Morning Prayer for Gratitude for Yourself

Giving thanks to God for others is what believers commonly pray for but giving thanks to God for yourself is vitally important as well. When you honor and appreciate yourself, you can love others better. The second greatest commandment of Jesus Christ, “to love others as you love yourself,” in Matthew 22:39 implies that how well we treat others reflects how we truly value ourselves. And you are here because you understood that well, and you are grateful to God for yourself and for your life in general.

Here is a morning prayer for gratitude for yourself:

Heavenly Father, I praise You and thank You for giving me this beautiful morning. Thank You for blessing me with life, many hopes, and promises in Christ Jesus. You fearfully and wonderfully made me, and I appreciate everything that You have given me from the inside and out. May You be glorified through my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Many times, people serve God’s people in ministry and love others unconditionally to the extent of forgetting to love and care for themselves as well. And sometimes, they end up burnt out and empty because they have forgotten that they, too, are God’s children and matter to God. Take a look at Jesus Christ, who had the most fruitful ministry. He was busy serving and loving God’s people but never failed to take moments for Himself to pray and spend time with God alone in the mountains (see Luke 5:16 – And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.).

Am I being selfish if I pray for myself?

As Christians, praying for others, especially our loved ones, is our highest priority. We have a list of Scripture promises to pray for them, laying before the Lord their personal requests, and so on. After all, the Bible says we are to highly regard others above ourselves (see Philippians 2:3 – Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.). But what about praying for yourself? Is it being selfish and self-centered when you give thanks to God for yourself and pray about many things regarding your personal life?

Based on the example of Jesus Christ, it isn’t wrong to pray for yourself. In John 17:1-8, Jesus also prayed to the Father for Himself, His disciples, and His Church before His betrayal and arrest. We must also pray for ourselves to empower our inner man, especially in the tough times that can come at any moment in our lives. You are not being selfish or self-centered when you pray for yourself. Rather, selfishness and self-centeredness mean constantly thinking about yourself and rarely about others’ needs and concerns.

Jesus showed us that it is important to include ourselves in prayer as this is what the Father wanted for His children. He wants us to freely come to Him and ask Him what we want, our concerns, and the things that concern us because He cares for our personal needs and desires. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

What can I pray for myself?

Besides saying a morning prayer of gratitude for yourself, there are many other things that you can pray to God for yourself. Don’t be shy or hold back in asking God for anything that concerns you because, as mentioned earlier, He cares for us as His children and wants to hear the requests in our hearts.

You can be specific in asking God for anything that concerns you. It can be about a dream or a passion, a health concern, your education, career, plans for the future, and so on. You can also read God’s Word and declare His promises over your life. Always partner with the Holy Spirit in your prayer, as He is the One helping us when we don’t know what to pray for (see Romans 8:26). 

As you give thanks to God for yourself and also pray for yourself, you can expect God to move powerfully in all areas of your life. When you honor yourself, you honor Your Maker, and that pleases and glorifies Him.

“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well” – Psalm 139:14