Give Thanks With A Grateful Heart

Psalm 116:12-19What can I give back to God for the blessings he’s poured out on me?

I’ll lift high the cup of salvation—a toast to God!

I’ll pray in the name of God; I’ll complete what I promised God I’d do, and I’ll do it together with his people.

When they arrive at the gates of death, God welcomes those who love him.

Oh, God, here I am, your servant, your faithful servant: set me free for your service!

I’m ready to offer the thanksgiving sacrifice and pray in the name of God.

I’ll complete what I promised God I’d do, and I’ll do it in company with his people, In the place of worship, in God’s house, in Jerusalem, God’s city. Hallelujah!

Thanksgiving is fundamentally a national holiday with deep religious roots. The holiday was instituted by an act of Congress, not by any church assembly, making it officially a national holiday where “the President of the United States summons the people of America to give thanks to Almighty God”.

The holiday’s origins are deeply intertwined with American history.

It emerged from the Puritans’ desire for simpler worship, with early celebrations like the first Plymouth harvest in 1621, where Governor Bradford sent men “fowling” so they could “rejoice together” and even appointed special thanksgiving days for events like receiving rain after a drought .

As a nationalistic holiday, it serves to “reinforce communal bonds” and “conveys a vision of the world and a version of what matters”.

Interestingly, while the holiday is national, churches have become the primary venue for its celebration, with worship services often becoming more focused on national values—so much so that on such days, “the liturgical colors are red, white, and blue”

. The potential theological tension here is that the church calendar and national calendar have different ends, and when nationalistic holidays infiltrate worship, they can compromise genuine Christian devotion, fostering “a narrower, nationalistically shaped devotion” instead of wholehearted dedication to Christ .

Colossians 3:17 KJV 1900

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Colossians 3:17 Amplified Bible

17 Whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus [and in dependence on Him], giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Colossians 3:17 The Message

15-17 Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

Colossians 3:17 New Living Translation

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

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 KJV 1900

Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 The Message

16-18 Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.

1 Thessalonians 5:16- 18 Amplified Bible

16 Rejoice always and delight in your faith; 17 be unceasing and persistent in prayer; 18 in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

Thanksgiving (Holiday) An annual national holiday marked by religious observances and a traditional meal including turkey; celebrated in the U.S. as a remembrance of Pilgrim and Native American cooperation.

1. ) The Spirit of Gratitude :

1. Family Parents, grandparents, siblings, children—anyone close in your life.

2. Friends People who support you, make you laugh, and stand by you.

3. Health Being healthy or recovering from illness.

4. Home & Safety Having a place to live and feeling safe.

5. Food The meal on the table and the people who helped prepare it.

6. Opportunities Education, a job, or chances to improve your life.

7. Teachers & Mentors People who guide or help you learn.

8. Community Neighbors, coworkers, or people who help others.

9. Nature The environment, the outdoors, and the world around us.

10. Yourself Your own strength, growth, and accomplishments.

Many people do express gratitude to God on Thanksgiving. For those who are religious, this holiday is often a time to thank God for blessings, guidance, and care throughout the year.

🙏 Examples of Gratitude to God

People might thank God for:

Life and health

Family and loved ones

Food and provision

Protection and safety

Strength during difficult times

Opportunities and personal growth

Peace and hope

🦃 How It’s Shown

Some families:

Pray before the Thanksgiving meal

Read a Bible verse or devotional

Share testimonies of how God helped them

Sing a hymn or worship song

Simply speak from the heart

⭐ Bible Verses on Thanksgiving & Gratitude

1. 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

2. Psalm 100:4

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”

3. Psalm 107:1

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

4. 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.”

5. Philippians 4:6

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

6. Psalm 118:1

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

7. Ephesians 5:20

“Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

8. Psalm 95:2

“Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.”

9. Colossians 2:6–7

“…overflowing with thankfulness.”

10. Psalm 136:1

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.

2.) The Spirit of InGratitude :

ingratitude

the state of being ungrateful; unthankfulness.

Proverbs 17:13 New King James Version

13 Whoever rewards evil for good, Evil will not depart from his house.

Proverbs 17:13 New Living Translation

13 If you repay good with evil,     evil will never leave your house.

Proverbs 17:13 The Message

13 Those who return evil for good     will meet their own evil returning.

2 Timothy 3:2 Amplified Bible

2 For people will be lovers of self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane,

2 Timothy 3:2 New Living Translation

2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred.

2 Timothy 3:2-5The Message

Difficult Times Ahead

3 1-5 Don’t be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. They’ll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they’re animals. Stay clear of these people.

CLOSING :

Psalm 100 KJV 1900

A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: Come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; And his truth endureth to all generations.

Colossians 2:6–7 KJV 1900

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Colossians 2:6-7 (The Message) My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.

🙏 Thanksgiving Prayer

Heavenly Father, Thank You for this day and for every blessing You have given us. Thank You for the gift of life, for family and friends, for love, for peace, and for the food before us.

Lord, You have been faithful through every season. You have guided us, protected us, and strengthened us. Today we pause to remember Your goodness and to give You all the praise and glory.

Bless this home and everyone gathered here. Fill our hearts with gratitude, our minds with peace, and our lives with Your presence.

Help us to share Your love with others, to be generous, kind, and grateful each day— not just today, but always.

In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.