5 Thanksgiving Devotionals

How will you celebrate Thanksgiving this year? If the big dinner is at your house, you’re busy doing menu planning and grocery shopping. If you’re going to someone else’s home, maybe you’ve been asked to bring a side dish—like sweet potatoes, green bean casserole or pumpkin pie. Or maybe you’re going to a restaurant for a sumptuous spread.

Some churches hold special Thanksgiving worship times. If you attend one of those, maybe you’ll be asked to write down on a piece of paper something you are especially thankful for this season. And children may be asked to draw a picture of something or someone they are thankful for.

Some people spend part of their Thanksgiving Day in service to others by helping to serve a meal at a rescue mission or homeless shelter. Others help to put together boxes of food to bring to people who wouldn’t otherwise have a Thanksgiving meal. And many churches ask their members to bring cans of food or other items to help fill those boxes.

There are many ways to express thankfulness and gratitude for what God has given us. Another way is to spend a little extra time in scripture reading and prayer—praising God and offering our thanks to him.

Today would like to help you verbalize your expressions of thanks to God. Below are links to a few devotionals from our Today archives that will help guide you as you walk through this season of thanks. You may even want to use one of these at your Thanksgiving table this year.

1.   "The Witness of Being Thankful" by Daryl DeKlerk

The author provides a rich list of thanks centered on who God is and what he does. This can lead naturally into personal reflection and sharing of what God has done in your life.

2.   "To Be Content" by Sergei Sosedkin

This devotion helps us to be thankful even in difficult or uncertain circumstances. We are reminded that God is the source of all comfort and hope.

3.   "Promptings: Windfall" by Kenneth Koeman

God promised amazing blessings to David and his people. This devotion helps us look at the wide scope of blessings we receive from God.

4.  “Taste and See” by Thea Leunk

In this devotion we are encouraged to trust God and experience firsthand the good things he has in store for us.

5.  “Celebrating Harvest” by Joel VandeWerken

This devotion challenges us to remember God’s faithful care in our lives.

We'd like also to offer you a special gift from our sister program, Family Fire—a set of printable Thanksgiving Day cards for your holiday table. Each card contains a Bible verse and a question to ignite dinner conversation about thanksgiving with your family and guests this year. Download them right here.

May your Thanksgiving celebration be one filled with joy and praise!