We are thrilled to share with you our 30 favorite Christian quotes on thankfulness! Whether it’s Thanksgiving Day and you’re looking for quotes to share with friends on social media—or you’re simply looking for encouragement in your walk with Christ, we hope that these quotes inspire and motivate you in your thankfulness!
Thanksgiving is not just a holiday, it’s an attitude we can practice every day. Here is the opening quote from the Thanksgiving Proclamation signed by George Washington, President of the United States of America, October 3, 1789:
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor– and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.
We have freedom in this country to express our thankfulness publically and to celebrate with others on a special day.
1. “God has promised to supply all our needs. What we don’t have now, we don’t need now.” –Elizabeth Elliot
2. “It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.” –Charles Spurgeon
3. "If you experience gratitude as a burden, you don’t know gratitude, because true gratitude is not an exertion of the will; it’s an overflow of a sense of being treated better than you deserve." - John Piper
4. “We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the psalms, and that the habit of celebrating the greatness and graciousness of God yields an endless flow of thankfulness, joy, and zeal.” –J.I. Packer
5. “No matter what our circumstances, we can find a reason to be thankful.” –Dr. David Jeremiah
6. “There are three requisites to the proper enjoyment of earthly blessings: a thankful reflection, on the goodness of the giver; a deep sense of our own unworthiness; and a recollection of the uncertainty of our long possessing them. The first will make us grateful; the second, humble; and the third, moderate.” –Hannah More
7. “If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace.” –Max Lucado
8. “It is only with gratitude that life becomes rich!” –Dietrich Bonhoeffer
9. “God is in control, and therefore in EVERYTHING I can give thanks - not because of the situation but because of the One who directs and rules over it.” –Kay Arthur
10. “A sensible thanksgiving for mercies received is a mighty prayer in the Spirit of God. It prevails with Him unspeakably.” –John Bunyan
11. “In happy moments, PRAISE GOD. In difficult moments, SEEK GOD. In quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD. In painful moments, TRUST GOD. Every moment, THANK GOD.” –Rick Warren
12. "A thankful heart is one of the primary identifying characteristics of a believer. It stands in stark contrast to pride, selfishness, and worry. And it helps fortify the believer's trust in the Lord and reliance of His provision, even in the toughest times. No matter how choppy the seas become, a believer's heart is buoyed by constant praise and gratefulness to the Lord." –John MacArthur
13. "We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is good, because it is good, if bad, because it works in us patience, humility and the contempt of this world and the hope of our eternal country." –C.S. Lewis
14. “Be thankful. God has commanded it—for our good and for His glory. God’s command to be thankful is not the threatening demand of a tyrant. Rather, it is the invitation of a lifetime—the opportunity to draw near to Him at any moment of the day.” –Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth
15. “Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make and be not poorer but richer for having made it.” –A.W. Tozer
16. “Genuine thankfulness is an act of the heart’s affections, not an act of the lips’ muscles.” –John Piper
17. “I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that, I still possess.” –Corrie ten Boom
18. "Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will draw our hearts out to God and keep us engaged with Him; it will take our attention from ourselves and give the Spirit room in our hearts." -Andrew Murray
19. “It’s one thing to be grateful. It’s another to give thanks. Gratitude is what you feel. Thanksgiving is what you do.” –Tim Keller
20. “When we choose thankful prayer over wallowing in anxiety and worry, we are demonstrating an unwavering trust in God.” –Priscilla Shirer
21. “A spirit of thankfulness is one of the most distinctive marks of a Christian whose heart is attuned to the Lord. Thank God in the midst of trials and every persecution.” –Billy Graham
22. “When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.” –G.K. Chesterton
23. “'Gratitude' comes from the same word as freedom (gratis = free). Gratitude is the freeing expression of a free heart toward one who freely gave." –Ravi Zacharias
24. “Gratitude produces deep, abiding joy because we know that God is working in us, even through difficulties.” –Charles Stanley
25. “Edwards [Jonathan Edwards] calls the deeper, primary form of thankfulness ‘gracious gratitude.’ It gives thanks not for goods received, but for who God is: for His character -- His goodness, love, power, excellencies -- regardless of favors received. And it's real evidence of the Holy Spirit working in a person's life.” –Chuck Colson
26. “Yes, give thanks for ‘all things’ for, as it has been well said ‘Our disappointments are but His appointments.’” –A.W. Pink
27. “Gratitude is a decision of the will, and if a decision of the will, the choice resides squarely with us. Deciding to be thankful is no easy task. It takes work.” –Chuck Swindoll
28. "To be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything He has given us -- and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense graces from Him." –Thomas Merton
29. “I’m just thankful for everything, all the blessings in my life, trying to stay that way. I think that’s the best way to start your day and finish your day. It keeps everything in perspective.” –Tim Tebow
30. “If there was ever a secret for unleashing God’s powerful peace in a situation, it’s developing a heart of true thanksgiving.” –Lysa Terkeurst
We can give thanks in anything because Jesus Christ is Lord and He has overcome the world! John 16:33
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