Thankgiving Night of Worship
23-11-2025
Psalm 103: 1-5
Tonight we gather not simply because the calendar says “Thanksgiving,” but because God Himself has been good.
• Worship is never just about what God has done
• it’s about who He is.
• And when we pause long enough to remember His goodness, something powerful happens inside us: gratitude begins to transform our hearts.
Illustration
A man once traveled across the country on a delayed, crowded, uncomfortable flight. Turbulence shook the plane, children cried, people complained.
But one elderly woman sat near the window, peaceful and smiling.
When the plane landed, someone asked her,
“How were you so calm with all the chaos around us?”
She said,
“Oh, I wasn’t focusing on the flight… I was thinking about who would be waiting for me at the gate.”
She was calm because her eyes were fixed on the destination, not the discomfort.
Application:
Gratitude comes when we shift our focus from what’s shaking around us to the God who is waiting with open arms. Thanksgiving grows when our perspective changes.
1. Gratitude Begins With a Choice
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name.” (Psalm 103:1)
David doesn’t say, “I feel grateful.”
He commands his soul to bless the Lord.
Gratitude is not the result of our circumstances—
it is a decision to see God in all circumstances.
2. Gratitude Grows When We Remember His Benefits
“Forget not all His benefits.” (Psalm 103:2)
The enemy of gratitude is forgetting.
1. We forget the prayers God answered.
2. We forget the miracles we survived.
3. We forget the doors He opened.
4. We forget the sins He forgave.
David lists God’s benefits as if to say:
“Before you complain, remember what He’s already done.”
God has forgiven you.
3. Gratitude Shifts Our Perspective
• Gratitude and fear cannot rule the heart at the same time.
• Gratitude pushes anxiety out.
• Gratitude breaks the weight of comparison.
• Gratitude moves us from “Why me?” to “Thank You, Lord.”
Thanksgiving doesn’t deny pain—
it invites God into it.
4. Gratitude Prepares Us for What God Will Do Next
In Scripture, gratitude often precedes breakthrough.
1. Jesus gave thanks before multiplying the loaves.
2. Jesus gave thanks before Lazarus walked out of the tomb.
3. Paul and Silas worshiped before the prison doors opened.
Conclusion: A Call to Thanksgiving
Tonight God invites us to do three things:
1. Remember His goodness.
2. Thank Him intentionally.
3. Worship Him wholeheartedly.
thankfulness is not a holiday—
it’s a posture.
A lifestyle.
A way of seeing.
And when your heart is full of gratitude,
your life becomes full of worship.
Illustration :
The Blindfolded Child
A group of kids played a trust game.
One child was blindfolded and asked to fall backward.
Every time, she hesitated—until her father stepped behind her.
“Do you trust me?” he asked.
She nodded and fell backward instantly.
Why?
Not because she saw his hands
—but because she knew his heart.
Application:
We don’t always see how God will catch us,
but gratitude flows when we trust who He is.
Thanksgiving is an act of faith that says,
“Father, I know You’ve got me.”
