Giving Thanks: Five Prayers for our day of thanks

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Thursday will be here soon, along with the turkey, dressing, and cranberries, none to be tasted until the prayer is said!  If you are the host, you will pray over the meal, or will you ask an unsuspecting guest to do it?  Gracious guest, won’t you want to be ready IF you are called upon to return grace over the bountiful meal?  Below are a few prayers to properly praise the Lord who blesses us with our daily bread, our freedom, and our relationship with Him.

Thanksgiving Dinner Prayer

Heavenly Father, on Thanksgiving Day
We bow our hearts to You and pray.
We give You thanks for all You’ve done
Especially for the gift of Jesus, Your Son.
For beauty in nature, Your glory we see
For joy and health, friends and family,
For daily provision, Your mercy and care
These are the blessings You graciously share.
So today we offer this response of praise
With a promise to follow You all of our days.

-Mary Fairchild  

Abundant Blessing

We thank you for the turkey,
The gravy and the dressing.
Dear Lord, this table overflows
With Thy abundant blessing.
Let us always be aware
That all gifts come from You,
And may we serve Your heavenly will
In everything we do. Amen.

-Joanna Fuchs

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

Serve the LORD with gladness:
come before his presence with singing.

Know ye that the LORD he is God:
it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
and into his courts with praise:
be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

For the LORD is good;
his mercy is everlasting;
and his truth endureth to all generations.

Moravian Blessing

Come, Lord Jesus, our guest to be
And bless these gifts
Bestowed by Thee.
And bless our loved ones everywhere,
And keep them in Your loving care.

A responsive prayer (from the Book of Common Prayer)

Let us give thanks to God our Father for all his gifts so
freely bestowed upon us.For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and
sky and sea.
We thank you, Lord.For all that is gracious in the lives of men and women,
revealing the image of Christ,
We thank you, Lord.For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and
our friends,
We thank you, Lord.

For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve,
We thank you, Lord.

For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and play,
We thank you, Lord.

For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering
and faithful in adversity,
We thank you, Lord.

For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and justice,
We thank you, Lord.

For the communion of saints, in all times and places,
We thank you, Lord.

Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and
promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord;
To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father, and the
Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

From the Book of Common Prayer, A Litany of Thanksgiving

What is the best prayer?  Since prayer is really talking to God, the best prayer is a simple audible conversation with God.

1.   Begin with praising Him for who He is (All powerful, Almighty, Provider, Healer).

2.   Thank Him for what He has done for you/your loved ones/our nation (a new baby, a new marriage, a healed grandparent, safely bringing some troops home).

3.   Ask Him for blessings (continued protection for our troops, restoration of the Philippines, heal a loved one, provide a job for a friend in need).

For the Kids

Kids sometimes embrace conversing with God best.  You may set their special table in a way to draw out their Godly desires.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Mary Ellen

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