Thanksgiving Bible Verses | Larry Stamm Ministries

October 31, 2026 | Larry Stamm Ministries | Faith & History

It’s easy to be thankful for things. Scripture invites us to go one step further: to be thankful to Someone. Each of these Thanksgiving Bible verses points past the blessing to the One who gives it. Read them slowly, and let them turn your gratitude into worship.

God Is the Source of Every Good Gift

Every blessing has a return address.

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.”

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.”

1 Chronicles 16:34 – “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.”

In Hebrew, these are the very words that open Psalm 136: Hodu l’Adonai ki tov, ki l’olam chasdo (הוֹדוּ לַיהוָה כִּי־טוֹב כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ).

Coming Before Him with Thanks

Thanksgiving is how we enter His presence, not an afterthought.

Psalm 100:4 – “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”

In Hebrew, Psalm 100 is titled mizmor l’todah, “a psalm of thanksgiving.” The same word, todah (תּוֹדָה), is the “thanksgiving” we bring through His gates in verse 4.

Psalm 95:2 – “Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.”

Psalm 107:1 – “O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

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.”

Thankful in Every Circumstance

Gratitude isn’t reserved for good days; it’s an act of trust on hard ones.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 – “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

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.”

Ephesians 5:20 – “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

A Life Marked by Gratitude

Thankfulness is meant to shape how we live, not just what we say.

Colossians 2:6–7 – “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 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.”

Luke 17:15–16 – “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.”

Ten were healed, but only one came back to say thank you. This week, be the one who turns back.

Thanks for His Greatest Gift

Above every other blessing is the Messiah Himself.

1 Corinthians 15:57 – “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

2 Corinthians 9:15 – “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”

Revelation 7:12 – “Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.”

Bring It to the Table

Print this list, cut the verses into strips, and place one at each setting. Before the meal, let each person at Thanksgiving dinner read their verse aloud, then share what they’re thankful for, and to whom.

Write Your Own Psalm of Thanks

For a time of Thanksgiving praise, try writing your own psalm of thanks, following the pattern of Psalm 136. Look back over God’s kindness and provision, His blessings and His direction in your life. Write one line for each, and after every line, let everyone respond: “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His mercy endures forever!”

Psalm 136 moves in stages, and you can follow the same path through your own life:

Who God is: “Oh, give thanks to the God of gods!” (vv. 1–3)
What He made: creation, the heavens, the sun and moon (vv. 4–9)
How He rescued: deliverance from Egypt (vv. 10–15)
How He led: through the wilderness (v. 16)
How He defended: “To Him who struck down great kings” (vv. 17–20)
How He gave: a land and an inheritance (vv. 21–22)
How He remembered: “who remembered us in our lowly state, and rescued us from our enemies” (vv. 23–24)
How He provides daily: “who gives food to all flesh” (v. 25)