How to Give Thanks When You Don’t Feel Thankful

2025-11-26

What do you do when everyone around you is posting grateful hearts and counting blessings, but you're just trying to get through the day? This Thanksgiving week, if your heart feels heavy instead of thankful, this episode is for you. You're not failing spiritually, and you're not alone. In this episode, Rachel explores what gratitude looks like in hard places—when life feels overwhelming, when chairs at your table are empty, when finances are tight, or when you're simply struggling to find words to pray. In This E...

What do you do when everyone around you is posting grateful hearts and counting blessings, but you're just trying to get through the day?

This Thanksgiving week, if your heart feels heavy instead of thankful, this episode is for you. You're not failing spiritually, and you're not alone.

In this episode, Rachel explores what gratitude looks like in hard places—when life feels overwhelming, when chairs at your table are empty, when finances are tight, or when you're simply struggling to find words to pray.

In This Episode, You'll Discover:

Why gratitude isn't about manufacturing feelings, but about anchoring in truth
The difference between "thank you FOR this" and "thank you IN this" (and why it matters)
A 3-step prayer pattern for when you can't feel grateful but want to give thanks anyway
What Habakkuk's prayer teaches us about defiant faith in desperate circumstances
An answered prayer story about a broken oven and the provision that came when Rachel wasn't feeling particularly grateful

Key Takeaway: God's faithfulness doesn't depend on your emotional response. You can bring your honest, heavy heart to Him and still choose thanksgiving—not for what's happening, but for who He is in the midst of it.

Perfect for: Anyone facing their first holiday after loss, struggling with family dynamics, dealing with financial stress, or simply feeling guilty for not being more grateful this Thanksgiving.

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