Scriptures about Thankfulness

Bible verses about giving thanks to God give us examples of when and how to show that we are thankful. Thankfulness in Scriptures is not just an attitude but an expression of our gratitude toward God for Who He is and what He has done for us and given to us. In our thanksgiving to God we acknowledge the goodness of God toward us.

When it’s time for Thanksgiving, many of us start to think of what we are thankful for, but it’s easy to forget the rest of the year. Science actually tells us that when we feel grateful, we have positive benefits in our health, our attitudes and our social connections. (Source) When we feel grateful, we more often give thanks to God and others. So let’s be intentional about being thankful all year long.

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NOTE: Scriptures in this article are taken from the New King James Version of the Bible unless noted.

I’ve heard it say that it takes 21 days or 30 days or more to establish a new habit. Try a thanksgiving or gratitude journal. These books guide you through. You won’t have to do a lot of writing, but it focuses our thoughts on giving thanks.

Bible Verses that Teach Us to Give Thanks

This first set of Scriptures instructs us to give thanks to God.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I’m starting off with a verse that is a difficult one for a lot of us. “In everything give thanks” could seem wrong. You might think, “but what about war and injury, pain and death? I’m supposed to thank God for that?!” But this verse, at least in this translation, says to give thanks IN everything not FOR everything. I think the idea is that in every situation–whether difficult times or good times–look for things to be thankful for and then give thanks.

Psalm 26:7

That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving,
And tell of all Your wondrous works.

Psalm 107:1

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 107:21-22

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
And declare His works with rejoicing.

In the Old Testament, they had a special sacrifice to God called the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving. We no longer do this today, but just pausing to give thanks to God, to make it a habit of thought and expression, this is a form of sacrifice for me, and a worthwhile one.

Psalm 147:7

Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises on the harp to our God,

A psalm is a kind of song and so all of these Scriptures from psalms would have been sung. We don’t know the original tunes anymore, but we can make up our own tunes to these verses and sing our own songs of Thanksgiving to God. I bet He would love it and it always does my heart good when I sing the Scriptures.

Psalm 136:1-3

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Oh, give thanks to the God of gods!
For His mercy endures forever.
Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!
For His mercy endures forever:

Philippians 4:6-7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

This Bible verse tells us how to pray and how to request things from God–with thanksgiving.

Colossians 2:6-7

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Here we are being instructed to live a lifestyle that is abounding with thanksgiving. Every instruction we receive in the Bible is for our own benefit. God knew how important that attitude of thankfulness would be for us. Reminds me of the Science that I mentioned at the beginning of this article.

Colossians 4:2

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;

1 Chronicles 16:8,34

Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 30:4

Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.

Psalm 30:11-12

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

Ephesians 1:18b-20

but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

Colossians 3:15, 17

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

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.

1 Timothy 2:1-4

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 

Hebrews 13:15

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. 

God is given many names in Scriptures and His names reveal His character. A few of His names we give thanks to are Jehovah-Bore: The LORD Creator, Jehovah-Jireh: The LORD Our Provider, Jehovah-Rapha: The LORD Our Healer, Jehovah-Rohi: The LORD Our Shepherd, and Jehovah-Shalom: The LORD is Peace.

Bible Verses of Thanksgiving

These verses are a little different in that they are not instructing us to give thanks but they are scriptures that are giving thanks. Here we see examples of what we thank God for.

Psalm 9:1-2

I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

Psalm 95:1-3

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
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.

Psalm 75:1

We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!
For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.

Psalm 69:30

I will praise the name of God with a song,
And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.

Psalm 100:3-5

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 95:1-3

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
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.

Psalm 75:1

We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!
For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.

Psalm 79:13

So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture,
Will give You thanks forever;
We will show forth Your praise to all generations.

Psalm 106:1

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.

Matthew 15:36

And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude.

In nearly all of the places in the New Testament Gospels, the word thanks is found when Jesus was giving thanks for the food they were about to eat, as in the above scripture and it.

Acts 27:35

He took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had broken it he began to eat.

1 Corinthians 15:57

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 2:14

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 

2 Corinthians 9:15

 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

Ephesians 1:16

(I) do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers…

Colossians 1:3

We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.

1 Thessalonians 1:2

We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers.

Revelations 7:12

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever.
Amen.”

Revelations 4:9-11

Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

“You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created.”

In heaven, thanksgiving is still expressed. I can imagine when our eyes are even more opened in heaven, we will be even more thankful and grateful than we are here on earth.

Revelations 11:16-17

 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying:

“We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.

1 Chronicles 29:10b-13

“Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all.

“Now therefore, our God,
We thank You
And praise Your glorious name.

Philippians 1:3

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you

Philemon 1:4

I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, 

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