What Does The Bible Say About Giving Thanks In All Things
Its entirely possible and necessary to give thanks in all things.
Give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thes. 5:18
You can give thanks in all things because of Gods nature and character. He is faithful. He is good. He is gracious. He is merciful. He is full of love and compassion. He does not change.
Things in life can change at any moment, but when youre filled with thanksgiving, you can weather any storm in life and come through it filled with praise and thanksgiving.
We dont always know how life will go. But we always know what Gods will for us is: Its to give thanks in light of His goodness. Because He is good and His nature does not change, we can always give thanks.
Its sometimes explained that the Bible tells us to give thanks in all things, not for all things. No one in their right mind would be thankful for evil, wickness, injustice, and oppression. But no matter what happens, we can give thanks to God and He will carry us through.
Its also possible to have many things but not be thankful. In todays world, many people have more conveniences, live longer, and have more opportunities than any other time in the history of the world. But this doesnt mean that life becomes more meaningful and fulfilling.
When we dont give thanks, we cant appreciate what I have. Were always looking for what we dont have.
Knowing God and opening to His goodness results in thankfulness.
The Meaning Of Thanksgiving In The Bible
What is the meaning of thanksgiving in the Bible?
Thanksgiving in the Bible means to respond to Gods goodness and grace with gratitude. The word for giving thanks in the Old Testament means to raise hands to God in gratitude. The New Testament word for thanks has the root idea of grace.
The biblical definition of thanks is very rich and meaningful. Its a different way of looking at life and how God works in the world. Its based on Gods goodness towards mankind and involves responding to Him with our whole being.
In the New Testament, the word for thanks means to be thankful for Gods grace. The root word in Greek actually has the word grace in it.
When you give thanks, youre responding to Gods goodness and graciousness.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa. 136:1
In the Old Testament, the main words for thanks come from the root word which means to lift up hands. Many English translations translate the word as thanks or sometimes, praise.
What does giving thanks have to do with lifting up hands? To open and lift your hands is one response when youve been shown grace and kindness. Its a way of expressing openness to the person who gave the gift and a way of acknowledging their graciousness.
Thanksgiving is a response to the revelation of God. As God opens your eyes to see Him as He is, your whole being responds to Him with thanksgiving.
Giving thanks is a way of saying:
Paul Exhorts Us To Give Thanks
The Bible has a lot to say about giving thanks the word thank appears in some form numerous times in the Bible. In the New Testament, the apostle Paul wrote about giving thanks at least 46 times. Surely he was touching something particular regarding this matter.
Throughout his epistles, Paul encouraged us to give thanks. But perhaps his most challenging charge is in 1 Thessalonians 5:18:
In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
In everythingthis is the challenge. When we count our blessings, were grateful for things the Lord has done for us and supplied us with. So we happily give thanks. Thats pretty easy to do. But we have a harder time thanking Him when we seem to have run out of blessings and our situation doesnt look very positive. Yet Paul says giving thanks in everything is Gods will for us. Was Paul speaking in theory or by personal experience?
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Prophet Daniel Gave Thanks To God
The story of Daniel is a popular and inspiring story about faith in God through all things. God blessed Daniel, a Jew brought as a captive from Jerusalem to Babylon at the age of twelve, and he becomes one of the wise men in king Nebuchadnezzars palace.
Then came a crisis when the king forgets a dream he had but, as strange as it may seem, expected his wise me to come up with his dream or else face the death penalty. An impossible assignment.
But God answered Daniels prayer and revealed the dream and its interpretation. What is Daniels response? He immediately gives thanks to God with a prayer of thanksgiving:
I offer thanks and praise to you, God of my fathers, because you have given me wisdom and power. And now you have let me know what we asked of you, for you have let us know the kings mystery. Daniel 2:23 CSB
We can say that Daniel thanked God in response to answered prayers. Dont we all do the same? How about when things didnt go that well? Yes, Daniel faced that situation a little later in his life. It happened during the reign of another king when Daniel had to face a royal decree that everyone should only pray to the king and no one else.
When the kings order curbing the freedom of prayer was announced, Daniel calmly and deliberately continued to pray and thank his God openly. The Bible says:
As the story goes, Daniel was punished for being true to his beliefs by being thrown into a lions den and God miraculously rescued him.
