Definition and Meaning:
Gratefulness, or gratitude, is the quality of being thankful and showing appreciation for the blessings and kindness received. In the biblical context, it is an attitude of the heart that acknowledges God's goodness and grace in all circumstances.

Biblical References:
The concept of gratefulness is woven throughout the Scriptures, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and responding to God's benevolence with a thankful heart.

1. Old Testament:
· Psalm 100:4 : "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and bless His name." This verse highlights the importance of approaching God with a heart full of gratitude, acknowledging His sovereignty and goodness.
· 1 Chronicles 16:34 : "Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever." Here, gratitude is linked to God's enduring love and faithfulness.

2. New Testament:
· 1 Thessalonians 5:18 : "Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." This passage instructs believers to maintain a grateful attitude regardless of their situation, recognizing it as God's will.
· Philippians 4:6 : "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Gratitude is presented as an antidote to anxiety, encouraging believers to approach God with a thankful heart in prayer.

Theological Significance:
Gratefulness is a fundamental aspect of Christian living, reflecting a heart transformed by the Holy Spirit. It is an expression of faith and trust in God's providence and goodness. Gratitude is not merely a response to favorable circumstances but a recognition of God's presence and work in all aspects of life.

Practical Application:
Believers are encouraged to cultivate a lifestyle of gratitude by regularly reflecting on God's blessings and expressing thankfulness in prayer and worship. This practice not only honors God but also fosters a positive and joyful spirit, impacting relationships and personal well-being.

Examples of Gratefulness in the Bible:
· The Song of Moses and Miriam (Exodus 15): After the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, Moses and Miriam led the people in a song of thanksgiving, praising God for their deliverance from Egypt.
· The Thankful Leper (Luke 17:11-19): Of the ten lepers healed by Jesus, only one returned to express gratitude, demonstrating the importance of acknowledging God's work in our lives.

Conclusion:
Gratefulness is a vital component of a believer's relationship with God, reflecting an understanding of His grace and mercy. It is a discipline that shapes the heart and mind, aligning them with God's will and purpose.1. (a.) Having a due sense of benefits received; kindly disposed toward one from whom a favor has been received; willing to acknowledge and repay, or give thanks for, benefits; as, a grateful heart.

2. (a.) Affording pleasure; pleasing to the senses; gratifying; delicious; as, a grateful present; food grateful to the palate; grateful sleep.

2170. eucharistos -- thankful
... thankful. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: eucharistos Phonetic Spelling:
(yoo-khar'-is-tos) Short Definition: thankful, grateful Definition: thankful ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2170.htm - 7k

4375. prosphiles -- pleasing, agreeable
... Adjective Transliteration: prosphiles Phonetic Spelling: (pros-fee-lace') Short
Definition: pleasing, acceptable Definition: pleasing, acceptable, grateful. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4375.htm - 7k

2169. eucharistia -- thankfulness, giving of thanks
... From eucharistos; gratitude; actively, grateful language (to God, as an act of worship)
-- thankfulness, (giving of) thanks(-giving). see GREEK eucharistos. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2169.htm - 7k

2168. eucharisteo -- to be thankful
... give thanks. From eucharistos; to be grateful, ie (actively) to express gratitude
(towards); specially, to say grace at a meal -- (give) thank(-ful, -s). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2168.htm - 8k

2101. euarestos -- well-pleasing
... euarestos Phonetic Spelling: (yoo-ar'-es-tos) Short Definition: acceptable,
well-pleasing Definition: acceptable, well-pleasing (especially to God), grateful. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2101.htm - 7k

In Grateful Songs.
... IN GRATEFUL SONGS. In grateful songs your voices raise, All people here below,
To Him whom angels ever praise, In heav'n His glory show. ...
/.../gerhardt/paul gerhardts spiritual songs/in grateful songs.htm

For Grateful Submission.
... DEVOUT EXERCISES. 499. " For Grateful Submission. 499. CM Montgomery.
For Grateful Submission. 1 One prayer I have,"all prayers ...
/.../adams/hymns for christian devotion/499 for grateful submission.htm

