Thanksgiving is a joyful time to gather with friends and family. But it’s more than that. Thanksgiving allows you to show gratitude for what God’s given you. Grateful for the delicious turkey, grateful for granny’s apple pie, and grateful for memories and blessings. If you need a little musical inspiration to bring out gratitude this holiday season, NRT’s editorial team has a few songs for you. Enjoy.
Skillet "Refuge"
At first, you won’t notice the message of gratitude. But, if you listen further, you’ll hear it loud and clear. We can relate to the feeling of having God enter our lives and give us the grace to face whatever we're up against—no matter how dark. For me, it has come to mean even a bit deeper in terms of human-to-human relationships. He’s placed special people in my life who serve as a refuge (besides God Himself) for me. I say from experience that when you find that person who can serve as a refuge, it's a definite cause for thankfulness. – JJ Francesco
Crowder "Thanks Giver"
Few Thanksgiving-themed songs exist within the Christian music industry. So, when I heard “Thanks Giver,” a song from contemporary superstar Crowder’s new holiday album, Milk & Cookies: A Crowder Christmas, I had to use it. The song speaks to being thankful for God's goodness during the crazy and insane preparations and celebrations between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It speaks on how we as believers need to pour our thanksgiving into God in return for the blessings received. The song’s lyrics are also quite relatable to the average family holiday experience. It’s a feel-good track worthy of a listen. – Joshua Galla
Davy Flowers “I Was Loved”
Like Davy, I want my testimony of thankfulness to be “I Was Loved.” I hear in Davy’s vocals a sincere yearning for God and thankfulness in her heart for His mercy and grace. So, here’s an opportunity for you to make the choice and ask the Holy Spirit to live in you. He has the supernatural ability to overcome whatever you’re going through. So, offer your prayers of thankfulness for what Jesus has done in your life.
If you’re struggling with depression, and are looking for meaning in your life, testify along with Davy, and please know with certainty these life-giving words: “When all of this is over/Let it said I had a better portion/Than all the world affords/When all my days are numbered/Let it be known that it was only Jesus/Who made it all worth it/And at the end of my life/When they ask why I was different/I will testify all my might/That I was loved/And Jesus He has always been enough/I put my trust in an old rugged cross/That tells me I am loved.” – Kevin Davis
Hillsong Worship (feat. TAYA) "Never Walk Alone"
Although this melody is not a song of gratitude at first glance, I believe that at the heart of Hillsong’s worship, every melody they release is one thanking the Lord; "Never Walk Alone” is no exception. The incredible worship leader, Taya Gaukrodger, presents a message of assurance in Christ meshed with a beautiful melody. There’s no stray packaging and no attempt at a pretty picture. The song simply is a raw depiction of Jesus from someone who has entered His presence and remained there as He purifies them for the better.
I pray that amid our gratitude for material things, we’ll remember who provides everything for us. I pray that somewhere and everywhere, you’ll find Him. May we praise Him for the goodness He has lavished on us: “Every hour, every minute/You have always been there/You are faithful, and You always will be.” Allow Him to astound you today with a fresh wave of His gentle love that’s ready to fight for you, while hearing Him remind us, “you never walk alone.” – Selena Schulz
Sean Curran "Ways"
God is always at work, finding ways to show up and do the impossible in our lives. Especially this year, I've seen God do just that. He's turned the impossible into reality in my life and has done so much more than I could ever ask or imagine. And for that, I'm incredibly thankful.
If God is always coming up with new ways to show up and surprise us, we’ll never run out of ways to praise Him. That's what Christian music artist Sean Curran's song "Ways" is all about. It's the perfect song for this Thanksgiving season. The chorus says, "I'm never running out of ways/Never running out of ways to praise You/I'm never running out of words/Never running out of words to thank You/God, I thank you." I would echo those same words. Thank you, Jesus. You're worthy of all our praise and gratitude. – Grace Chaves
Brandon Lake "Gratitude"
We tend to complicate thankfulness and gratitude amid our busy and hurried lifestyles. We feel the weight of our words and our actions throughout the day, and the process of bringing them to Jesus is sometimes too much. Before we are thankful, we must be pure, and as we too often realize, we're lacking what we think are the basic elements to just begin. But at the end of the day, gratitude is all about heart posture. We have nothing to offer God, the creator of the universe. Yet, He still desires our presence and worship. Worship artist Brandon Lake’s "Gratitude" captures that in its simplistic harmony, soft vocals, and gentle lyrics of simple humility. So come on soul, let's not get shy. Let's lift a song, activate that lion inside of our lungs, and get up and praise the Lord this season. – Kevin McNeese
Ryan Ellis "All My Praise"
It can be hard at times to remember why we should be thankful. Around this time of year, everything we see online seems to be pushing us to buy something. Being thankful feels more like a marketing plot than genuine advice. In the middle is where Jesus steps in. Thankfulness doesn't just hit us when we're looking at family photos, it's something we choose to accept. Out of all the blessings we can choose to be thankful for, none come close to Jesus and all He's done. Accepting His grace, healing, freedom, and new life roots our thankfulness on another level. A level of praise. So, for all the blessings God has given us, the beautiful and messy, we can have a heart of thanks in every moment, cause hearts are full of unshakeable praise. He is good and worthy of it all. – Bradden Ford
Other Thanksgiving Favorites
Meredith Mauldin & UPPERROOM “Home”
Run51 “How Great Thou Art”
Life.Church Worship “God So Good”
Canyon Hills Worship “On And On”
Ron Artis II “Chosen”
29:11 Worship “Say It Again”
Joel Vaughn “Friend”
Assembled from the four corners of North America and beyond, the NRTeam is comprised of staffers whose energy is equally dispersed toward loving music and writing about the music they love.
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