36 Verses of Thanksgiving & Praise

"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!" Psalm 95:1-2

Bring on the fresh, green beans, sweet potato soufflé, roasted turkey with stuffing, my mama's homemade cranberry sauce, and those mouth-watering, fresh-out-of-the-oven yeast rolls. Then, there's the homemade pumpkin pie and pecan pie with a big cup of afternoon coffee. I'm stuffed! The Thanksgiving meal is truly something to behold, it's it? I'm not sure why we only eat this good once a year.

We go all out decorating our homes with stunning fall décor, from the wreath on the front door and pumpkins on the steps to the table runner and centerpiece. Family and friends come together and we all eat way too much! 

I hope that at some point during the day we are intentional about taking time to reflect on our many blessings and the goodness of God. ​This day is special not only because of the wonderful food we all enjoy, or the lovely fall decorations, or even who we spend it with. The day is special because this season is so rooted in gratitude and giving thanks. What better time to meditate on some meaningful thanksgiving and praise Scripture from God's Word?

​After we’ve caught up with family and friends, treated ourselves to an extra helping of pumpkin pie (and another cup of coffee of course), maybe even cheered on our favorite college football team and watching the lighting of that big Christmas tree in town, let's consider ending the day meditating on a few of these passages of Scripture about thanksgiving and praise. I hope you will.

“And now we thank You, Our God, and praise Your glorious name.” 1 Chronicles 29:13

“I will give thanks to You, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 9:1

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trust in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise Him.” Psalm 28:7

“That my glory may sing Your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever!” Psalm 30:12

“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High.” Psalm 50:14

“I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify Him with thanksgiving.” Psalm 69:30

"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!" Psalm 95:1-2

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.” Psalm 100:4

“Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” Psalm 106:1

“Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” Psalm 107:8-9

​“In that day you will say: “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim His name; make known among the nations what He has done, and proclaim that His name is exalted.” Isaiah 12:4

“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

“But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to You; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!” Jonah 2:9

“I always thank my God for you because of His grace given you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Corinthians 1:4

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57

​“But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Him everywhere.” 2 Corinthians 2:14

“All this for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:15

“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

“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:18-20

“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.” Philippians 4:6-7

​“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

“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

“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” Colossians 4:2

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

“For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.” 1 Timothy 4:4-5

“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

“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

“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

I hope you find time to take a walk through God's Word today as we think about thanksgiving and praise. Reading and meditation on Scripture is a wonderful tradition to start with your family on Thanksgiving Day, and it’s a great way to keep the focus of the day on what really matters most—being thankful and praising God for all of His many blessings to us.

Whether you print these verses on place cards, read them aloud around the dinner table, or share them in front of a big, roaring fire with a hot cup of cocoa in your hands, these Scripture passages will make this year's Thanksgiving a day to cherish as we remember the One from Whom all blessings flow.

​My prayer for you this coming year:

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.” ​Numbers 6:24-26

What's your favorite Bible verse about giving thanks or being thankful? And how are you intentional about incorporating a spirit of thanksgiving into your Thanksgiving Day activities?