Moving toward God through intentional practice

The practices we keep in life shape and form us along the way. Being intentional about those practices allows us to hold agency over who we’re becoming. Without intentionality, we simply drift in whatever direction the winds of our world want to take us. We’re choosing to engage in spiritual practices that enable us to be and become the men, women and children God designed us to be. 

Spiritual practices are:

“Habits, practices, and experiences that are designed to develop, grow, and strengthen certain qualities of spirit - to build the “muscles” of one’s character and expand the breadth of one’s inner life. They structure the “workouts” which train the soul.” 

~ Richard Foster

Every other month, we’ll focus on one spiritual practice intended to shape and form us in God’s image …

Gratitude

September/October 2025

God is always working in our lives. Through his creation, his voice, his people, and so much more, he gives us abundant gifts. Gratitude is a way to deepen our relationships with God and others by noticing, naming, and celebrating God’s good work.

There are many ways to practice gratitude. For this practice, we’re choosing to focus on the moments where God uses other people to bless us, and to thank both God and humans for these moments of grace.

Practice

  1. Remember. Think back over your past week, focusing on the interactions you had with other people during that time. Identify one interaction that stands out as a highlight of your week.

  2. Reflect. Bring the details of that interaction to mind. Spend some time savoring that memory. What did the other person do or say? What did you do or say? How did you feel? What about that interaction was meaningful to you? How was God present in that moment?

  3. Thank God. Tell God, “Thank you for ________.” Let him know how you felt in that moment, and what you appreciated about it. Thank him for the gift(s) he gave you through that interaction.

  4. Listen and respond. Listen for God’s response to your gratitude. Have a conversation with him about it. Let that conversation go wherever he leads.

  5. Thank the other person. Make a plan to express your gratitude to the person God used to bless you. You might write a note, send a text, or thank them in person. Let them know what they did or said that was meaningful to you. Thank them for being God’s gift to you in that moment.

Tell your story - don’t forget to tell others how it’s going.