Why Is Thanksgiving To God Important
As followers of Christ, we are to recognize and honor God as our Creator. This helps prevent us from becoming ungrateful or trying to take credit for things ourselves. When we lose our focus on God and thanking God it distorts us spiritually in our minds and hearts.
But more importantly, when we give thanks to God, we are praising Him for all that He is, all that He has done, all the He is doing, and all that He will do in our lives.
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Bible Verses About Thanksgiving For Friends And Christian Community
God does not expect you to live your life alone.
You were created to be in a relationship with him and other peopleâfamily, friends, and your church. You need close friends who will support you, encourage you, and help you to live your life for Christ.
Naturally, there will be times when youâre feeling at odds with people in your life. Anytime you add one sinner with another sinner youâre going to have a problem now and then. When this happens, itâs essential to still express thanks for your friends and Christian community.
Here are several Bible verses and examples about expressing thanksgiving for your friends and Christian community.
Bible Verses About Thanksgiving In Hard Times
Giving thanks in hard times is where the rubber meets the road for many Christians.
Letâs admit: Itâs easy to be thankful when things are going well. However, when something goes wrong, when youâre mistreated, or when you’re diagnosed with an illness, giving thanks during hard times isnât naturalâlet alone comfortable.
Hereâs the deal about hard times: Theyâre meant to enlarge our faith not diminish our faith.
There will be times when you feel like your faith is nonexistent or that God has decided to leave you hanging when youâre suffering. But thatâs not the case at all.
We know from Bible verses about thanksgiving in hard times that God will not leave you or forsake you and he uses the hard times in your life to make you more like Jesus.
Choosing a bible verse, like those listed below, during hard times can provide the encouragement you need.
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The Power Of Thanksgiving To God
When we make thanking God a regular part of our day, He will relish in our praises of Him! Beginning our prayer time with gratitude and thanksgiving for how amazing and wonderful He truly is, makes our prayers so much more powerful.
I hope you find in these Biblical examples of giving thanks to God some answers for how you can give thanks to God in all situations. Let us never become content with all our blessings but let us ALWAYS be thankful to God with a heart of gratitude and praise.
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Apostle Paul Gave Thanks To God
Considered as one of the most important figures in early Christianity, the Apostle Paul founded several churches in Asia Minor and Europe after his dramatic encounter with Christ and becoming His follower. But he also faced numerous troubles including imprisonment, beatings, threats, and near-death encounters for boldly proclaiming that Jesus is the Son of God.
Through all the difficult experiences, Paul not only learned the meaning of true thanksgiving but also applied it in his daily life. For example, when he was imprisoned in Rome, he wrote about giving thanks to God in his letter to the Ephesians,
Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:19-20
With many early Christians looking to Paul as a role model, he encouraged them to give thanks at all times. He wrote,
Dont worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6
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What Are Bible Verses About Giving
The Bible has a lot to say about giving. Jesus Christ is a generous giver, and He wants us to be generous as well. In the Bible, we see that giving is an act of worship. It is an expression of thankfulness. And it is something that we should do joyfully. When we give generously, we are imitating the character of God.
What Does It Mean To Give Thanks
The meaning of thanksgiving in the Bible is multifaceted. We can pull out a definition of âthanksgivingâ by looking at specific words. But the meaning of these words can take on varied nuances depending on their contextâespecially in the Old Testament.
Let me explain.
In the Old Testament, youâll see that thanksgiving has limited expression. For instance, Bible verses about thanksgiving in the Old Testament are closely tied to âpraise.â In other words, the people would praise God for who he is or for delivering them from a bad situation .
In the New Testament, verses in the Bible about thanksgiving expand upon the limited scope of the concept in the Old Testament. What we see in the New Testament is that âthanksgivingâ becomes a way of life for Christiansâin the good times and the bad.
What does all of this mean?
In the end, to give thanks can include praising God for who is and what he has done for you, and it can also involve a general expression of gratitude.
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Gods Mercy Endures Forever
Gods Mercy is basically the kindness and forgiveness that He show us. Salvation, forgiving us of all our sins so we can live for eternity with Him in Heaven, is Gods ultimate act of mercy towards us.
