May these songs about gratitude help you remember all God has done in your life.
Gratitude is the attitude of appreciation where a person shows how thankful they are for something someone has done for them. With that definition, Christians should be more grateful than anyone else on the face of the earth. After all, your sins have been forgiven, you are sealed in Christ, and you have the hope of eternal life. It does not matter what is happening in your life; nothing is greater than that. For this reason, of all people, we should have the most gratitude. To help you out, I want to share with you some gratitude songs. These 10 songs about gratitude will help you appreciate all God has done (and is still doing) in your life. Hopefully, they will jog your memory and help you shift your focus, leading to praise and gratitude flowing from your heart. Since gratitude is a form of thanksgiving, this will help us do what the Psalms instruct us.
“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.” (Psalm 95:1-2)
In my typical fashion, I will include music from both old and contemporary genres; hopefully, this will expand your praise horizon.
1. “I Thank God” by Maverick City
Founded in 2018, Maverick City is one of the newer entrants in the contemporary Christian music worship space. Since their launch, they have created some very popular praise and worship songs. This song tells the story of the journey to salvation. This is a great gratitude song to start with because it reminds you of your journey to Christ. Think of where you used to be and where you are now because of what Jesus did in your life. If the work of salvation that Jesus has done in your life does not create real gratitude, then I don’t know if anything will.
2. “Give Thanks” by Don Moen
This is one of those timeless classic gratitude songs written by Don Moen. According to his website, Moen has written over 100 songs and led worship on every continent except Antarctica. In his own words, here is why he was put on this earth: “To be an architect who designs products and events that help people experience God’s presence in a new and fresh way.”
Don has accomplished that with this simple yet powerful song. Giving thanks to Jesus comes from a grateful heart. This classic is a song that reminds you to be thankful because the work Jesus has done for you is all you need. Truly, when you have Jesus, you have everything you need.
3. “Thank You Lord” by Fred Hammond
Fred Hammond is one of the most popular and prolific gospel artists ever. He has a string of songs, from upbeat praise songs to powerful worship anthems, all designed to get your heart into a posture of praise and worship. This song, released in 2000, is giving God thanks for his faithfulness with you on life’s journey. One thing to love about Jesus is he doesn’t run from you when life gets tough. He doesn’t just walk with you through the difficult places of life; he often carries you through them. This song will force you to think about the times Jesus walked with you through life. There is no better thing to say for that than thank you.
4. “Worthy Is the Lamb” by Darlene Zschech
Hillsong Worthy Is The Lamb from tgiez on GodTube.
This worship song was written by Darlene Zschech, originally from Hillsong Worship. It’s another gratitude song that has become an anthem for the church and has been covered by numerous artists. If you have been in the church for a while, you may even remember singing this on Sunday mornings. This song is all about remembering the cross. Just one mention of the cross and one thought of the sacrifice Jesus made for your salvation should automatically produce gratitude in your heart. If it doesn’t, I would say you need to examine your heart.
5. “More Than Anything” by Anita Wilson
When you think of gratitude songs, you can show appreciation in many ways. This song by Anita Wilson expresses gratitude, not just by saying “thank you.” In this song, gratitude is expressed by declaring your love for Jesus. Sometimes the best way to say “thank you” and show appreciation is by your love and devotion. The driving declaration pronounced throughout this song is loving Jesus more than anything else in this world. When you think of all Jesus has done for you, you should love him back totally and let Him reign in your heart.
6. “Bless His Holy Name” by Andre Crouch
Bill & Gloria Gaither - Bless His Holy Name from bill-and-gloria-gaither on GodTube.
One of the stalwarts in gospel music is the late Andre Crouch. In a Christianity Today article written after his death, Robert Darden described him this way:
“Crouch was an innovator, a path-finder, a precursor in an industry noted for its conservative, often derivative approach to popular music. He combined gospel and rock, flavored it with jazz and calypso as the mood struck him and the song called for it, and is even one of the founders of what is now called “praise and worship” music.”
“Bless His Holy Name” was literally written right out of Psalm 103.
“Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” (Psalm 103:1 KJV)
This is the main drive of the song: offering praise and blessing to God for all he has done. In verse two of Psalm 103, David reminds us to forget none of his benefits. That is what this song is all about: remembering all the great things God has done.
7. “Alabaster Box” by CeCe Winans
When you have a career as lengthy as CeCe Winans and come from an iconic family such as the Winans, sometimes it’s hard to identify your greatest songs. However, if anyone wrote a list of CeCe’s greatest songs, this one would easily make it. This song tells the story of the woman who wet Jesus’ feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. She then proceeded to pour her expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet (you can read about it in Matthew 26, Mark 14, or Luke 7). This was an amazing act of gratitude—she was a sinful woman, yet she was grateful because Jesus forgave all her sins. This song is all of our stories because we have been forgiven much. While we can’t pour perfume on his feet, we can offer praise from our hearts, put worship on our lips, and give that to Jesus. The good news is he will receive it the same way.
8. “Grace Made the First Move” by Erskin Anavitarte
This song is written by Erskine Anavitarte, who goes simply by Erskine. He may not be as well-known as some of the other names on this list, but he has made an impact in the music world and writes very thought-provoking music. This gratitude song is all about God’s grace. Sometimes it is just good to remember that we are all saved by God’s grace. The best part, which this song reminds us of, is that grace made the first move. God moving towards you first drew you to him, so let’s be grateful for his grace.
9. “Goodness of God” by Bethel Music
If there is one thing we can be appreciative of and one thing we can express our gratitude for, it is the goodness of God. The fact of God’s goodness can sometimes be missed because we tend to equate God’s goodness to the things he blesses us with. While those can reflect God’s goodness, they don’t sum up God’s goodness. God’s goodness is summed up in one act, the cross. This song will remind you to sing of God’s goodness in your life. Remember the cross if you are in a season that may not look good or feel good right now. This is God’s eternal demonstration of his goodness in your life.
10. “Gratitude” by Brandon Lake
As I close out this list of Christian gratitude songs, it makes sense to include one titled “Gratitude.” This song encourages you to praise God, for this is one of the things we have to offer him. The Bible reminds us that God inhabits the praises of his people (Ps. 22:3), which is what God desires. He wants us to lift our hallelujahs and praises to him—not from perfect hearts but grateful hearts. So with this (and all the other songs listed), let your heart be forever filled with gratefulness… because where would we be if not for our Lord and Savior?
Further Reading:
10 Hymns about Freedom You Can Sing Today
The Powerful Story Behind the Hymn 'I Love to Tell the Story'
10 Inspirational Hymns of Praise
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/natalie_board
