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30 Bible Verses About Gratitude and Thankfulness

As a card-carrying church girl I know I’m supposed to “give thanks in all circumstances.” I know God is our great King and tender Savior and He deserves every ounce of our gratitude and devotion.

AND life is often very hard and thankfulness isn’t my default setting. Sometimes thankfulness is an act of faith.

It is choosing to see my blessings, even in the midst of hardships. Gratitude fixes my eyes on Jesus even when the kids are dragging their feet to get out the door, the baby is fussing, and the mental load of running a household is wearing me down.

I need to remember what the Bible says about thankfulness on days like these.

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.

And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

-Colossians 3:15-17

💛 Peace is possible.

💛 Thankfulness is a choice.

💛 God’s Word is meant to inhabit our lives, not just be something we hear on Sunday mornings.

💛 Worship is a reset for our hearts.

💛 Every aspect of life is meaningful. We can fold laundry, answer emails, and wipe dirty faces all in the name of Jesus.

heart key chain attached to locks along beach boardwalk

Thanksgiving has the power to shift our focus. Thankfulness actually repairs our brain pathways! The Neuroscience of thankfulness says,

“When we express gratitude and receive the same, our brain releases dopamine and serotonin, the two crucial neurotransmitters responsible for our emotions, and they make us feel ‘good’. They enhance our mood immediately, making us feel happy from the inside.

By consciously practicing gratitude everyday, we can help these neural pathways to strengthen themselves and ultimately create a permanent grateful and positive nature within ourselves.”

I love that neuroscience is proving God’s point! Thankfulness and gratitude are powerful spiritual practices. It’s so much more than just grimacing through hardships with an “attitude of gratitude”. Our thankfulness rests on our relationship with God.

We can choose thankfulness because we have faith God is with us, He loves us, and we are His beloved children. We can choose a heart of gratitude because of our identity in Christ, offering God a sacrifice of praise while recognizing the small and big, tangible and intangible riches already present in our lives.

woman with arms outstretched on beach with best bible verses about gratitude in text overlay

30 Best Bible Verses For Gratitude

In both the Old Testament and the New Testament followers of God are called to thanksgiving, to gratitude, to praise for God for who He is and what He had done in our lives. These 30 Bible Verses for Gratitude will help align your heart to thankfulness today.

1. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. -Colossians 3:16

When we deeply understand what Christ Jesus has done for us we have no other option but to respond with gratefulness from our hearts.

2. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

We can choose thankfulness no matter what we are going through. Our spiritual blessings far outweigh any earthly sorrows we encounter in this life.

3. Every good gift and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. -James 1:17

Understanding God only gives good gifts and is the Father of light frames our attitude in thankfulness.

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

Colossians 3:15 Bible verse on thankfulness

Peace and thanksgiving are intertwined together. The peace of God produces a grateful heart which in turn brings more peace despite our circumstances.

5. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. -Psalm 100:4

A thankful heart should be a hallmark of our worship!

6. A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! -Psalm 100:1 (ESV)

It’s okay use a loud voice and get enthusiastic with your thanks to God! Worship is a celebration of who God is and what He does!

7. I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.

-1 Timothy 1:12

We choose humility when we thank God for the strength to even serve Him–recognizing that the physical ability to do anything comes from God.

woman in blue shirt with hands folded on desk

8. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.

-Romans 1:8

We can be thankful for physical strength and spiritual strength and growth of ourselves and our fellow Christ-followers.

9. How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you. -Psalm 31:19

God has so many good things in store for His children–both physical, emotional and spiritual blessings.

10. I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. -Psalm 9:1

Psalm 9:1 Bible verse

Let all of you–your whole heart–engage in gratitude to God.

11. O 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. -Psalm 95:1

Let’s get excited about praising God and thanking Him for all He does for us!

RELATED: WHAT AN INSTAGRAM GIVEAWAY TAUGHT ME ABOUT THANKSGIVING

When to Show Gratitude to God

12. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. -Colossians 3:17

Every move we make should be made in Jesus name and with thanks to God. Yes, even folding laundry and taking out the trash. Even boring days and hard times allow for tiny moments of thanksgiving.

13. Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.

-Hebrews 13:5

Our thankfulness is a sacrifice and praise we can only offer God because of what Jesus did on the cross.

14. Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. -Ephesians 5:20

Ephesians 5:20 always giving thanks to god

Always, for everything doesn’t leave much room for ungratefulness. There is always always something to be thankful for even in hard circumstances.

15. Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

-Daniel 6:10

Daniel exemplifies giving thanks to God during our private worship times with the Lord.

16. I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among the throngs I will praise you. -Psalm 35:18

Gratitude to God isn’t just for private encounters, but an act of public worship for believers to do together.

17. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. -John 6:11

Jesus modeled pausing to thank God for His provision before eating meals.

RELATED: 15 BIBLE VERSES TO ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER

Things We Can Express Gratitude to God For

18. We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. -1 Thessalonians 1:2

Christians should be thankful for each other’s growing faith!

19. I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. -Ephesians 1:16

Pause and thank God for your spouse, your kids, your friends, your parents, your siblings–lifting up each other in prayer is a spiritual privilege and blessing.

20. Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name. -Psalm 30:4

God’s faithfulness inspires our gratitude and worship of Him.

RELATED: 25 BIBLE VERSES ABOUT GOD’S FAITHFULNESS

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

-Psalm 107:1

God’s steadfast love and goodness are so worthy of our thankfulness.

22. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.

-Psalm 136:1-3

give thanks to the lord bible verses

Gratitude and worship are our response to our Creator’s loyal love.

23. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! -2 Corinthians 9:15

God’s gift of grace should inspire selflessness and thanksgiving among the followers of God.

24. We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. -Revelation 11:17

Jesus reign over us and all the earth should inspire our thankfulness.

25. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?  Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. -Romans 7:24-25a (NLT)

We can be thankful for a life freed from the domination of sin.

26. And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. -1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NLT)

We can have gratitude for how God is working in the lives of our fellow believers to help them grow spiritually.

27. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. -1 Corinthians 15:57

thanks be to god bible verse

We can be thankful for the victory God won over death and the grave through Jesus work on the cross.

28. I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king.

When God answers prayer our response should be gratitude. Even our wisdom and power (which we sometimes falsely attribute to ourselves) can be traced back to the Lord. 

29. 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

We can be thankful for Christ’s victory in the past and the way He is using us now and in the future to spread His love.

30. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. -Psalm 28:7

God strong hand is always shielding us and helping us. He is completely trustworthy and worthy of my full worship and joyful thanksgiving.

woman with long dark hair raises her hands singing thanks to god while looking at the ocean

Songs of Gratitude to God

So many of these amazing Bible verses about gratitude have been turned into songs of praise to God. Listen to these as you reflect with gratitude on the Father’s great love, your salvation through Jesus, and the Holy Spirit’s continual working in your life.

Resources for Further Study

This section contains affiliate links.

1000 Gifts — Ann Voskamp

The Power of Thank You: Discover the Joy of Gratitude — Joyce Meyer

Grateful Praise! A Gratitude Journal for Women of Faith — Lisa Zeck

RELATED: 300+ TOPICAL BIBLE VERSES

We have so many blessings of God to be thankful for!

Our expressions of thanks to God is how we worship Him both corporately and privately. Sometimes that expression is as simple as shifting our attitude from one of entitlement and lack to an attitude of thanksgiving and joy.

30 best bible verses about gratitude with woman in gray shirt with folded hands over Bible

Use these Bible verses and examples of thanksgiving to shift your focus and choose gratitude to the Lord today.

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