Are you looking for a way to teach your kids the importance of being thankful? If so, then this blog post is perfect for you! We are going to discuss 8 Bible stories about thankfulness. These stories come from both the Old Testament and New Testament. The goal of these Bible stories is to make sure that all Christian children learn how important it is to be grateful every day.
It is important to teach your children the importance of being thankful, but it can be hard to build faith at home.
There are many ways that we can help our kids learn how to be grateful.
Here are 8 Bible stories about thankfulness that will help show them just how important it is to express gratitude.
The stories come from both the Old Testament and New Testament so they should appeal to all types of families no matter what their faith background or preferred Christian denomination may be.
These Bible verses and stories offer a variety of ways for parents and children alike to practice gratitude every day! You can use these Bible Stories with any age group from preschoolers through adults!
We will use scriptures from the King James Version of the Bible.
If you find yourself struggling with teaching your child how to pray, then you’ll love these rhyming prayers. They’re perfect for young children.
- What Does The Bible Say About Thankfulness?
- Which Parable Teaches About Gratitude?
- Who In The Bible Was Thankful?
- How Many Times Does The Bible Mention Being Thankful?
- How Did The Lord Jesus Show Thankfulness?
- How Can I Give Thanks To God?
- What Happens When We Praise God In Difficult Times?
- Grab this before you go!
What Does The Bible Say About Thankfulness?
Psalms 136:1 “O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
The Bible is full of faithful men and women who show gratitude and thanks for the Lord and his blessings.
The Story Of Job Is One Example Of Thankfulness
Job lost everything he owned, including his children and crops during a time when Satan was allowed to afflict him because God desired to see what kind of man Job was.
Although it seemed that all hope had been completely extinguished from his life, Job continued showing gratitude for the little blessings that were still left.
He said, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)
Even when Job’s wife was pressing him to “curse God, and die” he taught a valuable lesson of thankfulness and recognizing the Lord’s hand in our lives.
“Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10) and “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.” (Job 13:15)
When all was said and done, Job had been blessed with twice as much wealth as he’d originally owned.
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The Story of King David
The story of King David shows us how a faithful man in the Lord’s service can be grateful in times when it seems impossible.
He suffered from depression after being betrayed by his son, Absalom. King David fleed from his son, and despite these life-threatening trials of his faith, David continued to serve and praise the Lord.
David said “Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee…My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips.” (Psalms 63:3, 5)
Which Parable Teaches About Gratitude?
The Lost Piece of Silver
A woman lost one of her pieces of silver.
She knew the location of the other nine, yet this one piece of silver meant so much to her, that Luke shares her miraculous work to tear apart her house.
She lights a candle, sweeps the house, and “seeks diligently till she finds it.” (Luke 15:8)
This woman is one determined lady to find her lost piece of silver. And when she finds her coin, “She calleth her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.” (Luke 15:9)
I don’t think this woman was worried about money. After all, she had nine other pieces of silver.
Her excitement for finding the lost coin and her rejoicing after finding it reminds me of a beautiful childlike faith.
The rejoicing in something precious to us, whether it’s a hope for our future, a love in our life, or something that is only known to God.
And in her rejoicing, she tells everyone her exciting news – not out of bragging or flaunting, but out of relief and joy, two emotions based upon gratitude.
Who In The Bible Was Thankful?
The Thankful Leper
During Christ’s mortal ministry he went to Jerusalem. On his way, he came across 10 lepers. These lepers called for Christ to have mercy on him.
He did.
He commanded them to show themselves to the priests, and as they went they were cleansed.
“And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back and with a loud voice glorified God. And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him (Christ) thanks.” Luke 17::15-16
Teaching our children gratitude and thanks is important.
The Thankful Leper: An Interactive Color and Learn Workbook
Inside you’ll find 16 printable activity pages that will bring this beloved Bible story to life. This workbook includes:
✔️ Coloring activities
✔️ A Memory Match Game teaching kids how to say “Thank You” in 9 languages!
✔️ Tracing activities
✔️ Scripture Memorization activities
Ezra And The Lords People Showed Thanks
The story of Ezra in the Bible is beautiful. He was living in Babylon when the king sent him to Jerusalem to teach the laws of God.
