Use God’s Word to frame your thoughts, prayers and conversations regarding thanksgiving. Think about why God chose to include these verses in Scripture and how you can personally join the psalmist, the Son and the host of heaven in giving heartfelt thanks for who God is and what He has accomplished.
Present yourself to God with a heart of thanksgiving
Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High (Ps. 50:14)
Jesus thanked the Father for how He worked out His sovereign plan
At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children (Mt. 11:25)
Jesus thanked the Father for hearing His prayer
So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. (Jn. 11:41)
Universal thanksgiving for salvation
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” (Rev. 7:9–12)
Thanksgiving for God’s identity and for exercising His righteous dominion
We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. (Rev. 11:17)
God’s will regarding thanksgiving
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thes. 5:16–18)
Giving thanks at the end of a great accomplishment
Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two great choirs that gave thanks. (Neh. 12:31)
Thanksgiving before a meal
And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. (Ac. 27:35)
Thanksgiving for other believers
I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers (Eph. 1:16)
Thanksgiving for God’s goodness and love
Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! (Ps. 106:1)
Thanksgiving for victory over death and the grave
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:56-57)
Psalm 136 instructs the reader to give thanks to God for being the God of gods and Lord of lords, for doing great wonders, for His creation of the heavens, the waters and the lights. The reader is obliged to give thanks to God for what He accomplished in saving His people from slavery, giving them victory in battle and for remembering them when they were in a humiliated state. Thanksgiving for all these things is in the context of the refrain that is repeated 26 times, “For His steadfast love endures forever!”
The exercise of giving thanks to God is an exercise of acknowledging that He is in control, that His will is perfect and that He has given you everything you need to glorify Him in this life. May the giving of thanks to God be as natural to you as the exercise of drawing your next breath.
I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. (Ps. 9:1–2)