It says in Parashath 'Eqeb, וזכרת את יהוה אלהיך כי הוא הנתן לך כח לעשות חיל,
 "You shall remember the L-rd your G-d, for He is the one who gives you strength to get wealth". (Debarim 8:18).

We do not tell a person to "remember" unless it is something that he is liable to forget. The nature of man is such, that he feels that all his interaction and success in this world, whether in business or providing his physical needs, all occur in a natural way. This causes a person to forget the basic principle that everything is provided through the intervention of G-d and he feels that his success is as a result of his own strength and might. That is why the Torah cautions us to remember, because this is the course of nature that is stamped into world, that we are likely to forget who the source of all our success is.

For this reason, the Anshei Kenesseth HaGedolah (Men of the Great Assembly) instituted the Birkath Hoda-ah (blessings of thanksgiving) in the four areas where a human being is most likely to forget that the success came from Haqqadosh Barukh Hu. As we mentioned on a previous occasion, these are:

One who was ill in bed for three days and was cured, one who was imprisoned and released, one who travelled by sea and one who travelled over the desert and reached his destination. Since, in a person's mind, it is normal to arrive safely at one's destination after a long journey, or to be released from prison after being incarcerated, or to recover after an illness, we forget that G-d is the One who is overseeing everything. Reciting the blessing is a reminder to us.

When we say WeKhol HaHayyim Yodookha Selah (all the living will give thanks to you, Selah) the word Hayyim (living) is an acronym from four Hebrew words -- Habush (imprisoned), Yisurim (the suffering of the sick), Yam (one who travels over sea) and Midbar (One who travels across the desert). By thanking G-d for these four categories we are instilling the faith in our hearts that it is through G-d's intervention that we succeeded.

(See  for further details)

(See Berachoth 54b. Ben Ish Hai, 1st year, Parashath 'Eqeb, Haqdamah, and http://www.atorahminute.com/2009-06-29 )

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