If you are looking for Bible verses about thankfulness in the King James Version, this page gathers fifteen passages that call God’s people to give thanks, shown in the KJV text. They are for anyone who wants to move from a grumbling heart toward a grateful one, whether that happens at the breakfast table or in the middle of a hard season. Most of these verses share one conviction: thanks is not a feeling we wait for, but a response we choose because of who God is and what He has done.
Verses for Starting the Day with Gratitude
Many people wake up reaching for their phone or their list of worries. These verses invite you to begin instead with a few words of thanks before the day gets loud. Read one slowly while your coffee brews.
Psalm 118:1
O give thanks unto the LORD ; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.
(KJV)
This verse is a simple opening line of praise, and it works well as a first sentence before your day begins. Try saying it aloud, then name one specific gift you can see from where you sit right now, such as a warm room or a familiar voice in the house.
Psalm 100:4
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
(KJV)
The psalmist describes thanksgiving as a way of entering God’s presence, not a debt we pay. Before you check messages, picture yourself walking through a gate with open hands and say one thank you to God for the night’s rest.
Lamentations 3:22-23
22 It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
(KJV)
Even in a book of grief, the writer finds reasons to hope each morning because God’s mercies are renewed. When you wake up feeling heavy, note one fresh mercy in the day ahead, a kind word or a chance to start over, and thank God for it by name.
Verses for Thankfulness in Hard Seasons
Gratitude is not only for good days. These passages come from writers who were thankful while under pressure, in prison, or in danger. They show that thanks can rest alongside honest sorrow.
Philippians 4:6
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
(KJV)
Paul pairs anxiety with prayer and thanksgiving, which means gratitude is part of how worry gets handed over. When a problem keeps circling in your mind, write down the request and beside it one thing you are grateful for, then give both to God.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
(KJV)
Paul does not say to give thanks for every circumstance, but in every circumstance, which is a different and more honest idea. Practice this by thanking God for one small thing in a difficult situation, such as a steady paycheck, a friend who listens, or the strength to get through the afternoon.
Habakkuk 3:17-18
17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: 18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD , I will joy in the God of my salvation.
(KJV)
Habakkuk lists everything that has failed and still chooses to rejoice in the Lord. Try writing your own short list of losses, then add a final line that begins with “yet I will.” This turns a complaint into a declaration of trust.
Colossians 3:15
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
(KJV)
Paul connects peace in the heart with thankfulness, suggesting that gratitude helps steady us. When your mind feels crowded, pause and thank God for one thing you can actually hold in your hands, and let that moment of thanks settle you.
Verses for Thanking God in Prayer
These verses show gratitude in its most direct form, spoken to God. They are useful at the start or end of a prayer, or whenever you want your words to God to lean toward thanks.
Psalm 107:1
O give thanks unto the LORD , for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
(KJV)
This verse gives the reason for thanks: God is good, and His mercy lasts. Use it as a prayer opener, naming one specific way you have seen His goodness this week so that your gratitude becomes concrete rather than general.
Psalm 136:1
O give thanks unto the LORD ; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
(KJV)
Psalm 136 repeats the same line after every example of God’s work, training the reader to notice pattern and faithfulness. Pick a single refrain like this and repeat it slowly in prayer, adding a new reason after each repetition.
Psalm 9:1
I will praise thee , O LORD , with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
(KJV)
David commits to thanks with his whole heart and promises to tell of God’s wonders. Put this into practice by telling one person this week about something God has done in your life, so that gratitude moves from private prayer into everyday conversation.
Ephesians 5:20
Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…
(KJV)
Paul calls us to give thanks always for all things, in the name of Jesus. Close your prayers with this habit, naming a single gift before you say amen, and the list will grow over time.
Verses for Thankfulness in Ordinary Moments
Most of life happens in small routines: meals, work, rest, and conversation. These passages point gratitude toward those everyday places, where thanks can become a habit.
Colossians 4:2
Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving…
(KJV)
Paul ties thankfulness to steady, watchful prayer rather than occasional emotion. Set a reminder once a day to pause and give thanks, linking it to something you already do, such as sitting down for lunch.
Psalm 92:1
It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD , and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High…
(KJV)
This psalm makes it good and pleasant to give thanks, suggesting that gratitude is a delight as well as a duty. Try giving thanks in the morning and again in the evening, so that your days are bracketed by praise.
Luke 17:15-16
15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
(KJV)
Only one of the ten healed lepers returned to thank Jesus, and the story notices the difference. When good things happen to you, pause to go back and say thank you, even if it is only a quick word spoken to God.
1 Chronicles 16:34
O give thanks unto the LORD ; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
(KJV)
This short call to give thanks for God’s goodness and enduring mercy is easy to remember and repeat. Write it on a card for your kitchen or car and read it when you feel the urge to complain about something small.
James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
(KJV)
Every good gift comes from above, which means gratitude can be directed toward a source as well as a thing. When you receive something good today, however small, trace it back in your mind to God and say thank you there.
How to Use These Verses
Begin by choosing two or three verses that speak to your current season rather than trying to memorize the whole list. Write them on a card, in a notebook, or as a note on your phone, and place them where you will see them during the day, such as beside the sink or on the dashboard. Reading one verse with a pause for reflection is more helpful than reading many quickly.
Use them in prayer by reading a verse aloud, then naming one specific thing you are thankful for in response. Over a few weeks, you may notice your list of gifts growing, and your prayers may shift from requests toward gratitude. Let the verses guide you, and return to them whenever thanks feels hard to find.
A Short Prayer for Thankfulness
Lord, thank You for the gift of this day and for the breath You give me to speak Your name. Thank You for the people You have placed around me, for the food and shelter I have received, and for the small mercies I often overlook. Teach me to notice Your goodness in ordinary places, and when I am tempted to complain, turn my heart back toward thanks. Help me to be grateful not only for what I enjoy but for Your faithfulness in every season. Amen.
