24 Days of

Psalms of Thanks

Five Minute Family Devotions for the Season of Thanksgiving

By Jennifer Thorson

thepurposefulmom.com

for personal use only

Thanks so much for downloading 24 Days of of Thanks Five Minute Family Devotions! I hope you enjoy using these with your family.

Each day is a Scripture verse or passage along with a question for discussion and a prayer prompt. These are only suggestions – use them to spur on fruitful discussion with your family about what God has done and how we can give Him thanks and praise!

You can cut these out, roll them up and put them in a bowl, using one each day up through Thanksgiving Day. Or you can fold them and put them in a jar and pull out one each day (just cut off the numbers on the top of each strip since they’ll probably get mixed up in the jar!  )

If you have a friend who would like to use them, please direct them to THIS POST, as this copy is for personal use only. Thanks!

Please let me know if you have any questions! Email me, Jenn, at [email protected]

Blessings to you this Thanksgiving season!

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, serve the Lord with gladness! :1-2 Day 1

“You are my God and I will give you thanks: you are my God and I will exalt you.” Psalm 118:28 NIV

Question: What does it mean to exalt God?

Prayer Prompt: What is one exaltation you can speak about God?

Day 2

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. Psalm 57:9 ESV

Question: How can we praise God “among the nations”?

Prayer Prompt: What is one place in the world you can pray for, that they’d learn the good news of Jesus Christ?

Day 3

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!

Psalm 100:4 ESV

Question: What does it mean to enter the gates and courts of the Lord?

Prayer Prompt: What is one way we can bless the name of the Lord in prayer?

Day 4

Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things. Psalm 107:8-9 ESV

Question: How has God satisfied your soul and what good things has He given you?

Prayer Prompt: What are some “works of the Lord” that we can thank him for doing?

Day 5

Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!” Psalm 118:15 NIV

Question: What are some of the mighty things God has done for people throughout history? Specifically consider the Israelites, who are spoken of in this verse!

Prayer Prompt: What “mighty thing” can you thank God for doing in your life?

Day 6

I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. :1-2 ESV

Question: In what ways can our praise to God continually be in our mouths?

Prayer Prompt: What is one praise that you can give to God for what He has done this week for you?

Day 7

…. proclaiming thanksgiving aloud, and telling all your wondrous deeds. O LORD, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells. Psalm 26:7-8 ESV

Question: Where does the Lord dwell in a Christian and how can we be in His house?

Prayer Prompt: Loudly proclaim a thanksgiving to God! Make it fun!

Day 8

I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. Psalm 138:1-2 ESV

Question: Why does the verse say “before the gods” I sing your praise? Who are the gods the psalmist is referring to in these verses?

Prayer Prompt: Try bowing or kneeling down when you pray today and thank God for His love and faithfulness! Day 9

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord. Psalm 40:3

Question: What does it mean that God puts a new song in our mouths? Look at the first two verses of this psalm for a clue!

Prayer Prompt: Sing a song of praise during your prayer time! Any hymn or praise song will work! Or listen to We Gather Together, a traditional Thanksgiving hymn!

Day 10

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. :1

Question: Take a look at this entire psalm and figure out its main topic. How do its words cause us to give thanks to God?

Prayer Prompt: Praise God for His work in creation and thank Him for something specific He has made that you enjoy!

Day 11

Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre! He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills. :7-8 ESV

Question: How does the weather reflect the glory of God?

Prayer Prompt: What do you find to be the best kind of weather? Thank God for it!

Day 12

All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing the praises of your name. Psalm 66:4 NIV

Question: What does it mean that the earth bows down to God?

Prayer Prompt: Pray that the entire world will see and praise the power of the Lord! Day 13

O come, let us sing unto the LORD: Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. Psalm 95:1

Queston: What IS a psalm? Look up the definition in the dictionary! Why do you think a psalm is a great way to give God thanks?

Prayer Prompt: Pray a psalm of thankfulness to God! You can use any psalm you’d like that talks about something God has done!

Day 14

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1 KJV

Questions: How is God present in our troubles? Why is it so important to have God as our refuge and strength?

Prayer Prompt: In what way has God helped you when you were in trouble? Thank Him for how He helped you in that specific situation!

Day 15

They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. Psalm 145:7 NIV

Question: What does righteousness mean? Look it up in Webster’s 1828 dictionary—you might be surprised at the definition!

Prayer Prompt: Thank God for a time where He has been abundantly good to you.

Day 16

The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him. Psalm 92:15

Question: Look at the rest of Psalm 92: who is it that is proclaiming this truth about God in verse 15?

Prayer Prompt: Use one of the verses in Psalm 92 as the subject of your prayer today! Day 17:

I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the LORD Most High. :17 NIV

Question: This psalm is about God protecting His people from their enemies. Can you think of a Biblical story where God rescued and protected people who believed in Him?

Prayer Prompt: Give God the glory for a time He has protected you!

Day 18

I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. Psalm 9:1

Question: How do we give thanks to God with our whole hearts?

Prayer Prompt: Remember back or “recount” how God has blessed you in the past and thank him for one blessing that has changed your life!

Day 19

I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30

Question: How does giving thanks honor and lift up God?

Prayer Prompt: Sing another song that lifts up God as your prayer today!

Day 20

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. Psalm 103:8-13 ESV

Question: Today’s passage is longer than the others, but it has so much to say! What does God do with our sin and in what ways does that make us thankful?

Prayer Prompt: Thank the Lord for his great mercy and forgiveness!

Day 21

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. :1 NIV

Question: How do the heavens and skies praise and thank God?

Prayer Prompt: What about the stars and the skies reminds you of the Lord? Thank him for those things that are a reflection of His beauty!

Day 22

Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God. :5 NIV

Question: Why is it so important for us to find our hope only in the Lord?

Prayer Prompt: Is there something you need help with? Pray about a need in your life or a family member or friend’s life and give thanks to the Lord that we can have hope because of who He is!

Day 23

What shall I return to the LORD for all his goodness to me?... I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD. Psalm 116:12,17

Question: What is one of the most important reasons we give thanks to God according to this verse?

Prayer Prompt: Give a “thank offering” to the Lord by bringing to mind all of the good things he has done!

Day 24

Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

Question: Why is this a good verse for Thanksgiving Day? Reflect for a minute on the reason the first “thankgiving” holiday was celebrated!

Prayer Prompt: Give thanks for the “yield” or “harvest” that you have been given to eat on this day! Praise the Lord for his bountiful blessings!