Prayer thanking God from the bottom of my heart. This prayer of thanksgiving offers gratitude to God for all the favors He grants and for all the experiences in life, both joys and sorrows. If you struggle with the virtue of gratitude, this prayer is a wonderful way to help you grow to love and appreciate the intimate ways the Lord draws you closer to Him through all of your experiences, both good and bad.
“As in the prayer of petition, every event and need can become an offering of thanksgiving. The letters of St. Paul often begin and end with thanksgiving, and the Lord Jesus is always present in it:
"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" ; "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.”
If you struggle with anxiety and depression, there is scientific evidence that having gratitude can rewire your brain and help you overcome your struggles with feelings of worry, hopelessness, distrust. Regularly practicing gratitude will help boost the levels of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin in your body, reduce cortisol levels, and increase gray matter in your prefrontal cortex. This prayer is an example of how to show gratitude to God from your heart, but the best way to show gratitude is to make it really deeply felt and intimately personal.
Begin with this prayer, and then spend some time in silent contemplation. Just sit and be with God, offering him love from the bottom of your heart without words.
"Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
Prayer Thanking God from the Bottom of My Heart
O my God,
I thank You for all the favors You have given me. I give you thanks from the bottom of my heart for having created me, for all the joys of life and its sorrows too, for the home You gave me, for the loved ones with which You have surrounded me, for the friends I have made through life.
My Lord God, I thank You for guarding me always, and keeping me safe; I thank You for forgiving me so often in the Sacrament of Reconciliation; for offering Yourself in the Holy Mass with all of Your infinite merits to the Father for me; for coming to me in Holy Communion in spite of the coldness of my welcome; for Your patient waiting in the adorable sacrament of the altar.
My Jesus, I thank You for having lived, suffered, and died for me. I thank You for Your love. I thank You, Lord, for preparing a place for me in heaven, where I hope to be happy with You and to thank You for all eternity.
AMEN.
After you have finished this prayer, thanking God from the bottom of my heart, invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you. Just spend a few minutes dialoguing with the Lord about intimate things in your life that you are grateful for. Mention people, situations, things both joyful and sorrowful. Ask Him to help you see more things to be grateful for, and listen in the silence as thoughts come to your mind.
“The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for what He is sending us every day in His goodness.” – St. Gianna Beretta Molla