5 Psalms of Praise for Thanksgiving

I absolutely love the book of Psalms when it comes to scripture about praise and thanksgiving. I can’t help but gravitate to these verses at Thanksgiving time!

Background on the Psalms

According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, “Psalm” means “a sacred song or poem used in worship.” Its etymology is derived from the Greek psalmos, meaning “songs sung to a harp”, with the root being psallein: to play a stringed instrument.

Most of the psalms you find in the Bible are written by King David. He wrote psalms in many different times of his life, and it’s reflected beautifully in his poetry. But not all of the Psalms in the book were written by him! Some were written by various other authors, which scholars emphasize at the beginning of each chapter.

No matter the author, every Psalm is written with a different emotion in mind. Some are songs of praise, some of lament, some of pleading and some of resignation. My favorite observation is that if you see the psalms leading to the end of the book, they are all full of praise and thanksgiving. It reflects that no matter what is going on in life, we can always praise God for his sovereignty.

Psalms of Thanksgiving

I’ve compiled some of my favorite passages discussing thanksgiving! Of course, I don’t mean the literal holiday “Thanksgiving.” That wasn’t a thing in the Bible lol. We’re talking about the concept of giving thanks. There is so much to be thankful for when we think about all the great things God has done! Let’s take a look:

1. Psalm 9:1-2

“I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart;

I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

I will be glad and exult in you;

I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.”

Psalm 9:1-2

This one is a Psalm of David. The rest of the psalm talks about God’s righteous judgment against enemies, and his eternal reign over all.

2. Psalm 69:30

“I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving.”

Psalm 69:30

What’s interesting about this psalm is that the verse right before is David lamenting over his affliction and pain. He says, “let your salvation, O God, set me on high!” Even though he is suffering, he knows God is always good and just and worthy of praise.

3. Psalm 95:1-5

“Oh come, let us sing to the LORD;

let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;

let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

For the LORD is a great God,

and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are the depths of the earth;

the heights of the mountains are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it,

and his hands formed the dry land.”

Psalm 95:1-5

There are so many ways we can praise the Lord and ascribe him thanks! We can do it through prayer, and we can also do it by worshipping through song. That’s one of my favorite parts of gathering with other believers at church. Worshipping God through songs of praise and thanksgiving, and acknowledging his power and might as the creator of the universe.

4. Psalm 105:1-2

“Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name;

make known his deeds among the peoples!

Sing to him, sing praises to him;

tell of all his wondrous works!”

Psalm 105:1-2

Let’s be loud about our praise and thanksgiving!! We are encouraged to share the greatness of God with others, not keep it to ourselves!

5. Psalm 106:1, Psalm 107:1, Psalm 118:1, Psalm 136:1

“Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever!”

Psalm 106:1, Psalm 107:1, Psalm 118:1, Psalm 136:1

This statement is repeated at the beginning of many psalms. It was one meant for a group to recite. This was often used when recalling the events of the Exodus and God’s work in bringing his people out of slavery. It was a reminder that through all those trials, God was steadfast and never left them. We can remember this today in our own lives.

Prayers of Praise

I think we often default to making requests of God when we pray. And there’s nothing wrong with that! But Jesus gives us a great model for prayer in Matthew 6:

“Pray then like this:

‘Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.'”

Matthew 6:9-13

In this prayer that Jesus models for us, he begins with praise and reverence for God. God’s name is holy, and we want his kingdom to come and will to be done. Then Jesus goes into requests for guidance.

When we pray, it’s important for us to also remember to thank God for his sovereignty and all the things he has done in our lives. I’ve found that the more I praise and thank God for all he’s done, the more I want to obey his word, and vice versa. The more I obey God’s word, the more I want to praise him!

>>> Read more on the concept of obedience and praise here.

Prayer Journaling

A great way to remember the things you are thankful to God for is by journaling! I personally enjoy keeping a prayer journal because it helps me organize my thoughts, and keeps my busy mind from wandering during prayer.

I’ve created this lovely, open-ended prayer journal that you can print or use digitally as much as you want! Each page has a subject line so you can organize and categorize your prayers, and I’ve also included blank lined pages with no header.

One of the subject lines is for prayers of Praise and Thanksgiving. Like I said before, it’s easy to default to making requests of God. And while those are important, it’s great to focus on the good things to tell God too, like praise for an answered request, thanksgiving for God’s creation, and more.

How are you thanking God today?

So, how are you thanking God today? Even when it’s not Thanksgiving Day, we still can–and should–offer God our gratitude. He created everything in existence and sent his only son to die on the cross for our sins! How amazing is that? Be sure to remember that in your daily spiritual walk.

What else are you thankful for? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear from you!

God bless,

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