. Thankfulness was how they came into God’s presence.

That’s a great habit for us too. When you pray, start by thanking God before you ask Him for anything.

And why should we thank Him? The psalm tells us: “For the LORD is good, and His loving devotion endures forever.” Even on a bad day, God is still good. His love never runs out. His faithfulness goes on and on, through every generation, from your great-great-grandparents all the way to you.

A thankful heart is a happy heart. When you practice thanking God, you start to notice how much He has given you.

Think about it: Why do you think only one of the ten men came back to thank Jesus? Are you more like the one or the nine?

Try this: Start every prayer today with at least three things you’re thankful for. Before bed, write down everything you thanked God for today.

Dear God, You are good, and Your love lasts forever. Forgive me for the times I’ve been like the nine who forgot to say thank you. Thank You for [name some things]. Make me a thankful person who comes to You with thanksgiving. In Jesus’ name, Amen.