It’s November, which means two things. Time for Christmas music, and the Christmas tree, of course. Everyone is starting their holiday shopping and preparing their stomachs for all the great Christmas treats. However, there is something that is completely overshadowed, Thanksgiving.

Perhaps, the entire month of November leads us to Thanksgiving, yet we can only think about Christmas. So much so, that I believe we have lost the true reason for the season.

In this article, we’re going to discuss the true reason we celebrate thanksgiving and what giving thanks really looks like.

Why Do We Celebrate It?

It may surprise a lot of you, but we don’t really celebrate this holiday for food alone. While delicious food is something we have the pleasure of experiencing on Thanksgiving, the true reason is in the name. We celebrate to give thanks.

We’ve all gone around the table and had to say what we thankful for. Some are tacky and say family. Others say food. If you asked me a year ago, I probably would have said my TV. But I think that if we think about it, there is really only one legitimate answer and that is Jesus.

After all, he’s given us everything we need. Eternal life, blessings upon blessings, and most importantly, Himself. There is so much in him alone for us to be thankful for. So, why wouldn’t we be thankful for him?

I believe that the majority of us would agree, after thinking for a second, that we are in the end, thankful for him. Some of us would even throw his name out at the dinner table when asked that notorious question. But we shouldn’t have to think about it. It shouldn’t be a question.

Forgetting Thanksgiving

The reason that we tend to say all these other things when discussing thankfulness, is simply because we forget what is really important. Family is right in front of you. Food is right in front of you. If you’re lucky, a TV is right in front of you, but we don’t always see that Jesus is right in front of us.

We also tend to forget Thanksgiving for Christmas. Like we discussed, Christmas is all we can think about. Almost to the point where we forget Thanksgiving up until the week of. Even the day of Thanksgiving has so many distractions that take away from the holiday itself. The parades, football, shopping, and more!

When I was younger, I spent all day thinking about the toys I was going to ask for for Christmas. The next day, on Black Friday, my parents would come home and all I could think about was looking at what they might’ve got me for Christmas. While none of this is wrong, it’s not what is right. What’s right, is remembering to thank those you are thankful for.

It’s so important to hold onto the real meaning. Give thanks.

How to Give Thanks

There is one scripture that I think of when I think of thankfulness and it’s so famous that most could recite it. That is Philippians 4. Not 4:13 though.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

This verse starts out like any other scripture, urging us to “rejoice in the Lord”, which we’ve established is the key to thanksgiving. Give thanks to the king!

After that though, it gives us three different directions. Those are to:

• Don’t be anxious about anything
• Do everything in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
• Let your requests be made known to God

The goal here is to break each of these down and really understand how to truly give thanks.

Don’t Be Anxious

The holiday season is full of anxiety for many people. Family is coming into town, Christmas shopping will soon be underway, and they’ll surely eat enough for the rest of the year. Understandably, this can cause a lot of stress and anxiety for people.

The Lord, in his goodness, wants to draw us out of that state and into a new one. He, as our heavenly father, wants to take care of everything for us, but we have to let him. We have to stop ourselves from being anxious.

Psalms 34:4 says this,

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.”

When we start by seeking the Lord, he will answer, and it will be amazing. His peace surpasses all understanding, and he wants to give that to you as a gift.

How awesome is the Lord! Praise God!

By Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving

We all know what prayer is. It’s conversing and connecting with our heavenly father. It’s great and a very powerful way to have relationship with Jesus.

But if you’re like me, you don’t know what supplication means. I didn’t, and I was surprised to see the definition of it.

According to Merriam-Webster, supplication means to ask humbly and earnestly of, or in other words, to beg. This isn’t what you would really think of when you think of thanksgiving, however this may mean something greater for us.

This means that when we pray, when we are not anxious, we don’t just have to thank the Lord for what we have, but we can ask for more! We can beg and plead for help in our situations. This changes the narrative that God wants to take, but it shows us that God actually wants to give as well!

Now, we can’t overlook those final words. With Thanksgiving. They may not seem like much, but they are very important.

We are told to be in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, which means that when we pray and when we humbly ask, we must do it in attitude of giving thanks!

This means that we give thanks when we beg and plead. We know that the Lord will provide and so we give thanks, not only for what he’s given us but for what he’s going to give!

Let Your Requests Be Made Known to God

This may be redundant, but it’s so important to let your requests be made known to the Lord. That’s why your prayers are so important.

When we pray, beg, plead, and thank the Lord, don’t forget to tell the Lord what you need. The Lord is a cheerful giver and has made us to be the same way! So, you can trust the Lord will give you more than you could ever need!

Let your requests be made known to him!

Practical Application

It’s so important to apply the principles we discussed in this post in your everyday life and every year around thanksgiving!

Remember that thanksgiving should not be a once-a-year thing. We should constantly be giving the Lord thanks for all that he does for us and in our lives. Here are a few ways we can practice thankgiving.

• Thank him. This is simple and obvious but many of us don’t actually do it. He gives so much, let’s give him what we can with our thanks and praise!

• Ask him. Let your requests be made known to him. He can’t give to those who don’t ask. Luke 11:10 tells us that “everyone who asks will receive”. What great news is that! So, don’t be timid or afraid but excited to see the Lord bless your situation and another reason to praise him!

• Remember him. It’s so easy for the Lord to get lost in the shuffle of life, but he’s so awesome and way too awesome for us to forget him! He wants relationship with us and that means that we need to remember him!

Final Thoughts

Thanksgiving is a great holiday! It’s definitely not to be overlooked!

It’s a great time to have fun with friends and family, eat great food, and remember all that you are so thankful for! However, we shouldn’t overlook the Lord and all the blessings he brings into our lives.

He provides us with so much more than we could ever know! Remember to practice all the practical applications and steps, not just on thanksgiving but all the time!

Don’t be anxious but anything, but in everything, be in prayer. Communicate with the Lord and make your needs and requests known to him! He is a giver and loves to give to those who ask, because whoever asks shall receive!

Have a great Thanksgiving!