Let November be full of giving thanks – to our Lord and to each other! May these thankful references and ideas to get you started and inspired:
There are well over 100 scripture references containing the words thank, thanks, thanking, thankful, thankfulness, or thanksgiving! God’s people give thanks throughout the Old and New Testaments. Select a favorite verse, mark it in your Bible, and share it with others via a phone call, text message, email, social media, or hand-written note!
Say a prayer or sing a song of thanks. Look for one that may be new to you in your church’s worship or prayer book. Sing your favorite one from camp. Create a new one for your family to use this month.
Read Gospel stories that tell of Jesus giving thanks: Jesus feeding 5,000 (John 6:1-14) and the Last Supper (Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:10-32; Luke 22:14-28; John 13:1-20).
There are people to be thankful for all around us! Think a prayer of thanks for those in your home, your neighborhood, your church, and our world. The ones you know personally by name and those you have not met – yet. All God’s children are blessings and worthy of thanks.
Words of thanks come easily for some and others worry they may never find the words to express how they feel. Whether you feel especially gifted with words or not – saying thanks in your own, most natural way is often the best gift you can give someone else.
When is the last time your thankful actions spoke louder than your words? Seize moments to share acts of random thanks in simple, surprising ways. They don’t have to cost a thing and you’ll never know who is watching or listening and may be inspired to pass thanks on.
As you give thanks to the Lord and give thanks to each other during November (and beyond), may you also experience receiving thanks from those you serve – through scripture, prayer, and song – in thoughts, words, and deeds.