EJOM DAILY DEVOTIONAL – June 11, 2026

Topic: The Power of Thanksgiving in Difficult Times

Opening Scriptures:

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

“I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Psalm 34:1

Memory Verse:

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Philippians 4:6

Praise and Worship:

Sing songs of gratitude, faith, hope, and trust in God’s unfailing love.

EJOM DAILY DEVOTIONAL: June 11, 2026 -The Power of Thanksgiving in Difficult Times

Many people are waiting for God to do something new in their life, while God is waiting for them to appreciate what He has already done. There are countless reasons to thank God for every day. We should thank Him for the gift of life. We should thank Him for good health. We should thank Him for His protection over our families.

We should thank Him for the victories He gives us in our dreams and spiritual battles. We should thank Him for His daily provision for us. We should thank Him for the little blessings that often go unnoticed.

One of the greatest mistakes people make is treating God’s blessings as ordinary things. Because the sun rises every morning, we think it is normal. Because we can breathe without assistance, we think it is normal.

Because we can sleep and wake up safely, we think it is normal. Because we can walk, talk, eat, and carry out our daily activities, we think it is normal. But none of these things are ordinary. They are daily expressions of God’s mercy.

When you treat God’s blessing as ordinary, you will not value it. And what you don’t value, you may lose the benefits. The good health you enjoy today is a prayer point for many people. The position you are today by God’s grace is a daily prayer point for many. There are many people lying on hospital beds praying for healing.

There are people spending huge amounts of money on medication every week just to stay alive. Yet many of us hardly thank God for the good health we are enjoying by God’s mercy this is because we are focusing or worried on what we do not have. The peace of mind you enjoy today is another blessing many people are desiring.

There are individuals who have wealth today but cannot sleep at night. They have money but no joy. They have possessions but no peace. Some are paying heavily for cout case, and other issues. Yet God has given you peace freely. Is that not enough reason to thank Him?

Many believers are so focused on one unanswered prayer that they forget the hundreds of prayers or requests God has already answered. They spend all their time thinking about what is missing instead of appreciating what is present. This attitude can rob them of their joy and therefore hinder them from recognizing God’s goodness in their life.

When you understand the power of thanksgiving, you will begin to appreciate every investment God has made in your life. You begin to see His hand in places where others see coincidence. You begin to recognize that every good thing comes from Him.

If you are still expecting a breakthrough, thank God. If your prayers have not yet been answered, thank God. If you are trusting God for marriage, thank Him because He is able to prepare the right person at the right time. If you are believing God for a job, thank Him because He is your provider.

If you are waiting for healing, thank Him because He is still the Great Physician. If you are trusting God for fruit of the womb, continue to thank Him. Thanksgiving is a declaration of confidence that God is working even when you cannot yet see the result.

It is important to understand that thanksgiving is not thanking God for the problems we are facing. Rather, it is thanking Him for the blessings we continue to enjoy despite the problems. We are not celebrating the trouble; but we are celebrating God’s faithfulness in the midst of the trouble.

Consider a little child who asks her father to buy her ice cream. The father knows that ice cream is her child’s favorite treat. Instead of buying the ice cream for her daughter, he buys a packet of biscuits for her. If the child receives the biscuits and begins to complain, frown, and reject the gift, the father may feel unappreciated.

He may wonder, “If my child cannot appreciate this small gift, how will she appreciate something bigger?” This is how many people behave toward God. They ask for one specific blessing, and because it has not yet arrived, we ignore every other blessing He has given us.

We fail to appreciate the food on our table, the roof over ourheads, the strength in our bodies, the good family around us, the protection we are enjoying, and the opportunities He provides for us. Her daughter’s mind become fixed on the “ice cream,” and  fail to appreciate the “biscuits.”

God wants us to develop hearts of gratitude. A grateful heart attracts more blessings to us because it recognizes the value of what God has already given to us. Thanksgiving opens our eyes to God’s goodness and prepares us for greater testimonies.

