Thankful for what I don’t have
🍂 What if God’s greatest gifts were the prayers He lovingly withheld?
📖 Scripture Focus
“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’”
— Isaiah 55:8–9 (NIV)
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
— Romans 8:28 (ESV)
“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”
— Lamentations 3:25–26 (NIV)
🕯️ Devotional Thought
This Thanksgiving, we’ll gather around tables, bow our heads, and say thank you for the blessings we can see — the home we live in, the food on the table, the people sitting next to us, the prayers God answered, and the doors He opened.
But what if we paused and thanked Him for what we don’t have?
Yes — the things we prayed for that never came.
The opportunities that passed us by.
The relationships that didn’t work out.
The timing that didn’t line up.
The “no’s” and the “not yets.”
The doors He closed gently — and the ones He slammed shut before we could walk through them.
Because sometimes, the most loving answer God can give is silence.
Sometimes, unanswered prayers are unseen protection.
And sometimes, the greatest gift is not what’s placed in our hands — but what’s withheld until the right moment.
🍁 A New Kind of Gratitude
What if we thanked God for the job we didn’t get — because it wasn’t where we were meant to grow?
What if we thanked Him for the relationship that ended — because it wasn’t rooted in Him?
What if we praised Him for the waiting season — because He’s still preparing us for something deeper, better, and more eternal?
Gratitude matures when it’s not just tied to what we possess, but also to what we trust.
It means saying:
“God, thank You for what You’ve given — and thank You for what You haven’t.”
“Thank You for the gifts — and thank You for the gifts in disguise.”
“Thank You for the anticipation, for the not-yet, for the mystery.”
✅ Practical Step
📝 Take a few quiet minutes this week and write a list titled:
“Thank You, God, for What I Don’t Have.”
Include prayers that went unanswered, doors that closed, and seasons of waiting.
Then, thank Him — not with resentment, but with trust.
💬 A Question for You
What unanswered prayer might God be inviting you to see through the lens of gratitude instead of disappointment?
🙏 Prayer
God, thank You not only for what You’ve given me, but for what You’ve lovingly withheld. Help me trust Your wisdom over my desires, Your timing over my urgency, and Your plan over my understanding. Teach my heart to thank You even in the waiting — because I know You are always good. Amen.
💌 Invite a Friend
Know someone struggling with an unanswered prayer or a season of waiting?
Forward this and remind them: God’s “no” is never careless — it’s covered in love.
