“Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”” Luke 17:17-19
As the month of April ends today, do you have a grateful heart toward God and the men God has used for you? Is your heart grateful towards God for what He has done and even for what He has not done? A heart full of gratitude is a key that unlocks greater dimensions of God’s presence and favor. In Luke 17:11–19, we see ten lepers healed by Jesus, but only one—a Samaritan—returned to give thanks. While all were cleansed, only the thankful one was made whole. Gratitude completed what faith had begun. When we honor God and people with thankful hearts, we keep the channels of blessing open.
Gratitude is also a mark of maturity and spiritual insight. Paul and Silas, in Acts 16:25-26, prayed and sang hymns of praise while in prison, and God responded by shaking the foundations of the jail and setting them free. Thanksgiving is not just a response to blessings—it is a weapon in adversity. When Jesus was about to raise Lazarus from the dead, He first gave thanks to the Father (John 11:41), showing us that gratitude can precede the miraculous. Gratitude prepares the heart for divine intervention and secures lasting victory. Beloved, let thanksgiving not be a seasonal act but a daily posture. Be grateful for every breath, every door God opens, every person He uses, and every lesson learned through trials. In all things, give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Prophetic word: "This is the season where grateful hearts will rise, and I will
pour out My presence upon them in a new way. To those who return to give
thanks, I will release more than healing—I will release wholeness, restoration,
and divine preservation. The grateful shall walk in sustained favor. Doors that
were once shut will open with ease, for gratitude is the key. As you honor Me
with a thankful heart, I will honor you before men. I will make your joy full,
and you shall lack no good thing. Be not like the nine who received and walked
away; be among the remnant that returns to say ‘Thank You,’ and watch Me lift
you into places you could never reach on your own."
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You for the breath in my lungs, for Your mercy that endures forever, and for the miracles You have done, both seen and unseen. Lord, deliver me from the entitlement that forgets, and clothe me with the humility that remembers. Give me a heart that returns quickly to say "Thank You." Let gratitude flow from my lips daily and open doors of divine favor, healing, and peace in my life. As I thank You, O God, let me experience the wholeness that only You can give. Cause every miracle in my life to be preserved and multiplied through the power of a grateful heart. In Jesus’ name, Amen.