Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. ~ Psalm 118:24
What Is a Prayer of Gratitude and Thanksgiving?
A prayer of gratitude is simply giving thanks to God in humility and love. We are called to love God by Christ Himself and this means gratitude of the heart for the mercy and grace of God! Thanksgiving isn't meant to be a single day of the year but a life focused on being grateful.
When we’re willing to come before Him with gratitude and humility, we realize that no matter what we face, God doesn’t just work to change our situations and help us through our problems. He does more. He changes our hearts. His power, through hearts of thankfulness and focused minds on Him, releases the grip our struggles have over us. We're strengthened by His peace, refueled by His joy.
10 Prayers of Gratitude
Before praying from this collection of gratitude prayers for giving thanks, take a moment to collect your thoughts and focus on God. Bring your awareness to an appreciation of God's love and mercy in your life and a recognition of our sinful ways of ingratitude towards our Lord and Savior. Use these prayers with sincere contrition and gratitude for God's patience and compassion for us.
Morning Thanksgiving
We give you sincere thanks
for the rest of the past night
and for the gift of a new day,
with its opportunities for pleasing you.
Grant that we may pass its hours
in the perfect freedom of your service,
that at evening, we may again give you thanks;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for Gratitude
Dear God,
Thank you for your amazing power and work in our lives, thank you for your goodness and for your blessings over us. Thank you that you are able to bring hope through even the toughest of times, strengthening us for your purposes. Thank you for your great love and care. Thank you for your mercy and grace. Thank you that you are always with us and will never leave us. Thank you for your incredible sacrifice so that we might have freedom and life. Forgive us for when we don't thank you enough, for who you are, for all that you do, for all that you've given. Help us to set our eyes and our hearts on you afresh. Renew our spirits, fill us with your peace and joy. We love you and we need you, this day and every day. We give you praise and thanks, for You alone are worthy! In Jesus' Name, Amen. ~ By Debbie McDaniel
Thanksgiving Prayer
O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, the God of all mercies and compassion, Whose mercy cannot be measured and Whose love for mankind is without limit: As unprofitable servants, we bow down in reverence and fear before Thy gracious majesty, and we humbly offer Thee this Thanksgiving for all the benefits Thou hast bestowed upon our nation and our Church.
We glorify, praise, hymn, and magnify Thee as our Lord, Master, and Benefactor. We bow down before Thee in Thanksgiving for Thy immeasurable and priceless loving-kindness. We pray that in the same way that Thou hast already blessed us, heard our prayers, and fulfilled them, so also in the time to come as we flourish in love and virtue as a result of Thy blessings, grant always to accept our thanksgiving supplications and grant that we may bring glory to Thy Holy Name each day that we walk on this earth.
Deliver our Church and our nation from every evil circumstance, and continue to accept, bless and prosper the work of our hands. O Lord, grant us peace and tranquility so that we may live in godliness all the days of our lives. Count us always worthy to offer Thee thanksgiving, to tell about Thy wonderful blessings, and to sing praise to Thee for all the benefits Thou dost bestow upon us. In humble gratitude, we praise Thy Name together with Thy Father who is from everlasting and Thy Most Holy, good and consubstantial Spirit. Amen.
Source: Fr. Ted's blog
A Prayer for a Heart of Thanksgiving
Lord, teach me to offer you a heart of thanksgiving and praise in all my daily experiences of life. Teach me to be joyful always, to pray continually, and to give thanks in all my circumstances. I accept them as Your will for my life (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). I long to bring pleasure to Your heart daily. Break the power of the enemy in my life. Defeat Him through my sacrifice of praise. Change my outlook and attitude into one of joyful contentment with my present circumstances. I thank You for… [Name a difficult circumstance in your life presently and thank God for it.] Amen. ~ Source: Crosswalk.com
A Prayer of Praise
I praise Thee, O God of our Fathers, I hymn Thee, I bless Thee, I give thanks unto thee for Thy great and tender mercy. To Thee, I flee, O merciful and mighty God. Shine into my heart with the True Sun of Thy righteousness.
Enlighten my mind and keep all my senses, that henceforth I may walk uprightly and keep Thy commandments, and may finally attain unto eternal life, even to Thee, Who art the source of life, and be admitted to the glorious fruition of Thine inaccessible Light; for Thou art my God, and unto Thee, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be ascribed glory, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. ~ St. Gregory Palamas
A Prayer for Gratitude and Promises
Father, I come to You, confessing that I tend to have a heart that is filled with whining and complaining instead of gratitude. Please forgive me. Help me learn to see Your hand at work in my life. I want to trust You even when I don’t understand my circumstances. Right now, I choose to praise You, Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. ~ By Mary Southerland
Strengthen Us to Praise and Serve
Lord God, our heavenly Father,
we give praise and thanks
for your gracious gifts
which you provide so faithfully.
Help us enjoy these blessings
with gratitude and reverence,
that we may be strengthened
to praise you and serve our neighbors;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Source: Wilhelm Löhe.
Thanksgiving Prayer by George Webb
O Lord our God and heavenly Father,
in your indescribable mercy
you have provided food and drink
for the nourishment of our weak bodies.
Grant us peace to use these gifts from your hands
with thankful, reverent hearts.
Let your blessing rest on these your gifts,
to our comfort and sustenance.
Grant, good Lord,
that as we hunger and thirst for this food for our bodies,
so may our souls earnestly long after
the Bread of eternal Life,
Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
We Give Praise to the Holy Trinity
We worship you, eternal Father.
