Grateful Bible Verses for Thanksgiving

There are a lot of Bible Verses for Thanksgiving.

Not the American holiday as we see it today, with tables of food as far as the eye can see.

A giant turkey ready to be gobbled up. Mountains of mashed potatoes with rivers of gravy running through them. Or dreams of pumpkin pie as we nap the afternoon away.

Instead, these thanksgiving scriptures are about how to have a grateful heart every day, not just on Thanksgiving Day. And they’re about giving thanks for all God has done and continues to do in our lives.

So, if you came here wondering…

What is a good Bible verse for Thanksgiving?

You’ve come to the right place.

Let’s settle in with a hot cup of coffee and a heart of praise and together find all the blessings in these thanksgiving Bible verses.

Bible Verses about Thanksgiving and Gratitude

The Christian life is not without trouble. But one of the main tenets of our faith is to give thanks in all things, both the good and the bad.

I won’t lie, sometimes it’s hard to find thankfulness in our hearts in the middle of a crisis. But it’s about being thankful for the little things God does every day.

By following the words of these Bible verses about thanksgiving, and a lot of help from Jesus, we can learn to face both the good and bad things in life knowing God is on our side. Thankfulness is sure to follow.

in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV

giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

Ephesians 5:20

For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving;

1 Timothy 4:4

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Colossians 3:15

You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

2 Corinthians 9:11

Give Thanks to the Lord

God gives us so much. And the most precious gift He has given us is salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Because of this great gift, we give thanks to the Lord knowing God is good and His love for us is forever.

What more could we possibly celebrate this Thanksgiving than the gift of everlasting life?

Giving thanks to God for everything He does is a simple way to show Him how much we appreciate His love.

So, with gratitude, let’s say a prayer and say, thank you Lord for this amazing and indescribable gift of salvation!

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

1 Chronicles 16:34 NIV

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

Revelation 7:12

But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.

Jonah 2:9

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.

Psalm 9:1

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

Psalm 75:1

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

2 Corinthians 9:15

Read the Thanksgiving Bible Study: Give Thanks

Thanksgiving Scriptures in Psalms

The Psalms are full of thanksgiving praise. And Psalm 100 is one of the most popular Bible Verses about Thanksgiving for a reason.

It is called “A Psalm of Thanksgiving”. And in it, we learn how to praise God and acknowledge His goodness and grace.

Because we are God’s children, we can enter His gates with thanksgiving. A triumphant and confident stride into the loving presence of God Himself. And enter His courts with praise humbling ourselves with a thankful heart of worship. This is how we offer true thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father!

No doubt, you’ve faced unforeseen challenges throughout the past months. But the holiday season is the time of the year to set aside the hard times, reconnect with loved ones, and see God’s grace unfold in your life.

And nothing is more inspiring than the Psalms. They are filled with encouraging words for every situation we come across and plenty of thanksgiving for God’s love and mercy. The following psalms are some of my favorite Bible Verses on Thanksgiving. In them, we see a pattern of worship and praise for God’s goodness.

I hope they fill your heart with gratitude the way they do mine.

So, with a thankful heart, let’s praise Him together!

Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.

Psalm 100:4 NASB

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Psalm 107:1

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

Psalm 95:2

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

Psalm 69:30

Offer to God thanksgiving,
And pay your vows to the Most High.

Psalm 50:14

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

Psalm 26:7

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.

Psalm 30:4 ESV

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.

Psalm 95:1-5 ESV

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever;

Psalm 136:1-3 ESV

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night,
to the music of the lute and the harp,
to the melody of the lyre.
For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

How great are your works, O Lord!
Your thoughts are very deep!

Psalm 92:1-5 ESV

Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind,

Psalm 107:8 NIV

For He satisfies the longing soul,
And fills the hungry soul with goodness.

Psalm 107:9 NKJV

Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy.

Psalm 107:22 NIV

Read the Thanksgiving Devotional: The Harvest is Plentiful

Bible Verses about Being Blessed

The old hymn tells us… count your blessings, name them one by one.

I’m sure, you have many blessings to count this Thanksgiving Day. I know I do.

God is always good to bless us with all we need and so much more.

And as I’m counting my blessings this year, I’ll be thinking of the verse below from Numbers 6:24-27.

It has always been one of my favorite scriptures because it paints a beautiful picture of God’s blessings toward us.

