In Communal Worship

Thanksgiving seems to have been a regular part of the early church’s worship life (e.g., 1 Cor 14:16). Paul instructs the churches to give thanks to God for all things (Eph 5:20), which was part of God’s will for them (1 Thess 5:16–18). They were to be anxious about nothing, but instead to present their requests to God with thanksgiving (Phil 4:6). First Timothy 2:1–2 notes that as part of worship, Christians should offer petitions, intercessions, prayers, and thanksgiving for all people, including earthly rulers (1 Tim 2:1–2). News of the spreading of the gospel and generosity were to result in thanksgiving overflowing toward God (2 Cor 4:14–15; 9:11–12). In the visions of Revelation, the four living creatures (Rev 4:9), the angels (Rev 7:12), and the 24 elders (Rev 11:17) in the heavenly throne room provide a model for offering thanksgiving to God.