We call on you, eternal Son.
We confess you, Holy Spirit, dwelling in one divine unity.
To you, Trinity we give praise and thanks.
To you, one God, we sing in endless praise.
To you, Father unbegotten,
to you, the only-begotten Son,
to you, Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Father and the Son, we confess with our hearts,
to you beyond all thought, surpassing all understanding, to the all-powerful God we give thanks; who reigns, now and forever. Amen
An Evening Thanksgiving
Accept our evening thanksgiving,
Fountain of every blessing,
for You have led us in safety through the length of the day.
You daily bless us with so many temporal mercies,
and have given us the hope of resurrection to eternal life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Source: An Ancient Collect, fifth century
10 Prayer of Thanks and Praise
Praise the Lord with gratitude and joy! "Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name." (Hebrews 13:15)
Psalm 100
A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
Bless the Lord O My Soul (Psalm 103:1-13)
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.
Forgive Us Our Sins, that We May Praise and Glorify You
Jesus Christ, Son of the living God,
you gave us your holy Word
and have generously provided for all our bodily needs.
We are unworthy of all these mercies
and have rather deserved punishment.
But forgive us our sins as you forgave Peter,
and prosper and bless us in our different callings
that by your strength we may be sustained and defended,
now and forever and so praise and glorify you eternally;
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one true God, now and forever.
Source: Veit Dietrich
Psalm 150
Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
A Prayer for a Thankful Heart
Jesus, I want to be like You who obeyed the Father without complaint. You embraced the chains of humanity when You walked this earth. Convict me whenever I complain or compare myself with others. Give me Your attitude of humility and thankful acceptance. I want to be like the Apostle Paul who learned contentment in every circumstance. I choose to continually offer You a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that give praise to Your name (Hebrews 13:15). I long to bring a smile to Your face. Teach me the power of a thankful heart. I know that Your truth dwells in a thankful heart. ~ Debbie McDaniel
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Jesus Christ, my Lord and God, I give thanks for your loving-kindness and all the blessings You have richly bestowed upon me. I fall down in worship and adoration before You, the King of Glory.
I praise You, I glorify You, I bless You and I give thanks to You for Your great goodness and tender mercy. To You I come, my sweet Lord and loving Master.
Shine in my heart the light of Your grace. Enlighten my mind, that I may walk uprightly all my life by keeping Your commandments. Glorified and exalted is Your holy name, now and forever. Amen.
Help Us Hear Your Word and Praise Your Grace
Almighty and eternal God,
you have graciously created all things.
We thank you for giving us sound bodies
and for preserving us from the power of the evil foe.
Help us to rightly use our ears and tongues,
to hear your Word diligently and devoutly
and to praise you for your grace
so that no one will be offended by our words,
but that all may be strengthened in faith;
through your beloved Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one true God, now and forever. Amen.
Source: Veit Dietrich
Praise, Thanks, Confession of Faith
Glory be to you, almighty Father, you have given to those who fear you the heavenly bread of life, that we may be mindful of the marvels which you have done on the earth, by sending us your only Son, fully human, born of a pure virgin.
We give you thanks, holy Father, for you created us before we were, and while we were still sinners you made us partakers of your heavenly grace; through your Son, our Lord and God, who with you and the Holy Spirit makes, orders, and rules all things, now and forever. Amen. ~ Source: Dunstan of Canterbury
Prayer for Thanksgiving Day
Almighty God, most merciful Father,
you open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
We give you most humble and hearty thanks
that you have crowned the fields with your blessing,
and have permitted us once more
to gather in the fruits of the earth.
Bless and protect the living seed of your Word sown in our hearts,
that in the abundant fruits of righteousness
we may always present to you an acceptable thank-offering;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one true God, now and forever. Amen.
Source: The Lutheran Hymnary, 1913
Thankfulness Leads to Praise
O my God, let me, with thanksgiving, remember,
and confess to you your mercies on me.
Let my bones be drenched with your love,
and let them say to you, ‘Who is like you, O Lord?’
You have broken my bonds,
I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving.
And how you have broken them, I will declare;
and all who worship you, when they hear this, shall say,
“Blessed be the Lord, in heaven and in earth,
great and wonderful is His name.“
Source: St. Augustine
What Did Jesus Say about Gratitude?
Read some quotes from Jesus in the Gospel about the themes of gratitude, thanksgiving, and praise:
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." ~ Matthew 6:21
"Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” ~ John 14:21
"Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." ~ John 14:23
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." ~ Matthew 6:24
"And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." ~ Matthew 22:37-39
Read more: Thanksgiving Prayers to Praise God
May you experience the power of gratitude and thanksgiving in your own life! God's blessings on your and yours!
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/AaronAmat, GettyImages/olegbreslavtsev, GettyImages/AntonioGuillem
Sources
"Gratitude" and "Praise" prayers - acollectionofprayers.com
5 Prayers (and 15 Verses!) to Express Gratitude - Crosswalk.com
Christianity.com's editorial staff is a team of writers with a background in the Christian faith and writing experience. We work to create relevant, inspiring content for our audience and update timely articles as necessary.
This article is part of our prayer resources meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, and God knows your heart even if you can't find the words to pray.
Prayers for Healing
Morning Prayers
Prayers for Family
Prayers for Surgery
Prayers for Strength
Night Prayers Before Bed
Prayers for Protection
The Lord's Prayer: Our Father
