10 Days of Thanksgiving

I love this time of year. Not just for the changing seasons and the fall colors, but for the many opportunities to re-focus on what is truly important… to reflect on the faithfulness and grace of God and to be filled with gratitude for time with friends and family.

I wanted to share a few of my favorite Bible Verses about thanksgiving and a challenge for you to reflect over the next 10 days leading up to Thanksgiving. It is my hope that this brings great encouragement leading up to both the Thanksgiving holiday and the upcoming Christmas season, as you focus your heart on all that God has done for you and will continue to do in the future!

10 Days of Thanksgiving

Let's enter his presence with thanksgiving; let's shout triumphantly to him in song.

Psalm 95:2

DAY ONE
Psalm 95:2

Thanksgiving is not just an attitude, but also an action. Take a moment today to listen to and reflect on one of your current favorite worship songs that points you to the character of God. As an extra challenge, consider building your own playlist of songs specifically designed to help you to focus on giving thanks to God and His Character.

If you don’t want to build your own playlist, feel free to listen to my 10 Days of Thanksgiving playlist on Spotify!

So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him, being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude.

Colossians 2:6-7

DAY TWO
Colossians 2:6-7

Consider taking some time today for a prayer walk. You can do this by yourself or on a walk with your kids, or just get up and walk around your office or during your lunch break. Focus on Christ and your story and your foundation of faith. Thank God for people and places that have made an impact on your journey of faith.

Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-17

DAY THREE
1 Thessalonians 5:16-17

Praying constantly doesn’t necessarily mean that you are on your knees and praying every moment of every day, but that you set a habit of going to God in all things! To help build that habit, try setting an alarm on your phone for every hour (or every 2 hrs) today to take a short break and pray and thank God for something specific each time. It doesn’t have to be for long, just a minute or so, but should be purposeful throughout the day as you continue with your routine.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever.

1 Chronicles 16:34

DAY FOUR
1 Chronicles 16:34

This verse shares several attributes of God and His character. Write out some attributes of God today and thank Him for how He has shown up in your life.

Let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. and be thankful.

Colossians 3:15

DAY FIVE
Colossians 3:15

Have you ever heard that phrase “peace be with you, and also with you”? That is what came to mind when considering this verse leading up to Thanksgiving. So my challenge to you as you meditate on this verse is to reach out to someone (whether family, close friend, or acquaintance of co-worker) and offer them some encouragement today. Share how you are thankful for them and how you see God working and moving in their life.

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart celebrates, and I give thanks to him with my song.

Psalm 28:7

DAY SIX
Psalm 28:7

When was the last time that you felt like celebrating? Was it because of something that God has done? Take a moment to thank God today for being your strength. Then find a song of celebration that speaks to your heart and pray through those lyrics. Consider writing out those lyrics and turning them into a prayer of thanks.

Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Philippians 4:7

DAY SEVEN
Philippians 4:7

Is there something that you are worrying about today? Do you have something on your heart that you feel anxious about? It sounds so counterintuitive, but Scripture is calling us to take those worries and anxieties to God with thanksgiving. What does that even look like? How can you thank God for something that you are worried about? As you spend time in prayer, find reasons to thank God today. You might not understand your current circumstances, but God still wants to hear from you - and finding reasons to be thankful can truly change your perspective on your worries, especially as you focus on the person of Jesus and our Heavenly Father!

Let them give thanks to the Lord for his faithful love and his wondrous works for all humanity.

Psalm 107:8

DAY EIGHT
Psalm 107:8

When was the last time that you saw God working very clearly or felt the warmth of His faithful love? In the town that I live in, every year around this holiday season is a large scale event called the EXTRAordinary Give - and hundreds of non-profits are raising awareness for their organization and looking to meet goals for end-of-year giving. I am always blown away at how generous people in this city truly are, and beyond that, I love getting to hear stories of how people have been impacted by different organizations. So this is my challenge to you - find a missions organization or a missionary from your church and find a way to hear a story about how God has been working and moving and showing His faithful love over this past year! Then take some intentional time to pray over those people or that area of the world and give thanks for how God has been at work.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name.

Psalm 100:4

DAY NINE
Psalm 100:4

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that so many of these verses that talk about giving thanks are also talking about praise and singing songs. Take a moment today to reflect on one of your favorite songs of worship that reminds you of the goodness of God.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable — if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy — dwell on these things.

Philippians 4:8

DAY TEN
Philippians 4:8

This might not seem like your typical verse of thanksgiving, but I think it’s such a grounding reminder to focus our hearts and minds on the things that reflect Christ and allow that to be the center of what we are thankful for! I hope these are the things that your conversations are centered around as you gather with family and friends this season. 🍂🤎

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