David wrote the longest chapter and book in the Bible. Psalms is full of songs of praise to God. He was so full of gratitude and praise to God that in 2 Samuel 6, we see his wife, Michal, criticizing him for dancing in thanksgiving before the Lord. He was a warrior, but he was also a true worshipper. He was not perfect and committed many mistakes, but God called him a man after His own heart.

In Psalm 103, he begins and ends with the words “Let all that I am praise the Lord.” His gratitude for all God had done had inspired a lifestyle of praise and thanksgiving that flowed from his entire being. If we read this chapter in its entirety, we see David list reason after reason for giving God praise. He starts by instructing his soul to praise God and never forget the good things God has done for him. He then goes on to thank God for all the privileges and benefits that God has provided. David was very thoughtful which led him to be very thankful. Towards the end of the chapter we see an invitation to everyone to praise God as well. He was a perfect example of living a life of thanksgiving.

Tomorrow we will be celebrating Thanksgiving here in the United States. A day where we all make an intentional effort to be thankful. While it is important to come together with others and practice being thankful, for the Christian, it should be a lifestyle that we adopt every day. I encourage you to take a moment… could you list the reasons for praising God?

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, I thank you for who you are, for all you have done for me, and for your love. When I start thinking of all that you have done in my life, I realize that my heart truly abounds with gratitude. I pray that you would help me turn that gratitude into a lifestyle of praise that would create a ripple effect in those around me. You deserve all the glory, praise, and thanks forever. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Psalm 103:1-2 (NLT).