Grateful Aspirations
... The Treasury of Sacred Song. Book First CLXXXI GRATEFUL ASPIRATIONS. I
oft recal the moments dear, Enjoy'd in penitential tear: A ...
/.../palgrave/the treasury of sacred song/clxxxi grateful aspirations.htm

One of Ten Lepers Cured is Grateful
... ILLUSTRATIONS: ONE OF TEN LEPERS CURED IS GRATEFUL. And it came to pass, as he went
to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. ...
/.../newton/the life of jesus christ for the young/one of ten lepers cured.htm

The Grateful Samaritan Leper.
... HIS FACE TOWARD JERUSALEM. THE FINAL DEPARTURE FROM GALILEE. THE GRATEFUL
SAMARITAN LEPER. And it came to pass, as they were on ...
//christianbookshelf.org/barton/his life/the grateful samaritan leper.htm

He is Stimulated to Speak of Him by the Longing of a Grateful Mind ...
... Argument III."He is Stimulated to Speak of Him by the Longing of a Grateful Mind.
To the Utmost of His Ability He Thinks He Ought to Thank Him. ...
/.../argument iii he is stimulated to.htm

Constantine Gives Glory to God, Makes Grateful Acknowledgment of ...
... Book II. Chapter LV."Constantine gives Glory to God, makes Grateful Acknowledgment
of the Sign of the Cross, and prays for the Churches and People. ...
/.../pamphilius/the life of constantine/chapter lv constantine gives glory to.htm

Fire! Fire! Fire!
... BEFORE we explain the metaphor of the text, it may be well for us to remark that
we are not sufficiently grateful, I fear, for the preservation which God ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 7 1861/fire fire fire.htm

The Tenth Chapter: Appreciating God's Grace
... Fountainhead. Grace is always given to him who is duly grateful, and what is
wont to be given the humble will be taken away from the proud. ...
/.../kempis/the imitation of christ/the tenth chapter appreciating gods.htm

Psalm XCII.
... Let him always be grateful, never ungrateful: let him be grateful to his Father,
who soothes and caresses him: and grateful to his Father when He chasteneth ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm xcii.htm

Grateful (4 Occurrences)
... received; kindly disposed toward one from whom a favor has been received; willing
to acknowledge and repay, or give thanks for, benefits; as, a grateful heart. ...
/g/grateful.htm - 7k

Cold (25 Occurrences)
... The last degree of degradation is to have "no covering in the cold" (Job 24:7).
4. Cold Grateful in Summer: In the heat of the long summer, the shadow of a ...
/c/cold.htm - 18k

Grate (6 Occurrences)

/g/grate.htm - 10k

Ungrateful (2 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (a.) Not grateful; not thankful for favors; making
no returns, or making ill return for kindness, attention, etc.; ungrateful. ...
/u/ungrateful.htm - 7k

Gratitude (6 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) The state of being grateful; warm and friendly feeling
toward a benefactor; kindness awakened by a favor received; thankfulness. ...
/g/gratitude.htm - 8k

Gourd (4 Occurrences)
... This grows plentifully all over the Orient, and under favorable conditions may reach
a height of 10 to 15 ft.; its larger leaves afford a grateful shade. ...
/g/gourd.htm - 12k

Gratefully (1 Occurrence)

/g/gratefully.htm - 6k

Welcome (31 Occurrences)
... company; as, a welcome visitor. 2. (n.) Producing gladness; grateful;
as, a welcome present; welcome news. 3. (n.) Free to have ...
/w/welcome.htm - 15k

Frankly (2 Occurrences)
... the sense of "freely," "readily," "graciously," occurs only in the translation of
charizomai, properly "to gratify," "to do that which is grateful or pleasing ...
/f/frankly.htm - 7k

Fragrance (63 Occurrences)
... 2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are a fragrance of Christ grateful to God in those whom
He is saving and in those who are perishing; (WEY YLT NAS). ...
/f/fragrance.htm - 27k

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