Bible Verses about Thanksgiving: 10 Ways to Be Thankful Today

There are few things that bring me more joy than sitting around a table of delicious food with my favorite people. I think that’s why Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. 

During Thanksgiving, many of us in the United States pause to count our blessings and acknowledge what we’re grateful for. But what happens when life feels more difficult than joyful? How do we give thanks when facing uncertainty, disappointment or grief? 

As I write this, I am walking through one of those seasons. A dear family member is facing a health crisis that has upended life as we’ve known it, and it has tested all of our faith in different ways. 

Fortunately, the Bible has a lot to say about thanksgiving, and its message goes beyond a holiday. Scripture shows us that gratitude is not a by-product of happy circumstances, but something we as Christians cultivate and lean into because the God we serve is good, loving and faithful. 

The following Bible verses about thanksgiving highlight why we can be thankful in every season—even the tough ones. I’ve also included 10 practical ways to build a habit of thankfulness into your life (click here to skip to that section). 

I hope they help you foster a heart of gratitude this season and beyond. 

5 Bible Verses About Thanksgiving

As Christians, our reasons to be thankful lie beyond our circumstances. We can be grateful at all times and in all seasons. Why? Because God is good, He loves us and cares for us, He grants us new life and hope through Jesus and He promises to be with us always. 

Here are five reasons the Bible gives us to practice thanksgiving. 

Psalm 100 is one of my favorite psalms. It invites us to approach God with thanksgiving by focusing on who He is, in other words, His character.

Whatever our circumstances, God deserves our gratitude because of who He is. His character never changes, His love endures forever and He is faithful through every season. 

When we aren’t sure what to be thankful for, start here: God is good and His love lasts forever. 

This passage tells how God heard His people’s cries, delivered them from distress and provided what they needed. It reminds us as followers of Jesus that God sees us in our struggles and invites us to call on Him for help. 

We can approach God as our loving father. He hears our prayers, guides us and grants us strength to face whatever challenges life brings. 

While we may not always get the answers we hope for or be spared from hard times, we can trust our loving Heavenly Father to be present with us through it all. We can thank Him for His care, even as we ask for His help. 

God gave us the greatest gift when He sent His Son, Jesus, to earth. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can be reconciled to our Creator and welcomed into His family. And we get to grow in our relationship with Him and live in the hope of eternal life with Him. 

The new life we have in Jesus isn’t something we earn or achieve, but rather is a gift from our Father in heaven. This is something we can be profoundly thankful for, as Paul points out in his letter to the Colossians. 

When everyday worries threaten to take our attention away from God, we can return to this foundation: We belong to Christ and His grace is a gift worth acknowledging, honoring and celebrating. 

James reminds us that going through trials (struggles and hardship) can help develop maturity and perseverance in us. This doesn’t mean that we have to pretend to enjoy our suffering or hide our sadness behind a facade of positivity. But it does mean that we can trust God to work in us when we go through hard times. 

When thankfulness feels difficult, thank God for being present, and ask Him for strength. We can trust Him with what we can’t understand. We can also look back on past seasons and remember how He sustained us and brought us through them. 

The Bible doesn’t ignore the reality of death. Rather, it acknowledges the pain death brings while pointing us toward hope. 

Jesus’ death and resurrection mean sin and death do not have the final say. We who belong to Christ can look forward to eternity with Him after we die. This makes me feel immensely grateful! 

This promise gives us a reason to be thankful beyond anything we experience in this life. Even when we experience grief and loss, we can cling to the hope we have in Jesus. 

10 Ways to Be Thankful Every Day

These thanksgiving Scriptures show us that we have infinite reasons to be thankful. But knowing this doesn’t mean thankfulness always comes easily. 

It’s helpful to build small habits that help turn our attention back to God and His goodness.

When these habits become part of our lives, thankfulness can become second nature, and gratitude can help shape our perspective, setting our eyes on what and who is above it all as Colossians 3:1-3 encourages us to do. 

These aren’t things to add to your to-do list; you have enough on that list already. Instead, these ways to practice thankfulness are meant to fit into your everyday life.

Here are 10 ways to be thankful throughout your day. 

1. When you wake up

I am not a morning person. There aren’t many things that make me grumpier than waking up before the sun. But every morning I wake up, I have reasons to thank God. He sustained me through the night and gave me another day to live and grow and walk with Him. 

Even when the day ahead feels overwhelming, we can remember that His mercies are new every morning. 

Try this: Before checking your phone or even getting out of bed, name three things you’re thankful for. They can be small things. Thank God for rest, a new day or the opportunity to spend time with a loved one. 

You can also thank Him for the grace He gives you through Jesus. John 1:16 reminds us that from Christ’s fullness, we have all received grace upon grace. 

2. When you sit down to eat 

Mealtimes are a natural opportunity to pause and give thanks. Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus thanking God for food before sharing it with others. 

When Jesus fed the 5,000, He gave thanks before distributing the loaves and fish. And at the Last Supper, He gave thanks as He broke bread with His disciples and pointed them toward the sacrifice He was about to make. 

Try this: Before your next meal, take a moment to thank God for the food in front of you and the people and resources that helped bring it to your table. You can also remember Jesus’ sacrifice and thank Him for the grace that sustains you.

3. When you wash your hands

Most of us wash our hands several times a day. Some of us even count to 20 or sing a short song to make sure we’re washing long enough. 

Why not turn that routine into a reminder to say a prayer of gratitude? 

