Give Thanks to the LORD Week 3: With All My Heart

Giving thanks to God should be from our heart, and not just something we are obligated to do.  Here are Bible verses, songs and teaching ideas to teach your child leading up to Thanksgiving and teach thankfullness all year long. The leaf craft can be used to decorate your house, that you have what my 4 year old daughter calls "having a Bible house"!

 Theme Verse: "I will give You thanks with all my heart" Psalms 138:1 NASB

Related Activities:

Parent Preparation: Here are verses for you to read and consider. Psalm 9:1, Psalm 86:11, Psalm 111:1, Psalm 138:1, Ephesians 5:20, Luke 2:38, 1 Thessalonians 1:2 ****Note: The Hebrew word in Psalms is sometimes translated "praise" and sometimes translated "thanks" depending on which translation you look at. When teaching this to my daughters I have been teaching them that it is important for us to both thank and praise God with our whole heart.

Songs:  

• "Thank You Lord"
• "Thanks, Ephesians 3:20" by Dana Dirksen on Songs For Saplings ABC, listen here
• "Oh Give Thanks" by Cindy Bernardini
• "But Thanks Be To God" from Handel's Messiah, listen here

Pray: Read 1 Thessalonians 1:2 with your child. Pray together with your child, each of you thanking God for specific people that you know.   

 Leaf Craft:

• Print out this leaf.   
• Cut it out. 
• Have your child decorate the leaf. Options include: coloring, painting with watercolor, finger paint, Do-A-Dots, marble painting. 
• Hang up the leaf in your home (on the window, on a string across the window or mantle). 
• Print out a blank leaf and write other Bible verses or write down things you are thankful for. (Check out Part 1 and Part 3 for additional leaves)

Thankful Circle: As a family take turns having each person say something that they are thankful for. Keep going around the the circle a few times.

Whole Heart Puzzle Demonstration: 

• Make a Heart Puzzle out of construction paper or cardboard (print out of puzzle, heart outline). 
• Put the smallest piece on the puzzle and demonstrate thanking God with just a little of your heart.
• Put the medium puzzle piece on and demonstrate thanking God "half-heartedly".
• Put the whole puzzle together and demonstrate thanking God with your whole heart.

Read: Read the record in Bible of Luke 2:38, of Anna thanking God for seeing baby Jesus.

Coloring Page: Color this thankful tree.

Related Posts:
Give Thanks to the LORD Week 1: Because He is Good
Give Thanks to the LORD Part 2: In Everything
Praise God With My Whole Heart   

©Brigette Hill, 2014