It can be easy to think of "giving thanks" as  just something "nice" to do, but it's much more than that.

The Word shows us how giving thanks is an important part of our relationship with God. He inhabits the praises of His people (Ps.22:3), so the quickest way to open the door of communication is to start thanking Him.

Shout with joy to the Lord, O earth!
Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before Him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are His.
We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving;
go into His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him and bless His name.
For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
And His faithfulness continues to each generation.
(Ps. 100)

What the Word Says
We are commanded to give thanks:

Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus.
(Phil. 4:6-7 NKJV)

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
(Heb. 13:15 NKJV)

In every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
(1 Thes. 5:18 NKJV)

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. (Ps. 95:2 NKJV)

Reasons to be Thankful
Giving thanks reminds us of all the great things that God has done and is doing in our life.

When you start giving thanks, you can't help but be encouraged.

How do we start the process? If you think there's nothing to be grateful for just look in the Word:

Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good and His love endures forever.
(Ps. 106:1 NIV)

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(1 Cor.15:57 NIV)

Benefit of Giving Thanks
When something's going wrong or you're upset — have you ever noticed how talking about how bad the situation is only makes it worse?

Well, it works the other way too.

Instead of saying, "It'll never get better," or "There's no way out of this," we need to remind ourselves of God's promises to us in His Word. We need to thank Him for His faithfulness.

God is there when we praise Him and where there is light the darkness can't stay. When we open our mouths to praise and thank Him, the oppresive thoughts of the enemy are stopped.

We were in God's heart before there was an earth to stand on. He loves us, has a plan for us, and will never leave us or forsake us! Let's thank Him!