Saying a prayer of thanksgiving can be transformative, all year round. While we love coming together with loved ones to remember all that we’re thankful for, often it’s the richness of our own personal prayer life that can make a real difference to our lives.
Giving thanks to God can help shift our outlook and transform our thought life. When we say prayers of gratitude and thank God we move our focus from our problems to our provider. It’s a simple shift in mindset that can make a huge difference when life throws hardships our way.
Throughout scripture there are clear teachings that encourage us to prioritize giving thanks to God. We also find numerous examples of Biblical characters facing trials with thankful hearts. David is a great example of this. In the book of Psalms and in 1 and 2 Samuel we see David respond with a prayer of thanksgiving to an incredible amount of challenge.
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.” Psalm 100
In fact the book of Psalms is full of prayers of gratitude and praise.
Psalm 7: 17
“I will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.”
Psalm 95: 1-2
“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.”
In Philippians 4: 6-7 we find another encouragement to fill our days with thanksgiving:
“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.”
Paul’s exhortation here, to respond to every situation with thanksgiving, teaches us that a prayer life filled with thankfulness is the route to a peaceful heart and mind. With all of the stresses and strains of modern day life this is a wonderful invitation and a wonderful way for us to trade worry for peace and stress for joy.
We can also find amazing examples of faith-filled thanks and praise throughout history, all of which can inspire us in our own journey of thanksgiving. Here are some examples of prayers and moments of gratitude, from some heroes of our faith, to fuel your own prayer life.
“It is only with gratitude that life becomes rich!” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.” Charles Spurgeon
“Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make and be not poorer but richer for having made it.” A.W. Tozer
“It’s one thing to be grateful. It’s another to give thanks. Gratitude is what you feel. Thanksgiving is what you do.” Tim Keller
We know that prayers of thanksgiving and praise can have a huge impact on how we’re feeling and the state of our thought life. Here are some inspiring quotes that explore the power of thanking God and why it’s so important for us to make time for gratitude in our day-to-day.
“We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is good, because it is good, if bad, because it works in us patience, humility and the contempt of this world and the hope of our eternal country.” C.S. Lewis
“When we choose thankful prayer over wallowing in anxiety and worry, we can demonstrate an unwavering trust in God.” Priscilla Shirer
“A spirit of thankfulness is one of the most distinctive marks of a Christian whose heart is attuned to the Lord. Thank God in the midst of trials and every persecution.” Billy Graham
“Gratitude produces deep, abiding joy because we know that God is working in us, even through difficulties.” Charles Stanley
“If there was ever a secret for unleashing God’s powerful peace in a situation, it’s developing a heart of true thanksgiving.” Lisa Terkeurst
Giving thanks to God in difficult times is easier said than done. Even when we know that it would be good for us, it’s a real challenge when you’re facing something heartbreaking. It’s times like these that turning to scripture for a reminder of the goodness of God can be the best thing to do. An encouraging verse can be a great place to start when saying a prayer of thanksgiving to God.
Use these verses from the Bible to turn to when you need a little help feeling thankful.
Psalm 34:8
“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.”
Psalm 86:5
“You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to You."
Romans 8: 28
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
Nahum 1: 7
“The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.”
Romans 8: 38-39
“For I am convinced that neither death, not life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
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