From My Head to My Heart: Thanking God Before the Breakthrough

If I’ve learned anything on this journey, it’s that breakthrough often begins before anything actually changes.

Sometimes, God asks us to thank Him in the hallway—while we’re still waiting for the door to open. And let me tell you, that’s not easy for someone like me who loves order, plans, and clear steps. But it’s in these in-between spaces that God has taught me the most.

A Head Full of Truth, a Heart Full of Fear

There was a time when I knew everything I needed to know about trusting God. I had all the scriptures. I had the testimony. I had the receipts of His faithfulness.

And yet... when my contract was about to end and my financial future looked uncertain, all of that knowledge stayed in my head.

My heart? It was spinning.

I started making contingency plans.

I thought about cashing in bonds.

I considered downsizing.

I ran every possible “what-if” scenario through my mind.

I was doing everything but resting in what I already knew to be true.

I wasn’t thanking God—I was trying to replace Him with my own ideas.

The Lord Had to Confront Me

It wasn’t until I sat with God in the stillness that He began peeling back the layers.

He brought me to John 14:26, where Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit would remind us of everything He taught us. And I realized…I didn’t need new information—I needed to believe what He’d already said.

Then came the whisper from 1 Kings 18:21:

“How long will you waver between two opinions? If God is God, follow Him.”

That’s when it hit me: my problem wasn’t knowledge.It was alignment.

My head believed God could provide.But my heart was still living like I had to do it all on my own.

When Thanksgiving Becomes a Weapon

That’s when I began practicing a different kind of gratitude. Not the kind that says, “Thank You, Lord, for the job You gave me.”But the kind that says,

“Thank You, Lord, for being my provider—even when I don’t see the provision yet.”

I started thanking Him before the breakthrough.Before the clarity.Before the check.Before the plan came together.

And slowly, my heart began to catch up with my head.

From Mental Checklists to Spiritual Surrender

You see, real gratitude isn’t passive—it’s prophetic. It declares who God is before He does the thing.

It’s a step of faith that says,

“I trust You more than I trust the numbers in my account or the silence on the other side of that door.”

I started journaling “thank You” prayers for things I hadn’t received yet:

• Thank You for making a way I can’t yet see.

• Thank You for being Jehovah Jireh even when I’m unsure.

• Thank You for giving me peace when my plans fall apart.

This shifted my spirit.

It softened my striving.

It humbled my independence.

And it opened my heart to hear God again, not just think about Him.

Gratitude as Preparation

Looking back, I can now see that thanking God before the breakthrough prepared me for the breakthrough. My heart was in a posture to receive—not just what I wanted, but what He wanted to give me.

And here’s the beautiful part:

God did make a way.

Not in the way I expected.Not on my timeline. But in a way that made me trust Him more, not less.

He reminded me that when my head is full of worry, my heart can still be full of worship—if I choose gratitude.

If you’re standing in the hallway right now…If you’re holding your breath for the breakthrough…If your head says “He’s able,” but your heart is battling fear…

I invite you to thank Him anyway.

Not because the door has opened, but because He is still God even in the waiting.

He sees you.

He knows you.

And He’s working behind the scenes in ways you can’t yet imagine.

Let gratitude lead the way.

Because sometimes, the breakthrough begins with a thank you.

With love and trust,Lisa