A Psalm of Thanksgiving

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries

Here is a creative prayer idea to do individually, as a couple, a family, small group or Sunday School class, etc. in order to cultivate thankfulness. You can tweak it to fit your needs in many ways, as you will soon see! Here are two ways to utilize Psalm 103 as a means of expressing thankfulness/gratefulness to God using The Living Bible translation (feel free to use whatever translation you wish…or even multiple translations to do this on a repeated basis).

• Pray through Psalm 103 and notice all of the ways David expressed his thankfulness to God. Be sure to “bless the holy name of God with all of (your) heart” at the beginning and end, as David demonstrates for us.

• Write your own Psalm based on David’s format in Psalm 103 by being specific about ways God has transformed your life and your own gratefulness for His blessings. Perhaps go verse by verse as the Psalm is laid out below. 

Here are two additional simple examples of how to cultivate thankfulness:

• Set up a prayer station in your home, church, or another location that focuses on gratitude to the Lord. For example, use a bulletin board where family/others can write what they are thankful for and pin to the board. Watch the gratefulness grow, and collectively give thanks for all of His blessings. Ask God to increase your thankfulness every day! Consider starting over at the beginning of a new week or month.

• At the end of each day, or at the beginning of a small group gathering, etc. share what you are thankful for - it can be a small thing or a huge blessing! God is as faithful in the littlest things as He is in the biggest.

Any  of these ideas would make great family or personal activities for Thanksgiving, and year round! It’s important to cultivate gratitude for all of God’s blessings.

Psalm 103 TLB

I bless the holy name of God with all my heart. ² Yes, I will bless the Lord and not forget the glorious things he does for me.

³ He forgives all my sins. He heals me.

⁴ He ransoms me from hell. He surrounds me with loving-kindness and tender mercies.

⁵ He fills my life with good things! My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

⁶ He gives justice to all who are treated unfairly.

⁷ He revealed his will and nature to Moses and the people of Israel.

⁸ He is merciful and tender toward those who don’t deserve it; He is slow to get angry and full of kindness and love.

⁹ He never bears a grudge, nor remains angry forever.

¹⁰ He has not punished us as we deserve for all our sins, ¹¹ for his mercy toward those who fear and honor him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.

¹² He has removed our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west.

¹³ He is like a father to us, tender and sympathetic to those who reverence him. ¹⁴ For he knows we are but dust ¹⁵ and that our days are few and brief, like grass, like flowers, ¹⁶ blown by the wind and gone forever.

^17-18 But the loving-kindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting to those who reverence him; his salvation is to children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant and remember to obey him!

¹⁹ The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything there is. 

²⁰ Bless the Lord, you mighty angels of his who carry out his orders, listening for each of his commands. ²¹ Yes, bless the Lord, you armies of his angels who serve him constantly.

²² Let everything everywhere bless the Lord. And how I bless him too!

Other scriptures to consider as you give cultivate thankfulness:

Psalm 34:1-10

Psalm 89:1-8

Psalm 92:1-5

Psalm 95:1-7

Psalm 100

Psalm 107:1-9

Psalm 118:1-9, 19-29

Psalm 136

Psalm 145

Psalm 150