The goal of this 30 days of gratitude challenge is to shift your perspective and help you build a gratitude habit in 30 days.
How do you express gratitude every day? Gratitude is first and foremost a position of the heart. It’s something we experience in our heart and ponder in our thoughts before it can become a word on our tongue or action on our lips.
With 30 daily gratitude journal prompts, I hope this gratitude journey creates a more grateful heart within you.
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30 Days of Gratitude
In tough times where circumstances are at their worst, gratitude encourages us and reminds us of the blessings we do have. On the other hand, during the fortunate times of our lives, gratitude allows us to fully appreciate the wonderful things in life and experience joy.
Gratitude comes naturally to some, but not others. Personally, I fall into the later category. Either way, these 30 days of gratitude prompts are an effective way to build a daily habit of thankfulness during the difficult times and the good times.
What is a gratitude challenge?
The purpose of a gratitude challenge is to shift your focus from lack to thanks. Instead of concentrating on what we don’t have or what we want, we can intentionally ponder what we do have and show appreciation to God for those blessings every single day.
How do you do the gratitude challenge?
While the 30 days of gratitude challenge can be done in different ways, here are a couple of suggestions on how you can complete the challenge.
- Start a Gratitude Journal – Every day, use the writing prompts and journal your thoughts about it. If you’re already journaling regularly, then consider adding gratitude lists to your daily reflection and introspection time.
- Dedicated Prayer Time – Our thanksgiving should be expressed to God our provider. So set aside time daily, such as in the morning or evening to spend time in prayer. Thank God in your prayer for the thankful challenge item.
- Do the Challenge with a Friend – Accountability is a great way to encourage you to complete the thankful challenge, especially as you’re building a new habit. For example, consider calling a close friend or sending a family member a text message. Share what you were thankful for that day and how it impacted your day.
- DIY (or Buy) a Gratitude Jar – A gratitude jar can be a simple, yet amazing way to express your gratitude. At the end of the day, write down something you are thankful for on a piece of paper and place it inside the jar. Then, open the jar to find an overflowing list of things to be thankful for at the end of the month.
- Speak it and Do it – This option for the challenge is probably the hardest, but also very rewarding. As you think about the gratitude challenge ideas, brainstorm ways that you can speak and act in a way that expresses that gratitude. A common example is passing on your gratitude with a random act of kindness.
Now that you know how you’re going to do the 30 days of thanks challenge, the only thing left to do is start. Here are the focuses for every 5 days for the 30-day challenge.
- The Basics: Days 1-5
- God: Days 6-10
- People: Days 11-15
- Objects: Days 16-20
- City: Days 21-25
- The Hardest: Days 25-30
If you’re in a hurry, the video below displays the entire 30 days of thanks challenge in a video pin on Pinterest.
1 – Shelter
To start off the gratitude list, we’re going back to the basics. First, give thanks for a roof over your head. Whether it’s an Apartment, House, Condo, duplex, triplex, where you imagined you’d be living or not, be thankful and rejoice that you have a place to lay your head at night.
2 – Job
No matter if you like the job or not, you have a salary and a way to pay the bills. As an extra challenge, try to think of the things that you like about your job, no matter how small or trivial.
3 – Food / Nourishment
4 – Safety
We will never truly know the threat of danger around us. But we can be thankful that in this moment, we are safe. We don’t know what will happen ten minutes from now, but we are safe now.
5 – Family
Thank your parents for never giving up on you. Thank your siblings for loving you even when they didn’t like you.
How have they helped you, encouraged you, and made life richer? If your family is the root of some personal pain, how has God filled that sense of belonging for you?
6 – God’s Character
Strong. Powerful. Faithful. Merciful. Generous. Incredibly Loving. Make a list of God’s characteristics and think about how he demonstrates those characteristics in your life.
Memorize a Bible verse or two to help you meditate on his character. These Bible verses about God’s love for us will get you started.
7 – Salvation through Grace
If you’re having a tough time with this daily prompt, I understand. Though recognizing our sin is part of repentance, sometimes I repent and still feel overly burdened by it.
Be encouraged that God’s forgiveness covers all that you’ve done and will do. Psalm 102:12-14 reminds us of God’s great compassion for us and that his forgiveness has completely erased our sins. Now, we must respond by accepting God’s love for us.
Understanding God’s love give us another gift to be thankful for.
8 – God, Jesus, Holy Spirit
Pick a member of the trinity and express why you are thankful for him. For example, are you thankful for the comfort of God today?
No matter what you’re thankful for that day, don’t forget to thank the one who has given it to you: God, our heavenly father. Praising God is part of a daily practice of gratitude.
9 – Freedom to Gather and Worship
Depending on where you are in the world, you may or may not have this freedom. Either way, it’s not something to take for granted. Thank God that we can gather or worship Him, whether in a church building or silently in our hearts.
10 – Freedom of Speech and Religion
This is another one that doesn’t apply to everyone in the world. We should never forget the persecuted Christians who can’t worship in public or fear for their lives because of their belief in Jesus. As we’re thankful on Day 10 for freedom of religion, we should also pray for the persecuted church.
11 – Colleagues
Your job may be a positive experience right now, or perhaps your job is awful. Are there any colleagues that make your day better?
Does someone always say Good Morning? Has someone surprised you with a coffee at your desk?
