Teach Gratitude and Thanksgiving through Praise and Worship + Printable Scripture Pack

I created a Praise His Name Scripture Pack to help teach my kids (and yours) all about gratitude and thanksgiving. Using scripture packs is a great way to learn about what God’s word says about these topics. Next time you are looking for ways to teach about these important godly characteristics, keep the following ideas in mind. And don’t forget to grab the Praise His Name Scripture Pack!

How to Teach Gratitude and Thanksgiving through Praise and Worship

While each of the ideas below may not mention “praise and worship” specifically, it should be known that there are many forms of praise and worship. It doesn’t always have to be just singing and dancing. It can be done by reading the bible, talking with family, and doing a bible study!

Get in the Word of God

God’s Word is one of the single best ways to teach about gratitude and thanksgiving. Do one quick Google search and you’ll find hundreds of verses that speak on these important topics. When you do a search, take note of the bible scriptures that stand out to you. Write them on note cards or have your children copy them in a journal. If you have new readers, invite them to try and read different scriptures they can understand.

Sing Praise Songs

Praise songs are often filled with words of adoration, thankfulness, and gratitude for who Christ Jesus is and what He has done for us. Using praise songs and hymnals in your homeschool can actually make for some pretty good lessons.

You can take your kids on a journey of learning about the person (or people) who wrote the song and often find some amazing stories behind them. You can also use the songs to further break down what it means to have a thankful heart and spirit of gratitude. As you play worship songs, invite your kids to really think about Heavenly Father and His amazing power.

Use the Dinner Table

I know this may seem weird, but in today’s fast-paced society, it’s important to use every moment to teach your kids important concepts. Even if your schedule is super packed, be intentional about having at least one meal together as a family.

We prefer the dinner table, but of course, anything will suffice. While everyone is gathered together, use the opportunity to talk about what it means to have a heart of thanksgiving. Take turns talking about the power of gratitude and how it is present in your lives.

Shed Light on the Thanksgiving Holiday

There are many subjects, topics, and concepts that can be talked about during this holiday season. Once you’ve given the rundown of the pilgrims and Indians, talk about the other important things. A few concepts to consider are:

• wonderful deeds
• getting through hard times with a grateful heart
• God’s goodness
• what it means to let the peace of Christ rule
• the will of God for us to live in joyful contentment
• having the peace of God through a difficult situation

These are just a few ideas but certainly a good starting point when highlighting gratitude and thanksgiving.

Keep a Gratitude Journal

Even if your child is not of writing age, you can still help them keep a gratitude journal by dictating for them. Then, they will have a keepsake-style journal to look back on and read when they are older. Gratitude journals don’t have to be fancy either! Simply use concepts that will help teach gratitude and thanksgiving. You can start with some of the prompts mentioned above, or use these ideas:

• what does it mean to have a heart of gratitude?
• understanding the practice of gratitude
• daily experiences of life and how gratitude can be seen in them
• God’s character
• doodle words of thanks

Conduct a Gratitude and Thanksgiving Bible Study

Again, nothing fancy is needed for a good bible study. I do recommend having a good concordance and access to several versions of the bible. If you have the Bible app, you’ll have all of this in one place.

Start with researching all the places scripture talks about gratitude and being thankful. Then, pick one to start reading. In some cases, you’ll want to read an entire chapter (or more) to understand the proper context. Ask questions about what was read and give your kids an opportunity to talk about what the word is speaking to them.

Praise His Name! Thanksgiving Scripture Pack

As I mentioned earlier, I created a thanksgiving scripture pack as a gentle reminder of God, His Word, and how we can remain grateful, thankful, and blessed. The greatest gift we can give our kids is a life that shows true thanksgiving and great joy.

This resource will help you make gratitude and thanksgiving a way of life and not something that’s just talked about on Thanksgiving day. God’s Word shows the message of Christ, our great King, who showed us the best example of gratitude and thanksgiving.

Download your Thanksgiving Scripture Pack

Encourage thankfulness in your children and family this Thanksgiving. Use these printable cards and pages to put reminders up around your home or as notes for the family. This resource comes with 12 scripture cards, a bible study journal page, scripture wall art, and is available in two different versions (KJV & ESV).