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Thanksgiving is finally here, and there are a number of ways to celebrate with family and friends this year. If you’re looking for a way to express your gratitude, look no further than with these prayers, blessings, and Bible quotes centered on giving thanks.
- 1. 2 Corinthians 4:15: “All this is 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. Colossians 3:17: “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.
3. Psalm 100:4: “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”
4. Psalm 44:8: “In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever.”
5. Psalm 86:12: “I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.”
6. 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
7. Ephesians 5:20: Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
8. Hebrews 13:15: “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.”
9. 2 Corinthians 2:14: “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.”
10. Colossians 3:17: “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.”
11. Philippians 4:6-7: “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.”
12. Psalm 9:1: “I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”
13. Psalm 31:19: “Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!”
Thanksgiving honors the autumn harvest feast shared between the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians in 1621. While individual states and colonies celebrated Thanksgiving for over two centuries, it wasn’t until 1863 that the holiday would be proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln as one that would be held each November.
Franklin D. Roosevelt subsequently intended to reschedule Thanksgiving for the second-to-last Thursday in November in an attempt to increase retail sales during the Great Depression. This, however, was met with opposition, and the president signed a bill officially making Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday in November in 1941.
Today, Thanksgiving is typically celebrated with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pies. It is also honored with celebrations like the Macy’s Day Parade, which attracts thousands of spectators each year.
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