Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving

Psalm 100:1-5

Psalm 100, headed “A Psalm of thanksgiving,” is a short call for all the earth to come before the LORD with joy and give thanks, because He made us and His loving devotion endures forever.

Lord, we make a joyful noise to You today. We come into Your presence with gladness, and we enter Your gates with thanksgiving. You are God; You made us, and we are Yours, the sheep of Your pasture. Thank You for this table, this family and every good gift of this year. You are good, Your loving devotion endures forever, and Your faithfulness continues to all generations. We bless Your name. Amen.

The Scripture

“A Psalm of thanksgiving. Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness; come into His presence with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and bless His name. For the LORD is good, and His loving devotion endures forever; His faithfulness continues to all generations.”

— Psalm 100:1-5

Prayer points from Psalm 100:1-5

Make a joyful noise: sing or say your praise out loud (v. 1).

Ask God to help you serve Him with gladness today (v. 2).

Thank Him that He made you and that you belong to Him (v. 3).

Name, one by one, the things you are thankful for this year (v. 4).

Pray for your family, thanking Him that His faithfulness continues to all generations (v. 5).

Bless His name together with the people around your table (v. 4).

About this verse

Psalm 100 is only five verses long, and it names no author; its heading simply calls it “A Psalm of thanksgiving.” It is an invitation, seven calls in a row: make a joyful noise, serve, come, know, enter, give thanks, bless. In the middle is the reason: “Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.” The psalm pictures worshipers walking up to God’s house, through its gates and into its courts, giving thanks as they go. It ends with three things that never change: the LORD is good, His loving devotion endures forever, and His faithfulness continues to all generations. It is short enough to read aloud before a meal. This prayer is for anyone giving thanks to God, on Thanksgiving Day, around a family table, or on any day you want to praise Him.

When to pray this prayer

On Thanksgiving Day, before the meal or around the table

At the start of a church service or family worship

When you are tempted to grumble, to turn it into thanks

On a birthday or anniversary, counting God’s faithfulness

With children, who can learn its five verses by heart

Any morning, as a joyful start to the day

Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving

The Scripture

Prayer points from Psalm 100:1-5

About this verse

When to pray this prayer

More prayers for thanksgiving

Stay a little longer with Scripture