During his time of rebuilding the temple, the builders finished laying the foundation of the Lord’s temple.
“They sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever towards Israel.” (Ezra 3:11)
Daniel And The Lion’s Den
In spite of an edict punishing those who prayed to God, Daniel remained faithful.
After learning of Kind Darius singing the decree, “he went into his house; and…he kneeled upon his knees and prayed, and gave thanks before his God.” (Daniel 6:10)
Daniel was not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He expressed his gratitude and thanks for the many blessings from God, even in the midst of his trials and persecution.
Daniel and the Lion’s Den: Bible Learning Made Fun [16 Pages]
The book of Daniel is a fun and exciting story, but it’s also one that can be hard to understand.
Many Bible stories for kids are either too difficult or too boring. They don’t help kids learn the Bible in an engaging way.
This fun workbook includes 16-pages of:
✔️ Coloring activities
✔️ A Memory Match Game
✔️ A Maze
✔️ Tracing activities
✔️ Counting activities
✔️ Scripture Memorization activity
This educational workbook is sure to keep both you and your child entertained while developing their minds at the same time!
Grab your copy here and teach kids about the story of Daniel.
How Many Times Does The Bible Mention Being Thankful?
Thankfulness and showing gratitude and thanks appear more than 103 times in the Bible!
The New Testament is one of the primary locations for the theme of gratitude. And each mention of thanks, thankfulness, or gratitude always has reference directing the reader’s attention back to God.
How Did The Lord Jesus Show Thankfulness?
Christ Showed Thanks While Blessing And Passing The Sacrament
Jesus Christ showed thanks for his Father, his disciples, and others many times. He was always quick to thank and encouraged his followers to recognize God’s hand in their lives.
In Luke 22:17, “He took the cup, and gave thanks.”
Feeding the 5,000
Jesus Christ took the loaves from his disciples in preparation of feeding 5,000 men, women, and children.
As the loaves were given to him, “he had given thanks” (John 6:11, Mark 8:6, and Matthew 15:36).
How Can I Give Thanks To God?
You can give thanks to God through your words in prayer and your actions.
Paul teaches us, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Actions (in the form of service) are one of the best ways to give thanks. Since it’s not always possible for us to show our appreciation for what he has done, giving thanks in prayer can be a great alternative when showing gratitude.
In addition to thanking God verbally, there are many other ways you can express thankfulness towards him.
You can
- Count your blessings and recognize God’s hand in all things
- Say a prayer of gratitude each morning and night
- Service those around you, including family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and other loved ones
Give thanks to God for everything you have.
What Happens When We Praise God In Difficult Times?
When we praise God in difficult times we are able to feel the full extent of his love for us.
Faith in God does not remove the trial from our lives. Instead, our faith and gratitude help us recognize His hand in our lives.
This recognition and faith will then carry us through the difficult times and trials – not remove them.
As we’ve learned from the Bible, gratitude is a powerful emotion that can lead to rejoicing and joy.
We need to be thankful for all of our blessings – whether it’s through prayer or service.
God wants us to give thanks in difficult times so that we’re able to see his hand at work even when life throws challenges at us. I hope you found these Bible stories about thankfulness encouraging for you!
God bless, friend.
Grab this before you go!
This unique activity-packed color and learn workbook introduces young readers to the story of the ten lepers.
The Thankful Leper: An Interactive Color and Learn Workbook
Inside you’ll find 16 printable activity pages that will bring this beloved Bible story to life. This workbook includes:
✔️ Coloring activities
✔️ A Memory Match Game teaching kids how to say “Thank You” in 9 languages!
✔️ Tracing activities
✔️ Scripture Memorization activities
Micah Klug is a wife, homeschooling mother to five children, and author. She teaches time-tested solutions to help parents remember what matters most in life, including strengthening their home, faith, and family relationships. To learn how a child who grew up in an authoritarian home is now creating an environment of peace and joy in her own home visit this page. If you want to contact Micah, send her an email here or email [email protected].
