Bible Verses about Appreciation and Gratitude
Living in peace with oneself and life is something to strive for. In this life, there will be many trials. Jesus said, in John 16:33: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
When you read the Word of God, you will find many Bible verses on thankfulness that teach you about God’s goodness, His steadfast love, and His wondrous works. God’s indescribable gift to us—that Jesus died for our sins and gives us eternal life, freely—is, in itself, a great reason to be thankful.
I can personally say that when I sit at Jesus’ feet, I find comfort and hope. In Psalms 34:10, it says, “The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.”
We can find so much hope in God’s Word. Reading a small Bible passage each day will help you focus on what truly matters, filling you with hope and encouragement. Below, I will share some of the top Bible verses I have found on appreciation and gratitude. My hope and prayer is that this post will richly bless and encourage you in your daily life!
Bible Verses from the Old Testament on Appreciation and Gratitude
Numbers 6:24-26
“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”
I Chronicles 16:34
Oh, give thanks to the Lord , for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
Psalms 9:1
I will praise You, O Lord , with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
Psalms 7:17
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
Psalms 28:7
The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him.
Psalms 69:30
I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
Psalms 95:1-3
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord ! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is the great God, And the great King above all gods.
Psalms 118:29
Oh, give thanks to the Lord , for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
Psalms 100:4-5
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.
Psalms 106:1
Praise the Lord ! Oh, give thanks to the Lord , for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
Psalms 107:21-22
Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, And declare His works with rejoicing.
Psalms 147:7
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; Sing praises on the harp to our God.
Lamentations 3:22-23
Through the Lord ’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
Daniel 2:23
“I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, And have now made known to me what we asked of You, For You have made known to us the king’s demand.”
Bible Verses from the New Testament on Appreciation and Gratitude
John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
Romans 1:8
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
Colossians 3:15-17
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Colossians 2:6-7
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
Colossians 4:2
Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.
II Corinthians 4:15
For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.
II Corinthians 9:15
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
I Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Ephesians 5:18-20
And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
James 1:2-4
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
I Corinthians 15:57
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 13:15-16
Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Hebrews 12:28
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
I Peter 5:10
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
Writing a Gratitude Journal
Our mind is powerful! How we think makes a huge difference in our lives. Have you, for example, ever tried to look for something positive when you’re feeling down or depressed? If you can shift your focus to what is good and just, I guarantee you will feel better!
At the same time, you can also dwell on the negative and, as a result, feel bad. The way you feel comes from how you think, not from what is happening around you. It’s quite strange to think about, but that’s how it works. YOU, my friend, have the power to create good or bad feelings in your life.
How, then, can you stay on the positive side of life? How can we focus more on the good instead of the bad things that surround us? My suggestion is to practice. Find a journal to write down all your thoughts, and keep a gratitude journal.
Know that if you tend to focus more on the negative, you can change this with practice. I’ve been writing a gratitude journal for a while (though not as consistently as I’d like…), and what I do is have two columns side by side. In the left column, I write down everything I’m truly happy about and thankful for—just anything that comes to mind. In the right column, I write down everything I appreciate about my husband. This way, I focus on the good things in life and in my marriage, and it has been a blessing.
Of course, you can write however you want, but there is great power in an attitude of gratitude. You will be happier and more satisfied with what you have. With a thankful heart, we focus more on the bright side of life and increase our ability to see the positives.
If you’re a mother, not getting enough sleep, and faced with endless chores that feel like a never-ending task, let me tell you—I see you. I’ve been there and I know how it feels. Writing a gratitude journal is a tool to help you think about the good things, feel better, stay focused, and strengthen your inner self. This is God’s will: to focus on the positive in life.
In Philippians 4:8, it says: “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”
Meet the Difficulties with a Song
It is fascinating how Christ Jesus prepared himself for the day when he was on earth. Ellen G. White wrote in Ministry of Healing: “The early morning often found Him in some secluded place, meditating, searching the Scriptures, or in prayer. With the voice of singing He welcomed the morning light. With songs of thanksgiving He cheered His hours of labor and brought heaven’s gladness to the toilworn and disheartened.”
You too can meet your day with spiritual songs and thanksgiving. Learn some songs of praise by heart so you are prepared to sing whenever you go through hard times. Direct your thoughts to our Heavenly Father; singing about the grace of God and His unfailing love will lift your soul and give you peace. Let the peace of Christ rule in your life!
The Bible verses are taken from the New International Version.