One of the cohosts on The Ramsey Show podcast talked about how purpose can come from our relationships as well as our jobs. Oftentimes we’re so focused on the job that we forget the relational aspects of our work and to be thankful for them.
12 – Mentor or Boss
Throughout my internships in college, I had a lot of great bosses and some poor ones, too. Now, I know having a great manager is something to rejoice over.
If you don’t currently have a good manager, perhaps there’s a great mentor in the workplace for whom you can be grateful. Mentors have had a positive impact on my life through career coaching, positive feedback, and teaching me valuable soft skills.
13 – A Loving Friend
The first person that came to mind when you read this is who you should be grateful for. The person who stuck by your side and supported you through thick and thin.
14 – Who You Go to Advice For
This may be your parents, sibling, or mentor. Perhaps it’s a spiritual mentor, a trusting friend, or an extended relative.
15 – A Relationship that taught you something
Not all relationships are peaches and rainbows all the time. But they often teach us something.
For example, though my first romantic relationship eventually ended, it taught me a lot about communication and my aspirations for the future.
16 – Something in Your Kitchen or Living Room
This next section for the days of thanks challenge days 16-20 is all about objects. This section may seem silly at times, but bear with me.
So, what are you thankful in your living room? For me, it’s my dishwasher. After 4 years without one in college, now it’s changed my life!
17 – Something in Your Bedroom or Bathroom
Think simple but specific. Like, hot water in your shower. For me, my wedge pillow has been one of those things that I love and can’t believe I lived so long without. Is there anything you take for granted that perhaps you could spend extra time appreciating today?
18 – An Appliance You Couldn’t Live Without
Ex: My coffee maker. In retrospect, I think my oven and range would be the hardest to live without. I would be getting takeout every day. What appliance are you thankful for?
19 – Technology You Appreciate
Electricity, Plumbing, Ceiling Fans? Think outside the box on this one.
I have some friends who wish they were born in another time, like the 1920s. On the other hand, I will always prefer to have my car, my laptop, and indoor plumbing.
20 – A Book that Taught You Something
Whether you read it last week, a year ago, or when you were 8, what did you enjoy about it? What impression has this book left on you?
21 – First Responders / Healthcare Workers
For their calmness under pressure, for their dedication to prevention and saving lives, for their desire to serve others. Is there a medical team that has made an impact on you or your family members?
22 – Police / Fire Fighters / Judges / City Workers
You may not notice or interact daily with these people, but they have an important role in keeping you safe and caring for your city and country. Praise God for their willingness to serve your community.
23 – Men and Women in the Military / Protection
In some countries, the military is a force that is against the citizens. We should pray for peace in those countries and that God would protect the innocent.
24 – Your Vehicle / Transportation
However, you get around, thank God for your mobility and freedom to move freely. Pray for those who are less fortunate.
25 – Nature
Sunshine, Clouds, Beaches, Lakes, Mountains. Wherever your happy place in nature, thank God that he created it for you to enjoy.
26 – Challenges
What’s currently challenging you in your spiritual, personal, or work life? How is it helping you grow? For example, a challenge at work may encourage you to develop new skills.
27 – A Moment of Pain
Do you believe that? In the moments of pain, it’s hard to, but looking back, I can often see God’s handiwork during those periods of my life.
28 – A Mistake
What we think is a mistake may actually be a blessing. It could reveal something to us, teach us something, or protect us from greater harm.
29 – A Hard Lesson Learned
Whether from a costly mistake, pain of a relationship, or something else, we all have learned some lessons the hard way. What has that experience taught you?
30 – The Present Moment
Lately, I’ve been challenged to be more present. So often, I am either anxious about the future or drowning in shame over the past. But God wants us to be with him now, in the present, and with a hope for eternity.
As you think about why you are thankful for the present moment, read over these two bible verses about the present.
Download the 30 days of Gratitude List
In case you need to take this list on the go or prefer printing it out for reference, I’ve compiled the 30 days of thanks challenge into a free gratitude challenge pdf.
This way, you can refer to it as you do this thankful challenge now and in the future.
Gratitude Practice for Everyday Life
As adults, it’s easy to spend so much time worrying about what we can’t control that we let our circumstances steal our joy. I’ll be the first to admit that this has happened to me. But I can also tell you this.
From day 1 to day 30, these grateful challenge ideas will encourage you to be thankful, for the big things and the little things. When I look back on this list, I realize just how much I have to be grateful for.
God wants us to choose thanksgiving and respond to every situation by turning to Him. Comparing myself to others and listening to the world’s messages about materialism will steal my joy.
But gratitude leads to joy.
Kara J Lovett Co.
Whenever you need a boost of gratitude for your attitude, a day of thanks is yours for the taking. These bible verses about gratitude will also help you cultivate a spirit of thankfulness.
So, whether you commit to the 30 days of thanks challenge in Novemeber, fall, or another time of the year, I hope it helps you shift your perspective and above all, be thankful!
What are some other graitude activities you can do?
Leave me a comment below!
Don’t miss this! More posts in the Growing in Faith Category:
- Cultivate a Thankful Heart with 25+ Bible Verses about Gratitude
- How to Make a Gratitude List (And Why You Should)
- 5 Strategies for How to Remove Fear from Mind and Heart
- How to Bloom Where God Plants You with Grace
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