Prayer embraces praising God for who he is, thanking him for what he has already done, and looking forward with joy to what he has promised to do in the future.
Scripture exhorts God's people to praise and thank him
Philippians 4:6 See also Psalm 66:1, Psalm 68:4, Psalm 95:1–2, Psalm 105:1–3; Ephesians 5:19–20; Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18; Hebrews 13:15
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Praise and thanksgiving in prayer for God's goodness towards his people
Praise and thanksgiving for deliverance and salvation
Psalm 65:1–5 See also Psalm 66:5–6, Psalm 81:1–7, Psalm 124:1–8; Jonah 2:1–9
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A song. Praise awaits You, O God, in Zion; to You our vows will be fulfilled. O You who listen to prayer, all people will come to You. When iniquities prevail against me, You atone for our transgressions. Blessed is the one You choose and bring near to dwell in Your courts! We are filled with the goodness of Your house, the holiness of Your temple. With awesome deeds of righteousness You answer us, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.
Praise and thanksgiving for provision of material needs
Mark 8:6 parallel Matthew 15:36 See also Psalm 65:9–13; Matthew 26:26–27 parallels Mark 14:22–23, Luke 22:19–20
And He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then He took the seven loaves, gave thanks and broke them, and gave them to His disciples to set before the people. And they distributed them to the crowd.
Praise and thanksgiving for help in time of trouble
Psalm 34:1–4 See also Psalm 30:1–12, Psalm 40:1–5, Psalm 103:1–5, Psalm 116:1–19
Of David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, so that the king drove him away. I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. My soul boasts in the LORD; let the oppressed hear and rejoice. Magnify the LORD with me; let us exalt His name together. I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.
Praise and thanksgiving for the encouragement of other believers
Philippians 1:3–6 See also Romans 1:8; 2 Corinthians 8:1; Ephesians 1:16; 2 Thessalonians 1:3
I thank my God every time I remember you. In every prayer for all of you, I always pray with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Notable songs of praise and thanksgiving
Exodus 15:1–18 Moses, on crossing the Red Sea; 2 Samuel 22:2–51; Psalm 18:1–50; 1 Chronicles 16:8–36 David, on bringing the ark to Jerusalem; Luke 1:46–55 Mary, on learning that she was to be the mother of Jesus Christ
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.