The meaning of the Lord make His face shine on you, is an intimate and awe-inspiring experience of God’s presence in our daily lives.

It’s seeing His smile as He looks upon us, His children. And it’s feeling indescribable peace in the face of adversity.

Lastly, it’s God offering His name as a blessing to us. And what a blessing it is to know the name of the Lord personally!

May you be blessed by these Thanksgiving blessings!

The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.

So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.

Numbers 6:24-27

Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers,
and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.

Proverbs 16:20

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Psalm 34:8 New King James Version

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
And whose hope is the Lord.
For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
Which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not fear when heat comes;
But its leaf will be green,
And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

Jeremiah 17:7-8

Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,
who walk according to the law of the Lord.
Blessed are those who keep his statutes
and seek him with all their heart—
they do no wrong
but follow his ways.

Psalm 119:1-3

Read the Devotional: Encouraging Bible Verses about Prayer

Old Testament Bible Verses for Thanksgiving

The Word of God is full of meaningful Thanksgiving Bible verses! And they start in the very beginning of scripture.

And as you’ll see in these Old Testament scriptures, Thanksgiving is more of an attitude than it is a federal holiday. But this special day is a great time to worship the Lord and remember the grace of God in our lives every day of the year.

So, let’s read these Old Testament Bible Verses for Thanksgiving and let them put a song in your heart.

If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer, with the sacrifice of thanksgiving, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, unleavened wafers anointed with oil, or cakes of blended flour mixed with oil. Besides the cakes, as his offering he shall offer leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offering.

Leviticus 7:12-13 NKJV

Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

Nehemiah 8:6 New International Version

Out of them shall come songs of thanksgiving, and the voices of those who celebrate. I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will make them honored, and they shall not be small.

Jeremiah 30:19 ESV

Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.

1 Chronicles 29:13 NIV

To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king’s matter.”

Daniel 2:23 ESV

And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.” And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.

Ezra 3:11 ESV

and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord), and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the Lord, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever,” the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud,

2 Chronicles 5:13 ESV

New Testament Bible Verses for Thanksgiving

Some of the very best Bible verses about thanksgiving come from the New Testament.

Because after Jesus came to earth and died on the cross in our place, everything changed.

Now we have forgiveness of sin and hope of the glory of heaven. That’s worthy of praise and thanksgiving for sure!

So, is it any wonder that my favorite thanksgiving Bible verses are found in the New Testament? Of course not.

Here are some New Testament Bible Verses for Thanksgiving that will have you shouting God’s name with grateful praise.

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:17 ESV

So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.

2 Corinthians 9:12 NLT

Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.

Hebrews 13:15 ESV

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 New International Version

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

2 Corinthians 2:14 ESV

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

James 1:17 ESV

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,

Ephesians 5:18-19 ESV

We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was,
for you have taken your great power
and begun to reign.

Revelation 11:17 ESV

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:16-17 ESV

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.

2 Corinthians 9:10 NIV

give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.

Luke 6:38 ESV

We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints;

Colossians 1:3-4 NKJV

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

Hebrews 12:28-29 ESV

Prayer of Thanksgiving in the Bible

We’ve already learned to give thanks to the Lord and enter His gates and courts with thanksgiving.

But how do we accomplish that?

The answer is prayer.

Through prayer, we reach the Great Almighty day or night, rain or shine.

The attitude of prayerfulness the Apostle Paul wrote about in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 is one of persistent, consistent prayer in our daily lives.

By being connected to God in prayer, Christians can rejoice in all circumstances because we know we have a direct line to God whenever we need Him.

That’s how God designed prayer to be. It’s a one-on-one relationship with the Creator of the world. And it’s available to us at all times.

So, let’s rejoice, and give thanks in everything, knowing it is God’s will for us through faith in Jesus.

May you continue earnestly in prayer, and let your requests be made known to God using one of these scriptures as a thanksgiving prayer!

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

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

Colossians 4:2

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.

Philippians 4:6-7

praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

Ephesians 6:18

Sitting down at the dinner table with family and friends can be the perfect opportunity to share your faith in Jesus.

So, as you’re celebrating the glorious Thanksgiving holiday, I pray these Grateful Bible Verses for Thanksgiving will fill you with a thankful heart for all God has done and that you’ll share the love of Jesus with those gathered around the table with you!

Many blessings to you!