Thanksgiving Prayers Straight from the Bible

October 18, 2018

The Bible contains some of the most extraordinary prayers of thanksgiving ever offered. The power of these prayers transcend time and place; they are every bit as meaningful and effective today as they were the first time they were spoken. Here’s a sampling of prayers straight from the Bible that you can use at your Thanksgiving table.

For a New Season of Life

First Samuel 2:1-10 records Hannah’s prayer of thanksgiving after the Lord granted her most fervent request: to give birth to a son.

“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
My horn is exalted in the 
Lord.

I smile at my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation.

“No one is holy like the Lord,
For there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God.

“Talk no more so very proudly;
Let no arrogance come from your mouth,
For the 
Lord is the God of knowledge;
And by Him actions are weighed.

“The bows of the mighty men are broken,
And those who stumbled are girded with strength.
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
And the hungry have ceased to hunger.
Even the barren has borne seven,
And she who has many children has become feeble.

“The Lord kills and makes alive;
He brings down to the grave and brings up.
The 
Lord makes poor and makes rich;
He brings low and lifts up.
He raises the poor from the dust
And lifts the beggar from the ash heap,
To set them among princes
And make them inherit the throne of glory.

“For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
And He has set the world upon them.
He will guard the feet of His saints,
But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.

“For by strength no man shall prevail.
The adversaries of the 
Lord shall be broken in pieces;
From heaven He will thunder against them.
The 
Lord will judge the ends of the earth.

“He will give strength to His king,
And exalt the horn of His anointed.”

For God’s Loving Protection

David offers a heartfelt prayer of thanksgiving in Psalm 138.

I will praise You with my whole heart;
Before the gods I will sing praises to You.
I will worship toward Your holy temple,
And praise Your name
For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.
In the day when I cried out, You answered me,
And made me bold with strength in my soul.

All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O Lord,
When they hear the words of Your mouth.
Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the 
Lord,
For great is the glory of the 
Lord.
Though the 
Lord is on high,
Yet He regards the lowly;
But the proud He knows from afar.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.
The 
Lord will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O 
Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

For a New Opportunity

In Luke 1:46-55, Mary offers this prayer, known as the Magnificat, when she learns that she’s been chosen to give birth to the Messiah.

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. …
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
He has helped His 
servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever.”

For Hope

The apostle Paul was trying to encourage the church in Rome when he wrote the text of Romans 5:1-11. But his words can also double as a prayer of thanksgiving.

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

If you’ve ever confused the ark of the covenant with the ark of Noah, or Jericho with Jeroboam, Max Anders’ classic book, 30 Days to Understanding the Bible, is for you. In just fifteen minutes a day, you’ll learn the Bible’s key people, events, and doctrines to get more out of God’s Word.

Related Articles

11 Bible Verses to Celebrate Thanksgiving

In this season of giving thanks, here are a few Scriptures you can use to prepare your heart, share your gratefulness with others, and meditate... Read More

Attitudes of Gratitude: Stories of Thankfulness in the Bible

Thanksgiving was established as a national holiday in the United States by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. The roots of the holiday can be traced... Read More

Three Strategies for Nurturing Gratitude When Thankfulness Is Hard

The season of Thanksgiving on the calendar doesn’t always coincide with a season of thanksgiving in our lives. If you’re struggling to embrace the true purpose of the holiday—or having difficulty finding things to be thankful for because of the circumstances you’re facing—here are a few ideas to help you. Read More

Sign Up for the Latest Blog Posts from Thomas Nelson





By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from HarperCollins Christian Publishing (501 Nelson Place, Nashville, TN 37214 USA) providing information about products and services of HCCP and its affiliates. You may unsubscribe from these email communications at any time. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at yourprivacy@harpercollins.com.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *