10 Thanksgiving Songs to Free Your Heart for Worship
- Annette Griffin Contributing Writer
- Updated Oct 04, 2022
Each year as summer gives way to autumn, most of us switch gears from business as usual to holiday prep. Pumpkin spice, fuzzy sweaters, harvest décor, and baked goods go a long way in preparing our senses for the season. Still, there’s nothing like Thanksgiving to invite our hearts to the party. Of course, Thanksgiving is not only a time to enjoy great food, but also a time to remember the source of all that we are thankful for. Thanksgiving worship songs redirect our minds to what it is we are truly grateful for, and what qualities make Him so worthy of our thankfulness.
How Can Songs of Thanksgiving Free a Heart to Worship?
Life is hard. This year may be one of the most difficult seasons you’ve ever faced. Undoubtedly, some dread the holiday season because of loss, illness, or a family crisis. Or maybe thankfulness is the last thing on your mind because you’re rounding the last bend of the year feeling worn, wary, or weary.
It’s true, the Bible instructs us to give thanks in all circumstances (Ephesians 5:20, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Romans 5:3-5, James 1:1-4).
But take heart. This article’s purpose is not to use Scripture to shame heavy-hearted people into compliance. That never works, anyway. Anyone who has ever felt as if they’re treading water to stay afloat knows—an anvil of guilt is a poor substitute for a buoy of hope.
The verses exhorting believers to give thanks even while suffering matter deeply. But they should never be taken out of the context of God’s character and loving purpose. Our all-knowing, all-seeing Father has gifted His children with a spiritual weapon against despair. That weapon is thankfulness.
And when thankfulness is set to music, it somehow becomes even more potent (2 Chronicles 20:1-25). The great German theologian, professor, pastor, and church reformer Martin Luther said, “Next to the Word of God, music deserves the highest praise. She is a mistress and governess of those human emotions... which control men or more often overwhelm them.”
No matter your worship style preference, I invite you to hear these carefully chosen songs as a reminder that even in the worst times, we have unshakeable hope. That hope is wrapped up in the person of Christ. Allow God to liberate your heart—from this world’s cares, your soul’s wounds, worry, anxiety, or fear—as we fix all our attention on the author and finisher of our faith. He was, He is, and He always will be our universal, never-changing reason for thankfulness.
Thanksgiving Worship Songs that Celebrate Who God Is
No imperfect, finite being can adequately describe God’s infinite perfection. But we can catch glimpses of His beauty and splendor—His glory—through Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:6). The following songs point us to Him. May the Holy Spirit fill us with gratitude as we focus on just a few of His divine character traits.
1. “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” (by Martin Luther, 1529)
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God performed by kickVocal (Lyric Video) from kickvocal on GodTube.
Nothing inspires thankfulness better than a humbling reminder of who is seated above every power, principality, and dominion. Our temporal cares lose the power to control us when we embrace His Sovereignty.
Martin Luther wrote over thirty hymns during his lifetime, most of which are still in use today. But none captures the hope of the Protestant Reformation quite like “A Mighty Fortress.” When forced into exile or to die for their faith, many Protestant emigrants chose to sing this song as their battle cry. And today, the powerful lyrics still act as a battle cry against the lie of hopelessness. Each stanza speaks of God’s supreme authority over every form of tyranny—whether in the physical or spiritual realm.
Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right Man on our side,
the Man of God’s own choosing.
You ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabaoth his name,
from age to age the same;
and he must win the battle.
2. “How Great Thou Art” (by Stuart K. Hine, 1949)
Stunning Performance of How Great Thou Art by Wynonna Judd from theremix on GodTube.
Before you move past this iconic and well-known classic—have you heard this song lately? This hymn, based on a Swedish poem written over a century ago, celebrates God’s power over all creation, life, and death. Hearing an old hymn sung with fresh conviction stimulates our souls to worship. One particular rendition of “How Great Thou Art,” performed by Carrie Underwood and Vince Gill at an American Country Music event in 2011, shows an incredible response around the 3:30 marker. This widely secular audience is overcome, as the artist powerfully professes the greatness of God. Chances are, you will be too.
3. “In Christ Alone” (by Stuart Townsend and Keith Getty, 2001)
The Booth Brothers - In Christ Alone (Medley) [Live] from the-booth-brothers on GodTube.
Christ is our sole source of strength, light, and hope. This modern worship hymn explains that we are more than conquerors in Christ. In Him, we stand in victory, even as temporal battles rage around us. Our curse of sin is forever broken through Christ, and nothing—absolutely nothing—can ever separate us from He who now commands our destiny. His sufficiency is all we will ever need when we stand firm in Him.