Whether you are doing well or passing through a difficult season in life, learn to thank God. Thank Him when the answer comes quickly. Thank Him when the answer comes gradually. Thank Him when the road is smooth. Thank Him when the journey is challenging. Thank Him for the blessings you can see and for the blessings you have not yet noticed.

The more you grow in your walk with God, the more you will realize that gratitude is not merely a reaction to blessings; it is a lifestyle. Thanksgiving should not be something we do only when a miracle happens. But it should become part of who we are. A believer who has learned the secret of thanksgiving does not wait for perfect circumstances before praising God. He understands that God deserves thanks at all times.

The Bible says, in everything, we should give thanks to God. One reason thanksgiving is so powerful is because it keeps our hearts humble before God and man. When people stop thanking God, they often begin to believe that their achievements are the result of their own strength, intelligence, or hard work. They forget that it was God who gave them the opportunity, the wisdom, the favour, the protection, and the strength to succeed.

The Bible says in Deuteronomy that when people enter their season of abundance and glory, they must be careful not to forget the Lord their God. The truth is that, prosperity has caused many people to forget the God who has brought them out of their difficulties. They prayed fervently when they had nothing in them, but when blessings arrived, their thanksgiving disappeared.

They stopped appreciating God because they began to see their blessings as personal achievements rather than the blessing coming from God. Every breath you take is a clear proof that God has not finished with you yet. Every new day is another opportunity that many people wished they had.

Every morning you open your eyes is evidence that God’s mercy is still speaking over your life. The fact that you survived yesterday is not because you were stronger than everyone else. It is because God’s mercy has preserved you.

Think about the dangers God has protected you from without your knowledge. Think about the accident He has saved you from. Think about your child delivery at the hospital recently. Think about the relationship He scattered for your own freedom. There are traps you never knew existed in your relatiobship with people.

There are arrows that never come near you because God’s hand is upon you. There are battles that God fought and won on your behalf in the spiritual realm while you were sleeping peacefully. Is that not enough to thank God? Many of the things God does for us happen behind the scenes, yet they deserve thanksgiving and appreciation to God.

Sometimes we thank God only for what we can see, but those who are in Christ learn to thank Him more for what they cannot see. They thank Him for the dangers for the fruit and gift of the Spirit. They thank Him for the disappointments that saved them from future regrets. They thank Him for the closed doors that protected them from destruction.

They thank Him for the delays that prevented them from making costly mistakes. Looking back over your life, you will discover that some prayers God did not answer were actually acts of God’s mercy.

There are people you wanted desperately to marry, jobs you wanted desperately to get, places you wanted desperately to go, and opportunities you thought you could not live without.

Yet years later, you thank God that those doors never opened to you. What looked like rejection to you was actually divine protection. This is why thanksgiving requires trust and must be a continuous thing. We should thank God not only for what makes sense to us but also because we trust His wisdom. We trust that He sees what we cannot see.

We trust that He knows the end from the beginning. We trust that His plans are better than ours. Many people allow difficult situations to steal their praise. They stop singing, stop rejoicing, and sometimes even stop praying because life is not going the way they expected. However, the Bible teaches us that our circumstances should not determine our relationship with God.

God will remain God in our life whether the situation is favorable or not. Thanksgiving also helps us remember God’s past victories and testimony. One reason people become more discouraged is because they forget what God has already done for them. The same God who protected you yesterday can protect you today.

The same God who provided for you before can provide again. When you count your blessings, your faith becomes stronger. There are people today who are praying for things that you already have. Some are praying for wisdom. Some are praying for a job. Some are praying for peace in their homes. Some are praying for the opportunity to worship God freely.

When you recognize God’s blessings in your life, gratitude naturally flows from your heart. Another power of thanksgiving is that it shifts the atmosphere around you. It is difficult to remain depressed when your heart is filled with genuine gratitude. Thanksgiving fills the mind with hope. It reminds us that our story is not over yet and that God is still writing new chapters in our life.

