Psalms of Thanksgiving

Psalms of Thanksgiving

Psalms of Thanksgiving are written as a response to a specific time God helped.

These might be prayed after a Lament, after God answers.

These are the Psalms of Thanksgiving in the Bible: Psalms 9, 18, 30, 40, 66, 107, 116, 118, 124, and 138. These Psalms talk about the trouble the psalmist was in, but they're written from the joyful place on the other side of God's answer.

The Psalms of Thanksgiving do have a typical structure, with the key part called the Deliverance Account. They tell how they were in trouble, they called for help, and God answered.

One notable example is Psalm 107, which contains multiple Deliverance Accounts from several groups of people.

Here's the structure:

These Psalms usually start with joyful praise.

The deliverance account usually begins by describing the trouble the psalmist was in.

The psalmist or some other group was in trouble - and they cried out to God for help.

Then they tell how God answered their prayer.

After explaining what happened, these Psalms fill in with exuberant joy for God's deliverance.

Now you try! Read the Psalms of Thanksgiving in the Bible, and then try writing your own. Think of a time when you were in trouble, and God delivered you.

I've posted several of my own thanksgiving psalm examples on my Sonderjourneys blog. That would be a wonderful place to post your own thanksgiving psalms in the comments. Let's thank God together!