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33 Bible verses about gratitude
Bible verses about gratitude don’t ask you to be happy about everything. “In every thing give thanks,” Paul writes (1 Thessalonians 5:18): in everything, not for everything. In the Bible, giving thanks is often an act of faith in the middle of hardship, a way of naming what is still good.
This page gathers verses about giving thanks every day, about contentment and generosity, Psalms of thanksgiving, and passages about joy. They are quoted word for word from the King James Version and come from the Selfia app. If you keep a gratitude journal, each one can open your evening entry. The Psalms take up a large part of it, because they so often mix lament and thanks. Read slowly, and let one verse lead to one concrete thank-you.
Bible verses about giving thanks in everything
These verses come mostly from Paul’s letters, several of them written in hard circumstances. They turn thankfulness into a habit: in every thing, always, in word or deed. They are good to read before a meal or at the end of the day.
Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
In that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.
Contentment and generosity: everyday gratitude verses
“I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content,” Paul writes. These verses tie gratitude to contentment and to sharing: it is more blessed to give than to receive, and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
Be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.
Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
Psalms of thanksgiving
The Psalms sing of God’s goodness at all times, from morning to night. These verses can become a very simple prayer of thanks: read one, then name three specific things you received today.
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever.
Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.
I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.
O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.
But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
Bible verses about joy
Joy in the Bible isn’t a permanent mood. It can be “unspeakable and full of glory,” Peter writes, while living alongside trials. These verses speak of God’s joy, of a creation he saw was “very good,” and of a joy that remains.
Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
Joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
How to keep a gratitude journal with these verses
In the evening, open your journal and copy a verse from this page at the top. Underneath, write three specific things from the day you can say thank you for: a meal, a message, an hour of quiet. The verse sets the tone; the list makes it concrete.
On hard days, one thing is enough, and it is fine to write down what was hard too. Psalm 103 says “Bless the Lord, O my soul” and then lists blessings one after another. You can do the same, in your own words.
Frequently asked questions
What Bible verse talks about gratitude?
1 Thessalonians 5:18 is the most direct: “In every thing give thanks.” Psalm 103:2 asks you to “forget not all his benefits,” Ephesians 5:20 to give thanks always for all things, and Colossians 3:15 ends simply with “be ye thankful.”
Should we thank God for hard times?
The verse says “in every thing”: it invites you to keep thankfulness in the middle of trials, not to celebrate misfortune. The Psalms often mix complaint and praise in the same prayer. You can tell God what hurts, then name one thing that is still good.
What is the difference between gratitude and praise?
Gratitude thanks God for something received; praise celebrates God for who he is, even without a particular reason. The two blend in the Psalms: “O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good.” A prayer of thanks can start with praise and end with a list of very concrete thank-yous.