Most Americans, whether they’re Christians or not, celebrate Thanksgiving. However, for those of us who are Christians, the holiday has a special significance.
Though I often listen to Christmas music in the weeks before Christmas in order to help prepare my heart to celebrate the birth of Jesus, I’ve never considered doing something similar for Thanksgiving. Of course, there aren’t “Thanksgiving songs” like there are “Christmas songs,” but there are lots of songs that address the topic of giving thanks.
Songs that prepare our hearts for Thanksgiving
Here are 13 songs that I’ve been listening to as I prepare my heart for Thanksgiving. I’ve included a few of my favorite lyrics for each.
Blessed Be Your Name – Matt Redman
Favorite lyrics:
“Blessed be Your name
When the sun’s shining down on me
When the world’s ‘all as it should be’
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there’s pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name”
Once Again – Fusebox
Favorite lyrics:
“Jesus Christ, I think upon Your sacrifice
You became nothing, poured out to death
Many times I’ve wondered at Your gift of life…
I’m full of praise again
Thank You for the cross
Thank You for the cross
Thank You for the cross, my friend”
Give Thanks – Don Moen
Favorite lyrics:
“And now let the weak say, ‘I am strong’
Let the poor say, ‘I am rich’
Because of what the Lord has done for us’”
Desert Song – Hillsong
Favorite lyrics:
“This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I’m filled to be emptied again
The seed I’ve received I will sow”
Indescribable – Chris Tomlin
Favorite lyrics:
“Indescribable, Uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God.
All powerful, Untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees and we humbly proclaim,
You are amazing God”
Life of Praise – Casting Crowns
Favorite lyrics:
“I will love You, Lord always
Not just for the things You’ve done for me
And I will praise You all my days
Not just for the change You’ve made in me
I’ll praise you for You are holy, Lord
And I’ll lift my hands, but You are worthy of so much more”
Worthy is the Lamb – Hillsong
Favorite lyrics:
“Worthy is the Lamb
Seated on the throne
Crown You now with many crowns
You reign victorious
High and lifted up
Jesus Son of God
The Darling of Heaven crucified
Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy is the Lamb”
Doxology – Anthem Lights
Favorite lyrics:
“Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts, praise Father Son and Holy Ghost”
Thank You Lord – Dennis Jernigan
Favorite lyrics:
“And I thank You, thank You Lord
Thank You, thank You Lord
Thank You for loving and setting me free
Thank You for giving Your life just for me
How I thank You, Jesus I thank You
Gratefully thank You, thank You”
Made Me Glad – Hillsong
Favorite lyrics:
“I will bless the Lord forever
And I will trust Him at all times
He has delivered me from all fear
And He has set my feet upon a rock
I will not be moved
And I’ll say of the Lord
You are my shield, my strength
My portion, deliverer
My shelter, strong tower
My very present help in time of need”
Mourning Into Dancing – Ron Kenoly
Favorite lyrics:
“You’ve turned my mourning
Into dancing again
You’ve lifted my sorrows
And I can’t stay silent
I must sing
For Your joy has come”
O Worship the King – Chris Tomlin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nTdix_1QyU
Favorite lyrics:
“You alone are the matchless King
To You alone be all majesty
Your glories and wonders what tongue can recite
You breathe in the air, You shine in the light”
Come Thou Fount – David Crowder Band
Favorite lyrics:
“Here I raise my Ebenezer
Here there by Thy great help I’ve come
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He, to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood”
I hope these songs stir up gratitude in your heart the same way they have in mine!
What songs would you add? What songs encourage you to be grateful?
I absolutely love the Anthem Lights version of the Doxology — but then, their whole hymn album is really good! One song our family has been singing a lot is “My Heart is Filled With Thankfulness” by Keith and Krystin Getty: “My heart is filled with thankfulness/ To Him who bore my pain/ Who plunged the depths of my disgrace/ And gave me life again/ Who crushed my curse of sinfulness/ And clothed me in His light/ And wrote His law of righteousness/ with power upon my heart.” I will have to look up some of these other songs to add to my Thanksgiving playlist — thank you for sharing them!!
Hi Kaitlyn,
I’ll have to listen to this song you’ve shared. The lyrics are definitely great for Thanksgiving!
Hi, Kaitlyn! I’m heading to find that song right now, because I am a HUGE Getty fan. Thanks for sharing that! 🙂
Okay, Kaitlyn, I just listened to that Getty song and am IN LOVE. I just messaged it to the rest of my fellow worship team members at our church and offered to bake them all cookies for a year if we can please, pretty please learn this for next year’s Thanksgiving season. Ahhh!! Thank you again for sharing this! 😉
=) Aren’t the Getty’s wonderful?!?! I am glad you liked it — it is one of my favourites. The children’s choir in our church is learning it for Thanksgiving this year, and it is so precious to hear the children singing it!
AHHH! What a FANTASTIC playlist…filled with so many songs that are new to me. I’m absolutely pulling this up during our Thanksgiving celebration next Thursday and during all my preparations beforehand. Pinned! Thank you so much for this!
Isn’t it awesome that there are so many great songs about giving thanks?
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Elizabeth!