Best Bible Verses About Thankfulness
In a world filled with trials and tribulations, finding reasons to be thankful every day can be a revolutionary practice. Scientific studies confirm what we have read in many Bible verses about thankfulness – that the daily practice of gratitude improves not only the person’s mood but also their overall health.
One recent study from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine found that people who practiced gratitude had better heart health, specifically less inflammation and healthier heart rhythms.
“They showed a better well-being, a less depressed mood, less fatigue, and they slept better,” said the study’s author, Paul J. Mills.
What is gratitude?
Gratitude is a state of consciousness that helps us see and enjoy the gifts of God that we already have. We can celebrate what is already given in our immediate experience.
The moment our minds stop fretting about yesterday or overthinking what’s going to happen tomorrow, we are in the present. And the present is always a gift. It is full of presents, but we need eyes to see and ears to hear. Often, our spiritual sight is hampered by those pesky narratives from the past:
“Everything is bad.”
“There’s nothing to be happy about.”
“They said it to offend me.”
“It’s hopeless.”
“The situation will never change.”
These narratives are not ours. They came to us from someone else—from our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, teachers, coaches, etc. If you trace it to the beginning, they came from Adam and Eve.
But now, there’s a new beginning. With Christ, who is the “new Adam” as the apostle Paul aptly called Him, there’s a new start and a new narrative. The old narratives start crumbling as we listen to The Good News, the Gospel.
The Bible is a source of timeless wisdom and spiritual guidance. It contains numerous Bible verses that emphasize the importance of gratitude and thankfulness. These verses serve as signposts, reminding us of the blessings we have received and encouraging us to raise our voices in praise.
Let us explore some of the best Bible verses about thankfulness and the profound insights they offer.
Understanding Thankfulness in the Bible
Thankfulness, often synonymous with gratitude, is a central theme in the Bible. And there’s a reason for that. It is not merely an expression of politeness but a profound acknowledgment of God’s goodness and provision as we experience it in our lives. Gratefulness is an expression of our faith as we rely on God Almighty moment by moment.
As we cultivate a thankful heart, we draw nearer to God and experience freedom from the negativity that often plagues our minds. Let’s delve into some powerful Bible verses on thankfulness that will inspire and guide us in our spiritual journey.
Bible Verses About Thankfulness
1. Psalm 100:4
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”
This scripture on thankfulness from the Psalms reminds us that praising God is a prerequisite to entering His presence. We will have difficulty approaching God when our hearts are full of bitterness, negativity, or fretting.
When we grumble against God, our hearts are far from Him because we simply cannot see His grace right before our eyes. Gratitude opens the eyes of our hearts to what is. As we acknowledge His greatness and goodness, we enter a new state of consciousness – the Kingdom of Heaven.
2. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
This is one of the most frequently quoted Bible verses about thankfulness. It is God’s will for us to give thanks in all circumstances. God knows that as soon as we shift our focus from the problem at hand to His presence, our state of consciousness changes as well. We are able to see the good things all around us. We have ears to hear the Good News.
The Good News is all about thanksgiving. When we listen to this new narrative, we switch from blindness to seeing. Gratitude is the new lens and filter that winnows out all the bad things and allows the good ones to come in.
Practicing gratitude every day helps us to develop an inner filter that lets the positive in and keeps the negative out.
3. Colossians 3:15
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”
We are called to peace. But how do we experience peace in the midst of a raging storm? How do you see presents in the present when you worry about the future? Peace is the flip side of faith in God. It’s a spiritual vision that opens our eyes to see the invisible.
Elisha’s servant was scared to death as he looked at the enemy surrounding them on every side (2 Kings 6:16-17). But Elisha asked God to open his eyes, and suddenly, he saw the spiritual world, something we can’t see with physical eyes. The mountain was full of chariots of fire and horses, and his heart became peaceful like a lake on a windless night.
This verse challenges us to be thankful in every situation, not just when things are going well. It highlights the transformative power of gratitude, even in times of adversity.
Gratitude is closely linked to inner peace. When we are thankful, we invite the peace of Christ into our hearts, which helps us navigate life’s challenges with serenity. The Lord’s steadfast love endures forever.
4. Psalm 136:26
“Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.”
As we wander the ways of the world, we often wonder what the next day will bring. When the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years, they didn’t know where their next meal would come from. But they had a promise of God’s enduring love.
Every morning, they would get up and find their food scattered all around the campground.
“What is it?” they asked. In Hebrew, it sounded like “manna.”
And it was manna – the bread of heaven – that only lasted one day. If you saved it for the next day, it would rot. God wanted them to rely on Him for provisions every day. His love doesn’t cease, and His manna lasted all the 40 years of their wonderings without fail.
This verse emphasizes the eternal nature of God’s love and encourages us to give thanks to the One whose love knows no bounds.
