Here in the United States we’re in the Thanksgiving holiday season during which a tradition exists of each family member around the dinner table stating what he or she is especially thankful for. It can range from the food on the table to their home to the loved ones in their lives. This is a rewarding practice and can give us a reset of what’s important.

Let’s also remember to give thanks to the Lord for providing us with all that we are, have, and will be. Let’s do this with prayer, in everyday acts, and in living our lives studying God’s Word.

How do we give thanks? We can look to Scripture for examples, such as Ezra chapter 3, verse 11, describing when the construction of the new temple had been completed:

And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD:

“For He is good,
For His mercy endures forever toward Israel.”

Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. (NKJV)

Colossians 4:2 says:

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.

Using the resources in Bible Gateway Plus, you’ll discover how these two scriptures are linked using the reference resource Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary, which says,

“The roots of posture of gratitude in the life of the church derive from Israel’s covenantal tradition where thanksgiving and praise were nearly equated as the necessary posture of a people blessed by divine grace.”

Remember to be thankful to the Lord in all situations. As Warren Wiersbe reminds us in the NKJV Wiersbe Study Bible, “God’s people are a family.”

When we sit at our family dinner tables this year, let’s remember to thank the Lord. Honor him by studying Scripture throughout the year. Commit to learning about him and Jesus and the Holy Spirit to whom we give our humble thanks.

Get this FREE PDF Bible study to see what the Bible says about thanking and praising God by using our Bible Gateway Plus membership to explore the subject with the reference tools in the STUDY tab on Bible Gateway.

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