Beyond "Give Thanks": A Thanksgiving Worship Playlist

I’m learning that thanksgiving isn’t so much an act as it is a heart posture. It’s a bit of a present participle, a verb in the “-ing” form, which makes it a continuous action. It’s always going, doing, and being.

It’s not an obligatory prayer where we puff and sigh our way through a long list of things that we feel we must thank God for. Rather, it’s living in a place of God-given joy and humility so we easily see the big and little things that soften our hearts toward God. This grants us a beautiful, natural encouragement to pause and say, “Thank you, Lord.”

If you’re longing for ways to make thanksgiving an outpouring in your daily rhythms and routines, consider these eight powerful Christian songs to prepare your heart to find God’s goodness in all things and in all seasons:

1. "Christ the Lord Is with Me"

If, like me, you have been a Christian for a while, it’s easy to forget that Christ’s presence is an undeserved gift. In fact, it’s a constant extension of grace that we can’t appreciate until we adopt a posture of humility and thanksgiving.

This simple, poetic song by Steffany Gretzinger presents itself as a ballad, a heartfelt, musically glorious creation. If you need a reminder to thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit, His presence with us and in us, consider adding that song to your Thanksgiving playlist. 

2. "The Olive Grove"

In college, I took a music course that included a unit on monks’ Gregorian chants. For ages, Christian music didn’t have lyrics, only hums and sounds. From a modern perspective, this seems more than just weird, but the older I get, and the more I crave the quiet, the more I understand the beauty of this lyric-less worship.

You actually often hear more in the quiet than you do with songs filled with words, and I think worship writers like Steffany Gretzinger recognize this. "The Olive Grove" is an instrumental song on her 2019 album, and it’s truly a bit of heaven. 

This orchestral number evokes the peace and beauty that heaven gifts us, and what better way to thank God for His goodness than to sit in the quiet and let His truth, His voice, flood your heart?

3. "Come Thou Fount"

Truly, do hymns get any better than "Come Thou Fount"? It’s a hard one to beat, especially in the Thanksgiving season. The first verse highlights God’s never-ending blessings with, "streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.” 

On days when I find it hard to praise God, I’m still drawn to this hymn, as its last verse begs, “Let Thy goodness like a fetter/Bind my wandering heart to Thee.”

4. "Forever"

Kari Jobe’s "Forever" is often an Easter favorite, but there is a phrase in its chorus that keeps me rooted in humility year-round. It says, “Forever He is lifted high.”

As the King of glory, as the risen Messiah, He is forever magnified. Heaven won’t let its King go without rightful praise. But what an undeserved privilege it is for us to take part in this worship? What an honor to know that the God of heaven longs to hear our voices, longs to know our heart’s deepest thanksgiving? 

5. "The Blessing"

I’ll never not recommend this Kari Jobe song for any life season or situation. It’s an anthem that directly reflects Numbers 6:24-26, “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

This Scripture is a promise of the Lord’s steadfast presence, and what more could we be grateful for than the undeserved gift of God’s constant protection and guidance? 

6. "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" 

I love the last verse of this classic hymn, which reads: “Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth/Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide/Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow/Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside.”  

I’m quite certain that unshakable, guaranteed hope is the most precious gift we could ever receive—and Christ has given it to our rebellious, stubborn hearts freely. When I consider what to thank God for, as if there aren’t 10,000 reasons, hope is certainly the most lovely. 

7. "I Can’t Thank You Enough"

“The more that I live/The more I’m convinced/You've done good by me”

Whew! If that’s not a powerful way to open up a song, I’m not sure what is. Though aging isn’t fun, certainly from a physical and social standpoint, it tethers us to the truth of God’s faithfulness. This Benjamin Williams Hastings song is a testament to that. 

God is faithful in His goodness and mercy and grace. He is faithful when we are unfaithful. What a blessing to praise and thank our God who is both unchanging and good! 

8. "Thank You for the Cross"

It’s so easy to gloss over our thanks for Christ’s sacrifice. It becomes almost commonplace when we let our hearts get in too much of a routine in our faith. When our service becomes a checklist or a begrudging obligation, we forget that we can’t save ourselves, that the God of everything gave up His own Son to grant us access to His unyielding love and friendship. 

This Tauren Wells song spells out many of those blessings we too easily take for granted: 

“For the Father, for the Son
For the power of Your love
For the Spirit that's in us
For the blood that overcomes
For Your life, for Your death
For the hope that's still ahead
We sing thank You, thank You”

I pray these songs encourage and convict your spirit as you actively seek ways to thank God for His rich, irrevocable love. 

“Come, let us sing praise to the LORD! Let us shout praises to the Rock who saves us. Come and worship him with songs of thanks.” Psalm 95:1-3

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/SrdjanPav

Peyton Garland is an author, editor, and boy mama who lives in the beautiful foothills of East Tennessee. Subscribe to her blog Uncured+Okay for more encouragement.