The devil loves to keep believers more focused on what they have lost, what they do not have, the person that hurt them and what has not yet happened. God wants you to focus on His promises, His faithfulness, and His power over your life. Listen: The more you focus on God’s goodness, the stronger your faith becomes.

Thanking God should be a daily habit, and you should be something that we should freely do. Even in difficult seasons, there is always something to thank God for. If you are alive today, please thank Him. If you can still pray, thank Him. If you can still hear His Word, thank Him. If His mercy is still speaking for you, thank Him.

If the enemy has not destroyed you despite all the battles you have faced, thank Him. Sometimes God allows us to go through some difficult seasons to strengthen our faith, teach us patience, and prepare us for greater blessings ahead.

A farmer does not see immediate results after planting seeds. Yet he remains hopeful because he understands the process. Likewise, believers must learn to thank God during seasons when they do not yet see visible results.

The devil is uncomfortable around grateful people. He knows that the grateful people will keep trusting God despite what the devil throws at them. Do you know that complaining magnifies problems, but thanksgiving magnifies God? When you complain constantly, your focus remains on the mountain.

When you thank God, your focus shifts to the God who can move the mountain. It shifs to the God who can do all things. Thanksgiving reminds us that God has not abandoned us. It reminds that God still loves us. It reminds us that God is working behind the scenes even when we cannot see or feel it.

Many miracles begin with thanksgiving.  Jesus gave thanks before multiplying the loaves and fishes. He gave thanks before raising Lazarus from the dead. In the Bible, out of the 10 lepers that received their blessing, only one came back to appreciate what God did for him. Thanksgiving often precedes or provokes divine intervention.

As believers, we must learn to develop a lifestyle of gratitude. Thank God for what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do. Thank God when the answer comes quickly. Thank God when the answer takes time. Thank God during the storm and after the storm.

A thankful heart is a powerful heart. Because no situation can manipulate such person. Many breakthroughs have been delayed because they allowed murmuring to replace their thanksgiving. They allowed comparison, envy or bitterness to replace their thanksgiving.

The Israelites witnessed miracles, yet they constantly complained. Their complaints prevented them from enjoying many of God’s promises. Beloved, complaining attracts failure, but thanksgiving attracts God’s mercy. Sometimes God allows us to pass through difficult seasons so that we can develop deeper faith and stronger character. If everything came easily, many people would never learn dependence upon God.

Thanksgiving confuses the enemy because he expects you to become bitter. Instead, you become grateful. He expects you to complain. Instead, you worship God unconditionally. He expects you to quit. Instead, you glorify God more. By that act, you have defeated the devil.

There was a time you prayed for what you currently have. There was a time you wished for the opportunities you now enjoy. There was a time you cried over challenges that God has already solved. If God did it before, He can do it again.

Your present challenge is not your final destination. The God who brought you this far in life will not abandon you now. Thanksgiving is a declaration that your miracle is in the process. Thanksgiving also protects the heart from bitterness.

It’s possible that tough situations can make people angry, resentful, and spiritually cold. But a thankful heart remains soft before God. Gratitude reminds us of God’s previous faithfulness in our life and strengthens our confidence for future victories. When Jesus stood before the tomb of Lazarus, He gave thanks before the miracle occurred.

Before the dead man came out of the grave, Jesus thanked the Father. Thanksgiving preceded manifestation. A thankful believer sees opportunities where others see obstacles. A thankful believer sees lessons where others see disappointments.

A thankful believer sees God’s hand even when the situation is not yet favorable. This does not mean we thank God for evil or celebrate pain. Rather, we thank Him because we know He is greater than our challenges and because He can use every situation for His glory and our good.

No matter what you are facing today, choose thanksgiving over worry. Thank God for His mercy. Thank Him for His faithfulness. Thank Him for His protection. Thank Him because He is still God that can do all things.

Another beautiful thing about thanksgiving is that it changes our perspective. Two people can face the same situation and respond differently. One person sees only the problem. The other sees the faithfulness of God in the midst of the problem. One becomes discouraged. The other remains hopeful. The difference is often gratitude.

