Thanksgiving Lesson Three: Thank God in Praise and Prayer

What should we do with all that we’ve learned about God and what he has done? We thank him!

• From the psalms we read in the previous lessons (Psalm 100:1–5, Psalm 9:1–2, Psalm 95:1–5), what are some ways we can give thanks to God? Through worship, praise, and prayer.

  We can sing praise to God to express our gratefulness to him. What are some songs you know that praise God for who he is or what he’s done?

  When we sing to God with a grateful heart, he is pleased! Just like we like to be thanked when we do something for someone, God does, too.

Now, let’s take some of the attributes we learned and thank God for those in prayer. Remember that you don’t need to be in church to thank God in praise or prayer. We should all be praising God and thanking him throughout the week. That shows a true heart of gratefulness.

What You Heard in the Word

We learned about some great attributes and descriptions of God in these lessons. We can be thankful that God is all of these things—and more! He created us and loves us. God is faithful to keep his promises, and we can praise and thank God for the things he has done. God loves us so much that he took care of our biggest problem: sin. Sin separates us from God because he is holy and righteous and good. But God showed love and mercy by sending Jesus to live a perfect life, die in our place, and rise from the grave to conquer sin and death. God provided a Savior for us so we can one day be with him in heaven if we repent of our sin and trust in Jesus.

God’s Word in the Real World

Many people at Thanksgiving are grateful for things like their food, clothing, homes, and other possessions. But they don’t recognize God as the giver of their blessings. Or they may be glad when they receive good things and make more money, but they blame God and complain when they don’t have everything they want.

Our focus should not be on the things we can get in this world. Instead, we should be thankful for God and his Word, which shows us the way of salvation.

It’s great to enjoy the things God gives us, but we must remember to thank him. This Thanksgiving, stop and think about what God has done for you and your family. Have you thanked him? Have you accepted God’s gift of salvation? If not, you can talk to God today and tell him you’re thankful for Jesus and sorry for your sin. You can receive forgiveness and eternal life by trusting in Jesus.

Maybe you realize that you haven’t been thanking God for who he is and what he’s done for you. Ask him to help you develop a thankful heart.