Tag: Thankfulness

Ideas for Growing in Gratitude

“Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

The Bible tells us to give thanks in all seasons. It’s a year-round, every-day opportunity. We should not wait until Thanksgiving Day or the month of November to be grateful, but we can leverage this season to increase the gratitude we feel, cultivate the habit of thanksgiving, and deepen our awareness of all the reasons to praise and thank God.

It’s a great season for churches, families, and individuals to lean into giving thanks to God together. Like so many things, there is a shared joy that doubles our own joy when we do things with others, and thanksgiving is no different. As we practice giving thanks in our churches and homes, we are encouraged by how God is at work in the lives of those around us and we are reminded of the many reasons to thank God based on who He is and what He does.

As I’ve read about, studied, wrote on, and practiced the spiritual habit of thanksgiving over the last decade, here are a few resources to help you grow in gratitude.

Continue reading Ideas for Growing in Gratitude

Grateful Offerings: Gratitude Reading Plan (Day 5)

(This devotion is day five of a 30-Day Thanksgiving Challenge. Each day includes a daily reading that will be accompanied by a post on this blog.)

Read 1 Chronicles 29:10–22; Leviticus 7:11–15

As a kid, one of my parents would give me money to buy the other parent a birthday gift. Even when I had an allowance or helped around the house, any money spent on cards or gifts came from my mom or dad. I had nothing to give them they didn’t provide first.

Continue reading Grateful Offerings: Gratitude Reading Plan (Day 5)

Thanksgiving Resources

(For an updated reading plan different from what’s below, see this blog.)

If you’re looking for some additional resources and ways to practice giving thanks, here’s a place to start.

  • Read a book specifically on thanksgiving or gratitude. Some recommendations would be Thanksgiving by David Pao; The Things of Earth by Joe Rigney; One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp; Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss; or God is the Gospel by John Piper.
  • If a book seems like a bit too much of a commitment right now, read one of the following articles.
  • Listen to a sermon on thanksgiving.
  • Sing Christian hymns or worship songs related to the theme of giving thanks.
  • Do something as a family that makes this an enjoyable and memorable experience, such as a gratitude tree.
  • As you interact with other Christians—in formal settings such as small group or informal settings like work or a restaurant—ask them what God has done for them that they’re thankful for.
  • If things like gratitude trees are a bit too artsy for you, just keep a list of things you can thank God for. Keep a journal, a sheet of paper in your Bible, or use something on your phone like “Notes” to record and revisit these reasons for thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Verses
Below is a list of 30 verses that mention giving thanks, thanksgiving, or thankfulness. I’d encourage you to read them at the start of your morning and meditate on (chew on) then throughout the day. There are plenty of related words in the Bible tied to this theme we could have looked at, or even words showing the problem with a lack of thanksgiving (such as ingratitude or murmuring). A quick word search on Logos resulted in 132 occurrences of thank/thanks/thankful and 38 occurrences of thanksgiving. So this is meant to be a starter rather than an exhaustive list. Hopefully it helps cement the importance of and joy in giving thanks in your heart, as well as providing some specific examples of what it looks like in the Bible.

Day 1: 1 Chr. 29:10-13
Day 2: Ps. 30:4
Day 3: Ps. 100:4
Day 4: Col. 1:3, 12
Day 5: Col. 2:7
Day 6: Col. 3:15-17
Day 7: Col. 4:2
Day 8: Ps. 107:1, 21-22 
Day 9: Ps. 118:1, 19-21, 28-29
Day 10: Luke 17:16 (see 17:11-19)
Day 11: John 6:11, 23
Day 12: John 11:41
Day 13: Ps. 50:23
Day 14: 1 Cor. 11:23-24
Day 15: 2 Cor. 2:14
Day 16: 2 Cor. 4:15
Day 17: 2 Cor. 9:11-15
Day 18: Eph. 5:4
Day 19: Eph. 5:20
Day 20: Ps. 147:7
Day 21: Ps. 136:1-3 (see all of 136)
Day 22: Phi. 1:3
Day 23: Matt. 15:36
Day 24: Acts 27:35
Day 25: Ps. 138
Day 26: 1 Thess. 3:9
Day 27: 1 Thess. 5:18
Day 28: 1 Tim. 4:3
Day 29: Rev. 4:9
Day 30: Rev. 7:12