Some people seem unable to maintain a grateful spirit, and legendary American evangelist Billy Graham suspects it's because people are too self-centred.

"Why aren't we more grateful? Why do we find it easy to ask God for something when we pray but never utter a word of thanksgiving or praise? One reason, I suspect, is because we become overly absorbed in ourselves and our problems, and that's all we think about. But when we do this, we lose sight of all the good things God has done for us, especially our salvation in Christ," he writes in an article for the Kansas City Star.

Graham stresses that people should be thankful all the time, and not just once a year when it's Thanksgiving. "After all, God's blessings surround us every day of the year, so why shouldn't we be grateful to him every day of the year?" he writes.

The evangelist says it is okay for people to be concerned about their own lives and their own issues, but God wants people to involve Him in their concerns through prayer.

"God loves us, and everything that concerns us also concerns Him. This is why we can bring our problems and burdens to Him, instead of trying to carry them ourselves," he says. The Bible verse Psalm 55:22 even says, "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you."

Graham suggests that people pray to God about becoming truly grateful every day. Just as long as people turn regularly to God's Word and discover just how much God loves them, he assures them that they will soon embody a grateful spirit.

"Even when hard times come (and they will), we still can thank God for giving us the hope and strength we need. Don't let gratitude become the missing ingredient in your life," says Graham. "Instead, focus on Christ and the hope we have in him — and thanksgiving will fill your soul."