Bible Verses About Thankfulness for Kids (KJV)
The simplest Bible verse about thankfulness for kids is 1 Thessalonians 5:18 — “In every thing give thanks.” Below are ten short King James verses about being thankful, each with a one-line explanation children can grasp.
This week’s memory verse
“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV)
10 KJV verses, explained for children
- 1
1 Thessalonians 5:18
“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
What it means: Thank God in the good days and the hard days.
- 2
Psalm 107:1
“O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
What it means: We thank God for who He is, not only for what He gives.
- 3
Psalm 100:4
“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”
What it means: Thankfulness is the way we come to God.
- 4
Colossians 3:15
“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.”
What it means: A thankful heart is a peaceful heart.
- 5
Ephesians 5:20
“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”
What it means: There is always something to say thank you for.
- 6
Psalm 136:1
“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
What it means: God’s kindness never runs out.
- 7
Philippians 4:6
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
What it means: Say thank you while you ask, not only after.
- 8
James 1:17
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights.”
What it means: Every good thing you have started with God.
- 9
Psalm 9:1
“I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.”
What it means: Thankfulness is loud — we tell others what God has done.
- 10
1 Chronicles 16:34
“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.”
What it means: A verse worth saying at every meal.
Talk about it
- Name three things you are thankful for that money could not buy.
- Who should you thank today — and have you told them?
- How can you be thankful on a day that did not go your way?
Do it together
Start a thankfulness jar: every family member drops in one slip of paper a day naming something they’re grateful for. Empty it together at the end of the month and read them all out.
Dear God, thank You for my family, my food, my home and most of all for Jesus. Help me to have a thankful heart every day. Amen.
Loaves & Fishes
Free printable loaves and fishes coloring page — overflowing basket of bread and fish with the KJV verse.
Open & printBible stories that show it
Printable memory verse cardsQuestions parents and teachers ask
What Bible verse teaches kids to be thankful?
1 Thessalonians 5:18 — “In every thing give thanks.” Five words, easy to memorise, and it covers the hard days as well as the happy ones.
Which Bible story teaches gratitude to children?
The ten lepers (Luke 17:11–19): ten men were healed but only one came back to say thank you. Children remember the arithmetic long after they forget the sermon.
What is a good thankfulness memory verse for Thanksgiving?
Psalm 100:4 — “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise.” It works as a table grace and as a Sunday-school memory verse for the whole month of November.