5. Ephesians 5:20
“Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
What is in the name of the Lord? The Bible often encourages us to call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ because He is fully present when we call His name. When we call a person by name, the person comes. When we call God by name, He comes. We give thanks to God because we can always call on His name. By calling on the name of the Lord, we automatically renounce all self-reliance and acknowledge that there is a power greater than us that can restore our hearts and minds.
Thank God for everything, big or small. The greatness of His name is in itself a call to recognize His involvement in every aspect of our existence.
6. Psalm 118:24
“The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.”
Each day is a gift from God, and every day is new with God’s grace. There has never been a day like this before and never will be. Everything that happens in it happens for a purpose. Every event, every word, every thought is here for a reason.
This verse encourages us to be thankful for every opportunity to encounter God this day.
7. 2 Corinthians 9:15
“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”
The apostle Paul thanks God for the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate Gift to humanity. He is the Good News in the flesh. He came in the fullness of time to deliver us from sin and death. He reversed the curse of the first Adam, who separated himself from God.
Christ lived a life of full alignment with the will of the Father, and being “the second Adam,” He united in Himself what was broken in the first Adam. Now, anyone can reunite with the Father at any moment of the day by actively putting their faith in Christ.
The apostle Paul expresses profound gratitude for this precious gift because it is the Good News itself that we need to feed our souls with.
8. Philippians 4:6-7
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Gratitude is key to relieving anxiety and allowing God’s peace into our lives. When we bring our concerns to Him with thanksgiving, we experience His calming presence.
Anxiety and faith cannot co-exist. One drives out the other. The moment we look away from God and get fixated on our troubles, fear grips our hearts. We lose faith because we don’t look at the Lord Jesus. The moment we put our gaze on Him, turning away from the tempest we are in, everything calms down in our souls. Our Lord Jesus calms all storms.
…He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. (Luke 8:24)
9. Psalm 107:1
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
God’s goodness and steadfast love are the wellspring of faith. We trust Him precisely because He is good. And He encourages us to know more and more of His goodness so we can trust Him more and more. In Malachi 3:10, God says to the Israelites,
“Bring the whole tithe… Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”
God wants us to test His goodness and enduring love because these are the only good reasons to be thankful.
10. Hebrews 12:28
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.”
Our hope in an unshakeable kingdom should fill us with gratitude. All the kingdoms of the world will fall. In the end, only one Kingdom will stand – the Kingdom of God. When we know we belong to that Kingdom, we are unshakeable as the Kingdom itself.
When we are giving praise to God with reverence and awe that flow from our grateful hearts, we show that we are truly grateful to God for everything.
FAQ
What are some Biblical quotes for thanking God?
Biblical quotes for thanking God are abundant, as demonstrated by the verses above. For example, Psalm 118:24:
“The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.”
And Psalm 136:26:
“Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.”
What Does the Bible Say About Gratitude and Thankfulness?
The Bible consistently teaches us to be grateful and thankful in all circumstances. Gratitude is the only way to live in the unshakeable Kingdom and grow in our relationship with Him.
Bible Verses About Gratitude for Family and Faith
The Bible emphasizes the role of the family in our Christian walk. Family is a gift from God and a place for growing in faith and godliness. Being thankful to God for our families fosters our overall sense of unity, harmony, and well-being.
How Many Bible Verses Mention Thankfulness?
The word “gratitude” and its derivatives are used in the Bible 157 times. Numerous Bible verses mention thankfulness, which demonstrates its importance as a spiritual practice. As a spiritual practice, gratitude is a mind-changing exercise that shifts a person’s consciousness away from earthly things and to the things above. These verses remind us to maintain a thankful heart in all aspects of life.
Conclusion
In a world where trials and tribulations are our everyday experience, the practice of daily thankfulness holds transformative power. Scientific research has validated what the Bible has long affirmed – that cultivating gratitude not only uplifts our mood but also contributes to our overall health and well-being.
In essence, gratitude is a state of consciousness that enables us to recognize and cherish the gifts of God, which otherwise are unseen and unperceived. It invites us to celebrate what we have been blessed with. It’s a practice that helps us break free from the shackles of the past and worries for the future, anchoring us firmly in the present.
Our spiritual vision often becomes obscured by the pestering narratives from our past. These narratives have been passed down to us through generations, ultimately tracing back to Adam and Eve. The Good News, the Gospel, effectively dismantles the old narratives, allowing us to see the world through the eyes of gratitude.
The Bible is replete with verses emphasizing the significance of gratitude. They are our guiding lights, pointing us toward the unshakeable Kingdom.
Gratitude, as depicted in the Bible, is a profound acknowledgment of God’s goodness. It is an expression of our faith, a continuous reliance on God in every moment of our existence. As we nurture a thankful heart, we draw closer to God and find liberation from the negativity that often clouds our minds.
Gratitude enables us to see the world through the lens of faith and rise above fear. It is the path to dwelling in the Kingdom of Heaven, where God’s steadfast love reign supreme.