The enemy wants believers to become experts at noticing problems and amateurs at noticing blessings. He wants them to remember every disappointment but forget every miracle. He wants them to focus on what God has not yet done while ignoring everything God has already done. Thanksgiving destroys this strategy because it forces us to remember God’s goodness.

Take a moment and think about where you would be if God had not intervened in your life. Think about the mistakes that should have destroyed you. Think about the sicknesses you recovered from. Think about the prayers He answered. Think about the difficult seasons He brought you through.

Think about the victories He gave you in battles that seemed impossible to win. When you begin to count your blessings carefully, you will discover that God’s goodness has been following you more than you realized. You will see that His mercy has been carrying you even in seasons when you felt alone.

You will recognize that His hand has been guiding your life in ways you never fully understood. Perhaps you are reading this devotional today while still waiting for a major breakthrough. Maybe there is a burden on your heart, a prayer request that seems unanswered, or a challenge that refuses to disappear. Do not allow that one issue to blind you to a thousand other reasons to thank God.

The fact that you are still standing means God is not finished with your story. The fact that you are still praying means hope is still alive. The fact that you are still seeking God means His grace is still at work in your life. Your current challenge is only one chapter of your story; it is not the entire book.

Sometimes your thanksgiving becomes a prophecy of what God is about to do. When you thank God in advance, you are expressing confidence that your testimony is coming. Just as farmers plant seeds expecting a harvest, believers offer thanksgiving expecting God’s intervention.

Remember this: If you can still thank God in the storm, you have not been defeated by the storm. The storm will pass, the battle will end, and the testimony will come. Keep thanking God, for He is working all things together for your good. (Romans 8:28).

A thankful heart enjoys God’s blessings, while an ungrateful heart is never satisfied. Thanksgiving helps us see God in every situation. When Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, it would have been easy for him to become bitter. Yet throughout his trials, God was preparing him for a greater purpose.

Years later, Joseph could see that what men meant for evil, God turned around for good. If God could work through Joseph’s suffering, He can work through your difficulties as well. Many people think thanksgiving is only for prosperous times, but some of the greatest acts of worship happen during seasons of uncertainty.

When you thank God despite unanswered questions, you are declaring that your faith is in Him and not merely in His gifts. The widow of Zarephath had only a handful of meal and a little oil. Humanly speaking, she had every reason to panic. Yet her obedience to God’s instruction positioned her for supernatural provision. God specializes in multiplying little things.

Sometimes what appears insufficient today becomes abundant tomorrow through God’s power. One danger of refusing to give thanks is that it blinds us to God’s daily mercies. We begin to focus so much on one unmet need that we ignore hundreds of blessings around us. We complain about what is missing while forgetting what God has already provided.

The air we breathe, the strength to walk, the ability to pray, and the gift of another day are all reasons to be thankful. Thanksgiving is also an act of spiritual warfare. The enemy wants believers to become discouraged and hopeless. He wants them to spend their days complaining and doubting God’s goodness.

But every time you thank God in the midst of difficulty, you are declaring that the enemy has not stolen your faith. You are proclaiming that God is still worthy of praise regardless of your circumstances. The Bible records only one leper returning to thank Jesus after being healed.

Ten received a miracle, but only one returned with gratitude. Jesus noticed the difference. This teaches us that thanksgiving is precious in the sight of God. Many people know how to ask, but few know how to appreciate.

There is also a connection between thanksgiving and contentment. Contentment does not mean you stop believing God for greater things. It means you appreciate where you are while trusting God for where He is taking you. You can desire growth and still be grateful. You can pray for more and still appreciate what you already have.

Abraham waited many years for the promised child. Humanly speaking, the delay was enough to make him lose hope. Yet the Bible says he was strong in faith, giving glory to God. While circumstances appeared impossible, Abraham continued to honor God. He chose faith over fear and thanksgiving over despair. Eventually, God’s promise came to pass.

