November Scripture Study of 30 Bible Verses on Gratitude

Join me in this November scripture study as we learn about what these 30 Bible verses have to say on gratitude and thanksgiving.

BEING THANKFUL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MESS

Gratitude helps center our thoughts. It allows us to gain perspective. As a parent, I often have to practice this discipline when I feel overwhelmed. A friend explained to me how she often reminds herself to take her daily frustrations and turn them into blessings. Her insights were such a sweet example of how the Lord can work in us if we choose to look for his goodness in all things:

Early mornings = children to love
House to clean = safe place to live
Laundry = clothes to wear
Dishes to wash = food to eat
Crumbs under the table = family meals
Grocery shopping = money to provide for us
Toilets to clean = indoor plumbing
Lots of noise = people in my life
Endless questions = kids’ brains growing

When I reflected on my own household this week, I enjoyed the challenge of turning these irritations into things to be thankful for:

Blankets and snack bags left out = movie nights and cuddles
Toothpaste all over the sink = kids that are learning to be independent
Tiny pieces of paper on the floor = my children are creative

LEARNING TRUE GRATITUDE IN THE BIBLE

I recently did a personal study of all the instances in the Bible that talk about thanksgiving, being thankful, and expressing gratitude. From the Old to the New Testament, the Bible is filled with people giving thanks to God. Oftentimes when we think of gratitude, we instantly go to our material possessions. But the Bible’s thankfulness is directed toward one thing–gratitude for God–who He is, how he takes care of us, what has done and is doing for us.

This month I wanted to share these truths with my children and created a Gratitude Tree Tradition that lists 30 things the Bible directs us to be thankful for.

I am thankful:

We are made new in Jesus
God is our Father
His love lasts forever
We have freedom from sin
He provides us clothing
He is preparing a place for us
For every new day
He meets our needs
He calms our fears
That Jesus is our Savior
For God’s faithfulness
For the Holy Spirit
That He knows everything about us
That God is love
For grace and mercy
For the Bible
That He forgives us
For God’s creation
For our meals
That God is always with us
For His wisdom
For eternal life
We can’t be separated from God
For community
For His blessings
That God is good
God gives us hope
He is all-powerful
For the gift of prayer
That God helps us

NOVEMBER BIBLE VERSES ON GRATITUDE

Whether you have children or not, it’s a good practice to understand and put into practice what the Bible has to teach us about the true spirit of Thanksgiving. I invite you to write a verse each day this month on gratitude and journal your thoughts, prayers and action steps you can take to implement these practices in your own life.

Print these Bible verse sheets on gratitude to get started!

The directions are simple:

Print the scripture page and make copies of the journaling pages.
Write a scripture each day in the space on the left and reflect on it in the space on the right.