As you wash your hands, thank God for the ways He cares for your physical well-being. You can also remember the spiritual cleansing He offers through Jesus. 

Try this: Every time you wash your hands, thank God for one thing He’s done for you. You might thank Him for your health, for His provision or for His presence with you even as you do this simple task. 

4. When you fill your gas tank

A simple stop at the gas station can bring up all kinds of negative thoughts and emotions. Focusing on rising and falling fuel prices can quickly lead to grumbling about politics and the state of the economy. (I’m guilty of it, too.) 

But even this ordinary frustration can be an opportunity to give thanks. 

We can thank God for providing transportation, the resources that help us get where we need to go and for the many people whose work makes that possible. 

Try this: Next time you fill your gas tank, pause before starting the pump. Thank God for your vehicle, the ability to travel and the people you’ll see or places you’ll go. If you’re feeling anxious about finances or the state of the world, bring those worries to Him, too. 

Being grateful doesn’t mean pretending financial pressures don’t exist. But it helps us to remember God’s provision and how we can trust Him with our concerns. 

5. When you wash your clothes

Laundry is one of those never-ending chores. But it can also remind us of the many people involved in providing the things we use every day—and it can help us remember to be grateful for them. 

Our Bangladesh Prayer Guide contains a beautiful reminder that we can use everyday items like textiles as a reminder to pray for others. 

Think about the clothes in your closet. Someone designed them, someone made them and someone helped transport them to a store or warehouse. Many of the clothes we wear are manufactured overseas by people whose names we’ll never know—but God knows them and loves them. 

Try this: As you sort or fold laundry, thank God for the people who made your clothes. Pray for their well-being and their families and communities. Pray for them to encounter Jesus if they have not already or to grow closer to Him if they have. 

6. When caring for others

Caring for someone else takes time, energy and patience. Whether you’re raising children, caring for an aging parent or supporting a loved one with ongoing needs, the responsibility can be a heavy weight to carry. 

We don’t need to pretend caregiving is easy to be thankful. Instead, we can thank God for the people we’ve been given to love while asking Him to carry us through the hard parts. 

God spoke these words of encouragement to His people through the prophet Isaiah: 

We also see in Psalms that the Lord is our strength and shield (Psalm 28:7). We don’t have to carry every burden in our own strength—we can lean on Him. 

Try this: When caregiving feels overwhelming, pause to pray. Thank God for the person in your care and for granting you the strength to care for them well. You can also ask Him for patience and wisdom. 

7. When cleaning your home 

Some people find cleaning relaxing, while others would rather do anything else. No matter which camp you’re in, we can agree that tasks filling our days can also remind us of God’s faithful provision. 

A sink full of dishes means you have food to eat. A pile of laundry means you have clothes to wear. Cleaning up a room means you have a place to call home. 

The 23rd Psalm paints a beautiful picture of how God protects and provides for us as a shepherd does for his sheep. He leads us, restores us and cares for us. 

Try this: Choose one cleaning task today and connect it with a prayer of thanksgiving. Thank God for your home, the people who share it with you or the basic needs He has helped you meet. 

If your living situation is difficult, start small, and remember you can bring your needs to God honestly. Even this is a reason to be grateful. 

8. When you’re stuck in traffic 

Yes, even then. 

Traffic will test even the most patient of people. You might be running late to work or an appointment, anxious for an upcoming meeting or just tired of sitting behind the same dusty, sluggish sedan. 

Being thankful won’t make the cars move any faster, but it can change how we spend that time. Instead of letting frustration take over, pause to give thanks. 

In this letter, Paul doesn’t tell the Philippian church to ignore their concerns. He encourages them to bring them to God with thanksgiving. 

Try this: The next time you’re in traffic (while staying focused on driving safely), say a quick prayer for the people around you. Thank God for your transportation and ask Him to help you respond with patience. 

9. When paying bills 

Housing, water, electricity and other necessities cost money, and these recurring expenses can be a source of stress. 

But when we pay bills, we can also take a moment to recognize what those bills represent: a place to live, running water, lights and heat or another resource we depend on. 

James reminds us that every good thing is a gift from God. 

Try this: When you pay a bill, thank God for the service it provides. If you have a job that helps you pay for those expenses, thank Him for that as well. 

10. Before you sleep

As you wind down after a long day, it’s tempting to replay everything that went wrong. Maybe you’re like me and think about all the unfinished tasks you still have to get to or what tomorrow will bring. 

Before you fall asleep, take a few minutes to remember how God met you throughout the day. 

Maybe your day wasn’t perfect. You might still have hard circumstances to face. But you can rest knowing that God is with you. 

Try this: Keep a simple journal and record one thing that happened during the day that made you feel grateful. Record your entry right before you go to sleep. This can help you reflect on how God was present with you that day. 

How to Practice Thankfulness

I hope these small, habit-building practices and Scriptures on thankfulness remind you that gratitude is not something we feel, but rather a way to remember who God is and His goodness towards us. 

If you want to explore more Bible verses about thanksgiving and gratitude, you can find a list of over 100 here. 

We won’t always feel thankful. Some days gratitude may come easily. Other days, it might take an intentional choice to turn your attention toward God, even while acknowledging what feels painful. 

Start small. Choose one of the 10 ways to practice thankfulness listed above and put it into practice. Bookmark one of the Bible verses from this post and return to it as you grow your habit of thankfulness. 

Above all, remember that thanksgiving is our response to who God is, and in every season He is worthy of our gratitude.