Many believers today make the same mistake. Instead of counting their blessings, they count their troubles. Instead of remembering God’s faithfulness, they focus only on their disappointments. The result is discouragement and spiritual weakness. But when thanksgiving becomes a habit, faith becomes stronger.

There are times when God’s greatest blessings come disguised as disappointments. Joseph’s brothers thought they were destroying his destiny when they sold him into slavery. They did not realize they were helping to position him for the palace.

Sometimes God uses difficult situations to move us toward our divine purpose. What looks like a setback today may become the reason for tomorrow’s testimony. Another blessing of thanksgiving is that it brings peace to the mind.

A person who constantly complains will struggle with anxiety and frustration. A person who continually thanks God will experience greater peace. This is why grateful people often carry joy even during difficult seasons. Their confidence is not in circumstances but in God’s ability to work all things together for good.

Thanksgiving reminds us that God’s delays are not God’s denials. Sometimes the answer takes longer because God is preparing something bigger than we expected. Sometimes He is preparing us before releasing the blessing. A wise believer learns to thank God not only for what has arrived but also for what is still being prepared.

when you continue thanking God despite the battle, you are declaring that your confidence remains in the Lord.Never allow temporary troubles to make you forget eternal truths. God still loves you. God still hears your prayers. God still knows your needs. God still has a plan for your life. God still has the power to turn situations around.

These truths remain unchanged regardless of what you are facing. A thankful believer may pass through difficult times, but difficult times will never be able to destroy a thankful believer. Keep praising God, because your next testimony may be closer than you think.

Do not allow social media, comparison, or the success of others to rob you of your gratitude. Someone else’s testimony is not proof that God has forgotten you. God has a unique timetable for every life. While you celebrate others, continue trusting God for your own season of manifestation.

Remember that every giant testimony usually begins with a small testimony. Every great breakthrough begins with a small breakthrough. Every major victory starts with a small victory. If you cannot thank God for the little, you may struggle to appreciate the much.

Today, make thanksgiving your lifestyle. Thank God in the morning. Thank Him during the day. Thank Him at night. Thank Him for prayers answered and for prayers still awaiting answers. Thank Him for open doors and for closed doors. Thank Him for what He has done, what He is doing, and what He is about to do.

The believer who masters the art of thanksgiving will discover a peace that circumstances cannot destroy and a joy that challenges cannot take away. No matter how difficult your season may be, keep praising God. Your thanksgiving today may become the foundation of tomorrow’s testimony.

Never underestimate the power of gratitude. A thankful heart attracts God’s presence, strengthens faith, destroys discouragement, and prepares the believer for greater blessings. No matter what you are going through today, choose to be thankful. Your thanksgiving may be the key that unlocks your next testimony.

So today, choose gratitude. Thank God for the gift of life. Thank Him for His protection. Thank Him for your family. Thank Him for your salvation. Thank Him for the victories you have already received. Thank Him for the blessings you have not yet recognized. Thank Him for what He has done, what He is doing, and what He is about to do.

A grateful heart will always find reasons to praise God, even when life is not perfect. And those who learn to thank God in every season will discover that His goodness never departs from them. They may go through storms, but they will never go through them alone. God’s faithfulness will continue to carry them from one testimony to another.

Remember this: A thankful believer will always find a reason to rejoice because God’s goodness is greater than his present situation. The more you thank God for the little things, the more you will discover that they were never little after all. They were precious gifts from a loving Father who has been caring for you every day.

As you go through this day, choose gratitude. Thank God for His mercy that kept you alive. Thank Him for His protection over your family. Thank Him for the prayers He has answered. Thank Him for the ones He is still working on. Thank Him for every victory, every lesson, every opportunity, and every blessing.

Prophetic Declaration

I decree that every spirit of heaviness and discouragement assigned against your life shall lose its power today. As you lift up thanksgiving before God, may doors of favor open for you. May God turn your waiting into celebration, your sorrow into joy, and your battles into testimonies.

