When life feels like it’s falling apart, gratitude can seem impossible. The bills pile up, relationships strain, health fails, and dreams crumble. In these moments, well-meaning people might tell you to “just be grateful,” which can feel like salt in an already raw wound. But biblical gratitude isn’t about pretending everything is fine or forcing a smile when your world is dark.
Scripture reveals a different kind of thanksgiving, one that acknowledges pain while choosing to remember God’s faithfulness. It’s the gratitude of Job blessing God’s name even after losing everything, of Paul and Silas singing hymns in prison, of Jesus giving thanks before the cross. This isn’t toxic positivity but honest faith that recognizes God’s presence in both feast and famine.
These verses won’t magically solve your problems, but they offer a framework for finding genuine gratitude even when circumstances suggest despair. Sometimes thanksgiving is less about feeling grateful and more about choosing to remember who God is when everything else feels uncertain.
Bible Verses About Thanksgiving Gratitude During Hard Times
1. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 – Give Thanks in All Circumstances
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
New International Version (NIV)
2. Psalm 107:1 – His Love Endures Forever
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
English Standard Version (ESV)
3. Psalm 118:24 – This Is the Day the Lord Has Made
This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
New King James Version (NKJV)
4. Philippians 4:19 – My God Will Meet All Your Needs
And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
New Living Translation (NLT)
5. Psalm 136:1 – His Faithful Love Endures Forever
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His faithful love endures forever.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
6. Romans 8:28 – God Works All Things Together for Good
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
7. Psalm 34:1 – I Will Extol the Lord at All Times
I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
King James Version (KJV)
8. 2 Corinthians 9:15 – Thanks Be to God for His Indescribable Gift
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
9. Psalm 50:23 – Thanksgiving as Sacrifice
The person who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice honors me; I will show God’s salvation to whoever goes the right way.
The Message (MSG)
10. Ephesians 5:20 – Always Giving Thanks to God
At all times and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father.
Amplified Bible (AMP)
11. Psalm 92:1-2 – It Is Good to Praise the Lord
It is good to give thanks to the Lord and to sing praises to your name, O Most High, to declare your steadfast love in the morning and your faithfulness at night.
New English Translation (NET)
12. Colossians 3:17 – Whatever You Do, Give Thanks
And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
13. Psalm 95:2 – Come Before Him with Thanksgiving
Come to worship him with thankful hearts and songs of praise.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
14. Habakkuk 3:17-18 – Yet I Will Rejoice in the Lord
The fig tree may not bud, and there may be no grapes on the vines. The olive trees may not produce, and the fields may not provide food. The flocks may disappear from the pens, and there may be no cattle in the barns. But I will still be glad in the Lord; I will rejoice in God my Savior.
Good News Translation (GNT)
15. Psalm 9:1 – I Will Praise You with All My Heart
Lord, I will thank you with all my heart. I will tell all the miracles you have done.
New Century Version (NCV)
16. 1 Chronicles 16:34 – Give Thanks to the Lord
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his gracious love is eternal.
International Standard Version (ISV)
17. Psalm 100:4 – Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving
Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name.
Tree of Life Version (TLV)
18. Daniel 2:23 – I Thank and Praise You
I thank you and praise you, God of my ancestors, because you have given me wisdom and power.
Lexham English Bible (LEB)
19. 1 Timothy 4:4-5 – Everything God Created Is Good
For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with thanksgiving. For it is sanctified through the word of God and prayer.
World English Bible (WEB)
20. Psalm 30:4 – Sing to the Lord, You Saints
Sing praise to Jehovah, O ye saints of his, And give thanks to his holy memorial name.
American Standard Version (ASV)
21. 2 Corinthians 4:15 – Grace Extends Through Many
For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
Revised Standard Version (RSV)
22. Psalm 106:1 – Praise the Lord
Alleluia! Give thanks to the Lord, who is good, whose love endures forever.
New American Bible (NAB)
23. Leviticus 22:29 – Offer a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving
And when you sacrifice a thank offering to the Lord, you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted.
Douay-Rheims Bible (DRB)
24. Psalm 75:1 – We Give Thanks to You, O God
Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: and thy name is nigh; men tell of thy wondrous works.
English Revised Version (ERV)
25. Psalm 116:17 – I Will Offer to You the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving
To Thee I sacrifice a sacrifice of thanksgiving, And in the name of Jehovah I call.
Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)
26. Hebrews 12:28 – Let Us Be Thankful
Wherefore let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
Darby Translation (DARBY)
27. Psalm 138:1 – I Will Praise You with My Whole Heart
I will praise thee with my whole heart; before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
Weymouth New Testament (WNT)
28. Luke 17:16 – He Threw Himself at Jesus’ Feet and Thanked Him
And he fell doun on his face bifore hise feet, and dide thankyngis to hym; and this was a Samaritan.
Wycliffe Bible (WYC)
29. Psalm 69:30 – I Will Praise God’s Name in Song
I wil praise the Name of God with a song, and magnifie him with thanksgiving.
Geneva Bible (GNV)
30. 1 Corinthians 15:57 – Thanks Be to God Who Gives Us Victory
But thankes be vnto God, which hath geuen vs victory thorowe our Lord Iesus Christ.
The Living Bible (TLB)
31. Psalm 28:7 – My Heart Leaps for Joy
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.
The Passion Translation (TPT)
32. Romans 1:21 – Though They Knew God, They Did Not Honor Him
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
The Voice Bible (VOICE)
33. Psalm 7:17 – I Will Give Thanks to the Lord
I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.
New International Reader’s Version (NIrV)
34. Jonah 2:9 – With a Song of Thanksgiving
But I will sacrifice to you with a song of thanksgiving. I will keep my promise to you. The Lord is the one who saves.
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
35. Psalm 103:1-2 – Praise the Lord, My Soul
Praise the Lord, my soul! Everything in me, praise his holy name! Praise the Lord, my soul, and never forget how kind he is!
God’s Word Translation (GWT)
Our Thoughts On What the Bible Says About Thanksgiving Gratitude During Hard Times
Scripture’s approach to gratitude during suffering is refreshingly honest and deeply practical. The Bible never asks us to be thankful for pain itself, but rather to find God’s presence within it. Biblical thanksgiving isn’t about denying reality or forcing positivity when life genuinely hurts. Instead, it’s about remembering God’s character when circumstances obscure His goodness.
What I find most compelling is how Scripture treats gratitude as both a discipline and a gift. Sometimes we choose thanksgiving as an act of faith before we feel grateful, trusting that God remains good even when life doesn’t feel good. Other times, gratitude emerges naturally from experiencing His faithfulness in unexpected ways.
The biblical model shows grateful people processing real emotions while anchoring their perspective in eternal truths. They lament, question, and wrestle with God, but they also remember His past faithfulness as evidence of His present care. This creates a framework for authentic gratitude that acknowledges struggle while choosing hope.
Say This Prayer
Heavenly Father, I confess that gratitude feels difficult when life is hard. Some days I struggle to see past my circumstances to remember Your goodness. The weight of my struggles sometimes overshadows the blessings You’ve given, and I feel guilty for not being more thankful when others have it worse.
Help me to understand that authentic gratitude isn’t about pretending everything is fine, but about recognizing Your presence in both good times and bad. When I can’t feel grateful, help me to choose thankfulness as an act of faith, trusting that You are working even when I can’t see it.
Open my eyes to see the small mercies I often overlook: breath in my lungs, shelter over my head, people who care about me. Help me remember how You’ve provided in the past when I was worried about the future. Let my gratitude be grounded not in perfect circumstances but in Your unchanging character.
Use my struggles to develop a deeper, more authentic thankfulness that can encourage others walking through their own difficult seasons.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Evang. Anabelle Thompson is the founder of Believers Refuge, a Scripture-based resource that helps Christians to find biblical guidance for life’s challenges.
With over 15 years of ministry experience and a decade of dedicated Bible study, she creates content that connects believers with relevant Scripture for their daily struggles.
Her work has reached over 76,000 monthly readers (which is projected to reach 100,000 readers by the end of 2025) seeking practical faith applications, biblical encouragement, and spiritual guidance rooted in God’s Word.
She writes from personal experience, having walked through seasons of waiting, breakthrough, and spiritual growth that inform her teaching.
Evang. Thompson brings 12 years of active ministry and evangelism experience, along with over 10 years of systematic Bible study and theological research.
As a former small group leader and Sunday school teacher, she has published over 200 biblical resources and devotional studies.
She specializes in applying Scripture to everyday life challenges and regularly studies the original Hebrew and Greek texts for a deeper biblical understanding.