You can learn more about the meaning behind the song and hear it sung here: Song Story: “In Christ Alone”
Thanksgiving Worship Songs that Celebrate What God Has Done and Is Doing
4. “Thank You Jesus for the Blood” (by Charity Gayle, Ryan Kennedy, Steven Musso, David Gentiles, Bryan McCleery, 2021)
There is nothing stronger than the wonder-working power of the blood of Jesus Christ. Most of us don’t often think about Jesus’s blood, but every born-again child of God lives beneath its cleansing flow. When the blood of Jesus is applied to our sin-diseased lives, we no longer have to live in darkness. It’s impossible to think about the precious debt paid to free us without feeling deep gratitude. Charity Gayle brings this sacred truth to light beautifully in her modern worship song.
5. “So Will I—100 Billion X” (by Hillsong United, 2018)
This compelling contemporary worship song not only celebrates the work of God’s hand. The song also rejoices over what God is doing to build His kingdom right now through His word—which is never spoken in vain and never returns void. The song encourages listeners to view the obedience, reverence, thankfulness, and praise exhibited by nature as an example of the kind of worship all Believers should practice.
The worshipful atmosphere Osby Berry creates while he performs “So Will I” gives the listener a greater sense of God’s unlimited power and strength. You can view that version here.
6. “Great Is Thy Faithfulness, O God my Father” (by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1923)
This beloved classic hymn specifically references the sentiments found in Lamentations 3:22-23, but God’s steadfast love, as revealed through the hymn, is found from Genesis to Revelation.
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be
“Great is Thy Faithfulness” became popular through the Moody Bible Institute and Billy Graham, who featured the song during many of his international crusades.
7. “Do It Again” (by Mack Brock, Travis Cottrell, Matt Redman, Steven Furtick, 2018)
God’s unchangeableness has more to do with who He is than what He’s done, but His immutable quality is never more clearly displayed than through His great works. Because God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, we can trust that He who spoke the world into existence and raised Jesus from the grave can do more than we could ever imagine—for His glory.
In scripture, young David understood the power of God’s immutability when he was about to fight Goliath. By faith, David declared, “The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:38).
The song “Do It Again” reiterates this important Biblical truth and encourages the listener to cherish the work God has done in the past and know that He can do it again (Numbers 11:23).
Thanksgiving Worship Songs that Celebrate What God Will Do in the Future
8. “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come” (by Henry Alford, 1844)
Come, Ye Thankful People, Come from musicbymichele on GodTube.
This classic hymn has been sung to celebrate Thanksgiving for over one hundred years. But even though the first stanza makes it a clear choice to commemorate the season’s bounty, the remainder of the hymn refers to a larger ‘harvest’ that will occur at the second coming of Jesus Christ. No matter how dire our lives seem on earth, Believers can always be thankful that a day is coming when our Savior will appear in the clouds and harvest those who are His.
Even so, Lord, quickly come,
bring thy final harvest home;
gather thou thy people in,
free from sorrow, free from sin,
there, forever purified,
in thy presence to abide;
come, with all thine angels, come,
raise the glorious harvest home.
To read more information about the author of “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come” or view the full lyrics: Henry Alford - Author of Thanksgiving Hymn “Come Ye Thankful People Come.”
9. “There is a Higher Throne” (by Keith and Kristen Getty, 2003)
Keith and Kristen Getty wrote this beautiful modern worship hymn to celebrate the truth found in Revelation 7:15-17.
“Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. ‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”
10. “Heaven’s Song” (by Gateway Worship, 2011)
One day, all who have placed their trust in Jesus will gather in Heaven and sing the ultimate song of thanksgiving. This worship will be like none we’ve ever experienced in this temporal world. We’ll sing our adoration with “every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea” Revelation 5:13). Can you imagine? Together, with one voice, we will overflow with praise and sing, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” (Revelation 5:9-13)
Further Reading:
20 Thanksgiving Hymns to Celebrate Gratitude
10 Thanksgiving Hymns to Praise God with Gratitude and Joy
Photo Credit: Pro Church Media/Unsplash
This article is part of our larger Thanksgiving Resource Library. Learn about the first Thanksgiving, what Thanksgiving means in the Bible, how to get along with your family, and ways you can make this celebration more meaningful.
30 Best Thanksgiving Bible Verses for Showing Gratitude
A Prayer of Thanks to God
Examples of Thanksgiving in the Bible
Thank You God! 10 Prayers of Praise and Thanksgiving
35 Thanksgiving Prayers and Blessings to Share with Family and Friends
How to "Give Thanks in All Things"
