As the Apostle Paul said, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thes. 5:16-18).

This Thanksgiving, be thankful for the good gifts of God, especially the gift of God Himself. Before you digest your turkey, digest these timeless Thanksgiving quotes. They are food for your soul.

G.K. Chesterton: “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”

John Bunyan: “A sensible thanksgiving for mercies received is a mighty prayer in the Spirit of God. It prevails with Him unspeakably.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer: “We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet really not small) gifts. How can God entrust great things to one who will not thankfully receive from Him the little things?”

Charles  Spurgeon: “If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled.”

Matthew Henry: “I thank Thee first because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed and not I who robbed.”

A. W. Tozer: “A thankful heart cannot be cynical.”

Martin Lloydd-Jones: “We tend to take all the gifts and pleasures and happiness and the joy without saying much to God. We take our health and strength, our food and clothing and our loved ones, all for granted; but the moment anything goes wrong we start grumbling and complaining and we say ‘Why should God do this to me, why should this happen to me?’ How slow we are to thank and swift to grumble.”

Jerry Bridges: “Giving thanks to God for both His temporal and spiritual blessings in our lives is not just a nice thing to do – it is the moral will of God. Failure to give Him the thanks due Him is sin.”

Finally, enjoy this prayer from The Valley of Vision, “Praise and Thanksgiving”:

O MY GOD,
Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects,
        my heart admires, adores, loves thee,
    for my little vessel is as full as it can be,
    and I would pour out all that fullness before thee
        in ceaseless flow.
When I think upon and converse with thee
    ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up,
    ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed,
    ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart,
    crowding into every moment of happiness.
I bless thee for the soul thou hast created,
    for adorning it, sanctifying it,
         though it is fixed in barren soil;
    for the body thou hast given me,
    for preserving its strength and vigour,
    for providing senses to enjoy delights,
    for the ease and freedom of my limbs,
    for hands, eyes, ears that do thy bidding;
    for thy royal bounty providing my daily support,
    for a full table and overflowing cup,
    for appetite, taste, sweetness,
    for social joys of relatives and friends,
    for ability to serve others,
    for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities,
    for a mind to care for my fellow-men,
    for opportunities of spreading happiness around,
    for loved ones in the joys of heaven,
    for my own expectation of seeing thee clearly.
I love thee above the powers of language to express,
    for what thou art to thy creatures.

Increase my love, O my God, through time
    and eternity.

O My God, Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects, my heart admires, adores, loves thee, for my little vessel is as full as it can be, and I would pour out all that fullness before thee in ceaseless flow.

When I think upon and converse with thee ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up, ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed, ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart, crowding into every moment of happiness.

I bless thee for the soul thou hast created, for adorning it, for sanctifying it, though it is fixed in barren soil; for the body thou hast given me, for preserving its strength and vigour, for providing senses to enjoy delights, for the ease and freedom of my limbs, for hands, eyes, ears that do thy bidding; for thy royal bounty providing my daily support, for a full table and overflowing cup, for appetite, taste, sweetness, for social joys of relatives and friends, for ability to serve others, for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities, for a mind to care for my fellow-men, for opportunities of spreading happiness around, for loved ones in the joys of heaven, for my own expectation of seeing thee clearly.

I love thee above the powers of language to express, for what thou art to thy creatures.

Increase my love, O my God, through time and eternity.