- Why is it important to be thankful for Gods mercy?
- Why should we be thankful that His mercy endures forever?
Scriptures Of Thanksgiving And Praise
“I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.” ~ Psalm 7:17-19
“I will praise the name of God with a song I will magnify him with thanksgiving.”~ Psalm 69:30
“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” ~ Hebrews 13:15-16
“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
“He is the one you praise he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.” ~ Deuteronomy 10:21
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!” ~ Psalm 150:6
“Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with praise.” ~ Psalm 95:2
“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save he will rejoice over you with gladness he will quiet you by his love he will exult over you with loud singing.” ~ Zephaniah 3:17
“I will give thanks to you, LORD, with my whole heart I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.” ~ Psalm 9:1
“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.” ~ Psalm 146:1-2
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Jesus Gave Thanks To God
The example set before us by our Lord Jesus Christ shows us once again the importance of giving thanks to God.
Jesus gave thanks for the food as recorded several times in the scriptures. For example, at the time of the miraculous feeding five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish, it is written,
Then Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks he distributed them to those who were seatedso also with the fish, as much as they wanted. John 6:11
Another example recorded was at the scene of raising Lazarus who had been dead for three days. We read that Jesus prayed and thanked God even before the miracle by saying:
Father, I thank you that you heard me. John 11: 41b
This intriguing prayer sets an example and a pattern we can follow for offering thanksgiving to God in prayer. As we pray in faith and bring our petitions before God, we should practice an attitude of gratitude. Prayers of Thanksgiving strengthen faith and prepares us for the miracles of God.
Gratitude Is A Testimony
When we thank God openly and acknowledge what Hes done for us, we proclaim a personal, caring God to the world around us. We show that contentment and peace come not from what we have but Who we know.
Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Psalm 105:1
Developing a grateful heart brings incredible blessing. My only regret in keeping a daily gratitude list? Not starting it sooner.
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The Power Of Gratitude: 12 Benefits Of Giving God Thanks
shared by Lisa Appelo |
Most of us know thanksgiving is a good practice. But do we know just how good? The Bible shows the great power of gratitude.
While practicing daily thankfulness may seem like another chore, I hope to convince you the power of gratitude far outweighs the few minutes it takes to practice it. There are so many reasons to intentionally cultivate gratitude!
Lets unpack the power of gratitude with these 12 benefits of giving God thanks.
Powerful Bible Verses About Giving
Bible verses about giving encourage us to be more generous because extending help to others is like honoring God.
God is a giver, and He also desires us to be givers. In this blog post, we will explore what the Bible has to say about giving. We will look at different aspects of giving, such as why we should give, how to be a good giver, and the rewards of giving. We will also look at some specific Bible verses about giving. May this blog post inspire you to become a more generous person!
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Gratitude Guards Against Envy
Envy makes us want what someone else has. I mean, we deserve it! Gratitude makes us realize God has given us far more than we deserve. Because theres enough for everyone, we can cheer rather than compare. A heart wholly grateful has no room left for envy.
I will give You thanks with all my heart Psalm 138:1
A Habit Of The Apostles
It was a habit, a way of life for Paul for example. Paul gave thanks to the Lord for everything:
1 Corinthians 1:4 I thank my God continually for you, for the grace of God which has been given you in Christ Jesus.
Romans 1:8 First I give thanks to my God through Jesus Christ for all of you that your faith is renowned throughout the world.
Romans 6:17 But thanks be to God that, after being slaves to sin, you heartily obeyed the rule of doctrine in which you were instructed.
Romans 7:25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
2 Thessalonians 1:3 We must continually give thanks to God for you, brethren, as it is right, because your faith is making great progress, and the charity of each one of you toward others is increasing more and more.
2 Thessalonians 2:13 For we, beloved brethren of the Lord, we must continually give thanks to God concerning you, because God has chosen you from the beginning unto salvation, by the sanctification of the Spirit and by faith in the truth.
2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for his ineffable gift!
Ephesians 1:16 I keep giving thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.
Colossians 1:3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we do not cease to pray for you.
1 Thessalonians 1:2 We constantly express our gratitude to God for all of you when we mention you in our prayers.
Philemon 1:4I continually give thanks to my God, making mention of you in my prayers.
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