Entering His Gates with Thanksgiving: 5 Ways to Cultivate a Grateful Heart Toward God - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - October 23, 2025

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“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name”—Psalm 100:4

In this season of celebrating and giving thanks to God, how do we enter His gates with thanksgiving? What does it really mean and look like to us? How do we approach it and begin to live it out in our lives for ourselves? 

Thanksgiving doesn’t come naturally to us, as some may believe. It isn’t born in human hearts by our own accord, but placed within us by an almighty God who created us to express gratitude to Him. 

God created us to give thanks to Him, a divine response of gratitude stirred up within us so that we may express it to a holy, perfect God.

Five Things that Help Us Enter God’s Gates with Thanksgiving

Yet again, what does it mean to enter His gates with thanksgiving? Because we’re called to do so, the following are five heart attitudes and actions that help lead us to enter God’s gates with thanksgiving.

1. God’s work within us leads us to enter His gates with thanksgiving. As 1 Thessalonians 2:13 explains, “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

2. A grateful heart leads us to enter His gates with thanksgiving. David knew how to enter God’s gates with thanksgiving and, through His writings, teach us the fundamentals of how it flows from a heart full of gratitude.

As Psalm 9:1 describes, “I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”

3. Thankfulness to God in every circumstance leads us to enter His gates with thanksgiving. The Apostle Paul teaches us to give thanks in all circumstances, writing in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

When we truly look past our difficulties, disappointments, losses, and more and thank God despite it all, we enter His gates with thanksgiving.

4. Remembering all God has done for us leads us to enter His gates with thanksgiving. The Apostle Paul teaches us to express gratitude to God for all He has done and is doing in our lives. 

If you are stumped for reasons, start by remembering His precious gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ, His death on the cross, and His resurrection from the grave.

Followed by remembering how God gives us life, how He has provided for our needs over the years, from seemingly small things like food, water, and clothing, to greater things like family, work, and friendships.

When we do, it leads us to enter His gates with thanksgiving.  “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that He considered me trustworthy, appointing me to His service.” (1 Timothy 1:12).

5. Thanking God for all He’s doing and has done in the lives of our fellow believers leads us to enter His gates with thanksgiving. Paul seemed to take every opportunity to thank God on behalf of and for his fellow believers.

He doesn’t seem to miss a beat in thanking God for them, as Colossians 1:3 records. “We always thank God, our Lord Jesus Christ’s Father, when we pray for you.”

Also, in 1 Corinthians 1:4 he lets his brothers and sisters in Christ know how He is so grateful for God’s grace in their lives. “I always thank my God for you because of His grace given to you in Christ Jesus.”

In Romans 8:1, Paul expresses thankfulness for their faith: " First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported worldwide.”

Likewise, he takes time in Ephesians 1:15-16 to say, “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.”

Let’s Pray: 
Dear Father, our hearts are deeply grateful for the blessing of being able to enter Your gates with thanksgiving, to give thanks to You, and to praise Your holy name. Help us to take steps each day that will lead us to Your gates and to Your presence. Help us to give thanks to You with our whole hearts. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/MKucova

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Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.

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