While Thanksgiving is celebrated for one day during the year, as believers, God wants us to have a lifestyle of gratitude. Giving thanks to God for everything He has done for us and for who He is honors God and pleases Him. These 20 encouraging Bible verses about thanksgiving and gratitude show us the power and benefits of appreciating God.
What does the Bible say about giving thanks to God?
As believers, we can often wonder about the will of God. In one of my favorite scriptures, we are told what this is. Choosing joy always, praying to God at all times, and always being full of appreciation and gratitude are the will of God.
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV)
God has done so much for us and up until today, He continues to do amazing things for His children. The fact that we are breathing is because of God’s grace and He deserves our praise for that.
Most Bible verses about thanksgiving and gratitude were written by David. The Psalmist David was one person who inspires me because of how he expresses his love and appreciation for God. It’s no surprise then that many of the scriptures below are from the book of Psalms.
These Bible verses are great to remember often to inspire us to give God the praise He deserves. You can also send these to loved ones in a message or Thanksgiving card. It’s a great way to encourage ourselves and others in different seasons of life.
20 Encouraging Bible verses about thanksgiving and gratitude
These scriptures will show us that there is power in giving thanks to God for everything. Not only in the good times but even on our worst days, we still need to appreciate God.
Let’s hear what the word says about thanksgiving.
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
Psalm 107:1
For His mercy endures forever.”
“I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
Psalm 7:17
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.”
“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
Psalm 100:4
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.”
“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Psalm 95:1-3
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.”
In these Bible verses about thanksgiving and gratitude, we learn to give thanks to God for who He is. We come before His throne of grace with thanksgiving because He is a good and great God. He is the Most High God, the great King, the Holy and righteous Lord, and the Rock of our salvation.
True worship is thanking God for who He is alone. Whether He does things the way we’d like or not and whether He answers our prayers the way we’d like or not it doesn’t change who He is. We worship Him regardless of what He does because we know and love Him.
We appreciate God for who He is when we grow spiritually and become mature believers.
“giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,”
Ephesians 5:20
Giving thanks to God for everything is such an amazing way to adore God. When we know that God uses all things for our good and His purpose (Romans 8:28), we can then understand why God allows suffering and know how to deal with it without losing our faith in Him.
“The Lord is my strength and my shield;
Psalm 28:7
My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,
And with my song I will praise Him.”
“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 15:57
“Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
Psalm 107:8-9
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
For He satisfies the longing soul,
And fills the hungry soul with goodness.”
We also thank God for what He has done. In these Bible verses about appreciation and gratitude, we give thanks to God because He is our strength in tough times. He protects and shields us, helps us in times of need, and makes us victorious in Jesus Christ.
God satisfies us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. His grace is sufficient for us because He is our Creator and knows just what we need. We can trust Him and His plans for us because He loves us and is for us.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;”
Philippians 4:6
This bible verse is about thanking God in difficult times and while it’s not easy, we’re encouraged to do it because it will be good for us.
God wants you to give thanks to Him when you’re worried, stressed, and anxious. This is the time to remember God’s blessings and appreciate His goodness, mercy, and kindness toward you. As Christians, we don’t act according to our feelings but according to God’s truths.
The truth is God wants us to pray to Him when we’re anxious. But our prayers should be balanced. They shouldn’t just be about asking and asking. One of the most effective prayer methods, the ACTS prayer method shows that thanksgiving to God should come before our requests. Adoration of God and confession is also important when we pray.
When we do that, we are assured that we will get peace amid our problems and just like Jesus, we can sleep in the middle of a storm because we trust the God who holds us in the palm of His hands.
“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.”
Colossians 3:15
“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;”
Colossians 4:2
“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Colossians 3:17
“I will praise the name of God with a song,
Psalm 69:30
And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.”
“Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Psalm 147:7
Sing praises on the harp to our God,”
“I will give You thanks in the great assembly;
Psalm 35:18
I will praise You among many people.”
“I will praise the name of God with a song,
Psalm 69:30-31
And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bull,
Which has horns and hooves.”
One of the best ways to appreciate God is through thanksgiving songs. God wants us to be creative in our faith and worship Him in various ways. David often sang praises and danced to God as a way of expressing His love and adoration to his Maker.
“For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”
1 Timothy 4:4-5
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Psalm 105:1
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!”
“But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.”
Ephesians 5:3-4
“All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Revelation 7:12
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever.
Amen.”
This last Bible verse about thanksgiving and gratitude shows us that angels worship God by giving thanks to Him. He is the all-powerful, mighty, wise, and glorious God who lives forever and ever. If they can praise Him, so should we.
In this scripture, we are also given a glimpse of what we will be doing in heaven. We will glorify God by bringing Him praise and appreciating Him for who He is and what He has done for us.
As we’ve seen, there are so many benefits of giving thanks to God for everything. When we do God’s will and follow His ways, He blesses us, our families, and the work of our hands. And the blessing of the Lord sure does make us rich and adds no sorrow (Proverbs 10:22).
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