Thanksgiving in America & Testimonies

At the root of the Thanksgiving holiday is a firm reliance upon God and a thankfulness for His providence in our lives. It’s deeply entwined in our history.

1620 – the Pilgrims land after a long and dangerous voyage

1621 – the 1^st celebration with the American Indians

1789 – Congress requests that President Washington recommend to the people of this new nation a Day of Public Thanksgiving and Prayer to return “to Almighty God their sincere thanks for the many blessings He had poured down upon them.”

October 3, 1789 – Washington issued the 1^st federal Thanksgiving proclamation, declaring in part: “…it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the Providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor.”

Over the next 29 years, at least 1,400 official prayer proclamations were issued by the various state governments, almost half for times of thanksgiving and prayer and the other half for times of fasting and prayer.

1863 – President Abraham Lincoln set aside the last Thursday of that November as a national “Day of Thanksgiving and Praise” because “the Most High God, Who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy…”

Over the 75 years following Lincoln’s Thanksgiving proclamation, every American president faithfully followed Lincoln’s precedent, annually declaring a national Day of Thanksgiving to the Almighty.

In 1941, Congress permanently established the 4^th Thursday of November as the national Thanksgiving holiday, as Franklin Roosevelt said that year “as a day to be observed in giving thanks to the Heavenly Source of our earthly blessings.”

James 1:17 (NIV) Every good and perfect (beneficial) gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

In Deuteronomy 8 God’s people are reminded God is the provider, and to keep returning to God.

Deuteronomy 8:7-20 (NLT2) ¹⁷  “He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’ ¹⁸  Remember the LORD your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.

¹⁹  “But I assure you of this: If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed. ²⁰  Just as the LORD has destroyed other nations in your path, you also will be destroyed if you refuse to obey the LORD your God.”