The God who answered Paul and Silas in prison shall visit your situation. Before this season ends, you shall have a testimony that will make many glorify God in your life, in Jesus’ name.

Personal Challenge

Before you sleep tonight, write down at least 10 things you think God has done for you this year. They may seem small, but thank Him for each one. As you do so, ask God to open your eyes to the countless blessings that surround your life every day. A grateful heart attracts God’s presence, peace, and fresh testimonies.

Daily Reflection

Ask yourself:

• Am I focusing more on what I have lost than on what God has preserved?
• If God does nothing else for me this week, do I still have enough reasons to praise Him?
• Have I thanked God for the battles He fought for me without my knowledge?
• Do I appreciate the little blessings God gives, or am I only waiting for bigger miracles?
• What can I begin thanking God for today instead of worrying about it?
• How can I make thanksgiving a daily habit rather than an occasional activity?

Wisdom for Today

Those who thank God for today’s provision position themselves for tomorrow’s abundance.

Evangelism Challenge

Share a testimony of God’s faithfulness with someone today. Your story may encourage a discouraged person to trust God again.

Bible in One Year

2 Samuel 24, John 21, Psalm 127, Proverbs 16:28–30

Prayer Assignment (Morning)

1. Father, thank You for the gift of life and Your daily mercies over me, in Jesus’ name.

2. Lord, forgive me for every complaint, murmuring, and unbelief, in Jesus’ name.

3. Father, give me a thankful heart regardless of my circumstances, in Jesus’ name.

4. O Lord, give me the grace to praise You even when I do not understand what I am passing through, in Jesus’ name.

5. O Lord, teach me to trust You even when I do not understand Your plans, in Jesus’ name.

6. Every burden stealing my joy and thanksgiving, be lifted by the power of God, in Jesus’ name.

7. Every power using difficult situations to weaken my faith, be scattered by fire, in Jesus’ name.

8. O Lord, turn every challenge in my life into a testimony that will glorify Your name, in Jesus’ name.

9. Father, let thanksgiving become my lifestyle and not just my reaction to blessings, in Jesus’ name.

10. Every spirit of ingratitude blocking my next level of blessings, come out of my life by fire, in Jesus’ name.

11. Lord, help me to remember Your goodness every day of my life, in Jesus’ name.

12. Father, open my eyes to see the blessings You have already given me, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Assignment (Night)

1. Every power assigned to make me forget God’s goodness in my life, be scattered by fire, in Jesus’ name.

2. Father, thank You because what the enemy meant for evil has worked together for my good, in Jesus’ name.

3. Father, fill my heart with gratitude, contentment, and unwavering faith, in Jesus’ name.

4. O Lord, as Paul and Silas praised You in prison, let my praise produce miracles, in Jesus’ name.

5. O Lord, let my thanksgiving become a weapon that destroys every work of darkness against me, in Jesus’ name.

6. Every power that wants me to serve God with bitterness, be disgraced by fire, in Jesus’ name.

7. Father, let every battle that has followed me from year to year come to an end tonight, in Jesus’ name.

8. Every power sponsoring tears in my household, be consumed by fire, in Jesus’ name.

9. Every stubborn battle in my life refusing to let me rejoice or show gratitude to God, receive divine judgment, in Jesus’ name.

10. Father, let every seed of thanksgiving I offer today produce a harvest of miracles tomorrow, in Jesus’ name.

11. O Lord, make me a living testimony of Your faithfulness and goodness, in Jesus’ mighty name.

12. Father, I thank You because You are working behind the scenes on my behalf. I thank You because my answers are coming. I thank You because my delays shall become testimonies. I thank You because my tears shall be wiped away. I thank You because my enemies shall witness Your goodness in my life. I thank You because this difficult season will not last forever. I thank You because Your plans for me are good and not evil. I thank You because my testimony is nearer than I think. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

African Proverb

“No matter how long the night lasts, the morning will surely come.”

This devotional is brought to you by Evangelist Joshua Orekhie Ministries (EJOM)

— Dream it. Pray it. Win it.