Looking for Thanksgiving Bible verses to read at the table, write in a card, or simply carry through the week? Here are 30 Scriptures about giving thanks, grouped by how you might use them: a blessing before the meal, the Psalms of thanksgiving, gratitude in every season, and thanks for the gift of Christ. All verses are quoted from the King James Version (KJV).
Bible Verses for Your Thanksgiving Table
Short enough to read aloud before the meal, these verses turn a full table into a moment of worship.
1. Psalm 107:1
"O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever."
The simplest Thanksgiving prayer in the Bible. If your family only reads one verse this year, let it be this one.
2. Psalm 136:26
"O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever."
Psalm 136 repeats "his mercy endureth for ever" in every verse, which makes it a beautiful responsive reading: one person reads the line, everyone answers with the refrain.
3. 1 Chronicles 16:34
"O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever."
David's song when the ark came home to Jerusalem. Gratitude was the first thing he wanted his people to sing.
4. Deuteronomy 8:10
"When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee."
A reminder that thanks belongs not only before the meal, but after it too.
5. Psalm 145:15–16
"The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing."
Every dish on the table started in His open hand.
6. John 6:11
"And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would."
Before Jesus fed the five thousand, He gave thanks for five loaves and two fish. Gratitude came first, abundance followed.
Psalms of Thanksgiving
The book of Psalms is the Bible's songbook of gratitude. These verses are perfect for a Thanksgiving devotional or a family reading.
7. Psalm 100:4
"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name."
Perhaps the best-known Thanksgiving verse of all. Thanksgiving is how we come into His presence.
8. Psalm 100:5
"For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations."
The reason behind verse 4: we give thanks because He is good, and His faithfulness reaches our children and grandchildren.
9. Psalm 95:2
"Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms."
10. Psalm 9:1
"I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works."
Gratitude with a whole heart, not a divided one. A good verse to ask around the table: what marvellous work has God done for you this year?
11. Psalm 69:30
"I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving."
12. Psalm 147:7
"Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God."
13. Psalm 103:2
"Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits."
Thanksgiving is, at its heart, the practice of remembering.
14. Psalm 34:1
"I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth."
15. Psalm 28:7
"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him."
16. Psalm 118:24
"This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."
17. Psalm 107:8
"Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!"
Giving Thanks in Every Season
Thanksgiving is easy when the year has been kind. These verses are for the years that have been hard, too.
18. 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
"Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
Notice the word: in every thing, not for every thing. We are not asked to be grateful for loss, but to keep giving thanks in the middle of it.
19. Philippians 4:6
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."
Paul pairs worry and gratitude on purpose. Thanksgiving is one of God's answers to anxiety.
20. Colossians 3:15
"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful."
21. Colossians 3:17
"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."
22. Colossians 4:2
"Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving."
23. Ephesians 5:20
"Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
24. Lamentations 3:22–23
"It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."
Written in the ruins of Jerusalem, this is gratitude that survived the worst. His mercies were new that morning, and they are new this one.
25. James 1:17
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."
Thanks for the Gift of Christ
The greatest reason for gratitude is not on the table. It is the gift of Jesus.
26. 2 Corinthians 9:15
"Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."
Short enough for a place card, deep enough for a lifetime.
27. 1 Corinthians 15:57
"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
28. Hebrews 13:15
"By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name."
29. Hebrews 12:28
"Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear."
30. Isaiah 12:4
"And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted."
Simple Ways to Use These Verses This Thanksgiving
- Place cards: write one short verse on each guest's card, such as 2 Corinthians 9:15 or Psalm 118:24, and ask everyone to read theirs before the meal.
- Responsive grace: read Psalm 136 together, with the whole table answering "for his mercy endureth for ever."
- A gratitude jar: through November, each family member writes one thing they are thankful for and pairs it with a verse from this list. Read them aloud on Thanksgiving Day.
- Keep one in sight: choose the verse that speaks to you most and put it where you will see it every morning. A framed verse by the kitchen or the front door keeps gratitude in front of you long after the holiday. Browse our Bible verse wall art.
Want to go deeper? Read 25 Bible Verses About Thankfulness and Gratitude, with reflections on contentment, Jesus' example, and giving thanks in hard times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most popular Bible verse for Thanksgiving?
Psalm 100:4, "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise," and 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "In every thing give thanks," are two of the most widely used Thanksgiving verses. Psalm 107:1, "O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good," is a favorite for a blessing before the meal.
Is Thanksgiving mentioned in the Bible?
The American Thanksgiving holiday is not in the Bible, but thanksgiving as worship is everywhere in it. The Law of Moses described thanksgiving offerings (Leviticus 7), the Psalms are full of songs of thanks, and the New Testament calls believers to give thanks "always for all things" (Ephesians 5:20).
What is a short Bible verse for a Thanksgiving card?
Try 2 Corinthians 9:15, "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift," Psalm 118:24, "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it," or Psalm 107:1.
What does the Bible say about being thankful in hard times?
1 Thessalonians 5:18 asks us to give thanks in every circumstance, and Philippians 4:6 pairs thanksgiving with prayer as the answer to worry. Lamentations 3:22–23 was written in a season of grief and still declares, "great is thy faithfulness."
Which Bible translation are these verses from?
All verses in this article are quoted from the King James Version (KJV).
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