Prayers for Thanksgiving

Secondly, make your prayer say what you want, but don't ramble on and on. You want your guests to be praying, not moving ahead to the turkey and dressing.

Thanksgiving Prayer Suggestions

General Prayer:
Father we thank you for being with us as we gather once again for a day of family togetherness. We have received many special blessings this year [babies, weddings, etc] and we all thank you for [whatever]. Once again you've cared for us and watched over us. We're thankful you provide generously for our needs and even our wants. We are grateful for those who've taken time to prepare this wonderful meal for us and we're thankful for the abundance enjoyed in our country. Father we ask that you would continue to keep our country and our people from harm's way.

We ask you to be with [whoever couldn't be here] and help them to have a special day of thanks [wherever they are].

We ask that you keep us safe during the upcoming holiday season and during the new year ahead. Be with us each day, we pray, and help us make good choices and to follow in the ways of your word.

In Jesus name,

Prayer For Those Who've Endured Loss
Father we come today in sadness at the loss of our [whoever] and ask that you would encourage us to remember memories of joyous times we'd spent together. We know that [person] is with you and celebrating the feast of eternal life.

We are grateful to be able to gather together as a family and make new memories. We thank you for all the special blessings you've gifted us with during this past year. You've continually guided and protected us during the good times and the not so good. We ask that you would continue leading us through the holidays and throughout the new year.

Thank you for this special Thanksgiving meal and we thank all those who worked so hard to make it a day we we would enjoy together. You provide us with much more than we need and for this we are very grateful.

Please be with those who cannot be with their friends and families on this day of Thanksgiving. Help them remember that you are with them and encourage them to use this day for something they enjoy.

Prayer For a Year of Special Thanks
God, our Father, we know that those of our family and other families have times of sadness and many issues to deal with. But this year, we come in thankfulness for all you done for each of us. Please know that we are especially grateful and will always remember [whatever special thing happened to your family] and hopefully we will encourage others to enjoy their very special and great times.

Help us to befriend others and to share our joy - even if it may be a simple smile, but refrain us from being proud.

We praise you for giving [whomever] the special gifts enabling them to [win the prize]. Without your persuasion and guidance we would not be celebrating at this time.

Help and bless those families with loved ones who are unable to join together for this Thanksgiving gathering. We know that work or military deployment or illness prevents some people from special times like these. We ask that you continue to bless our family and these other families so that we all may enjoy future family times together.

You've especially blessed the farmers in our family this year. The harvest was wonderful and now land is prepared for winter. We thank you helping all of us in our jobs and all of the other duties that make up our lives. Without your care, we would not be able.

We thank you for the health of our family and ask that you continue to bless us. If something does come our way, we ask that you would help us deal with it as best as possible. We will continue to lean on you and ask for your blessing.

In thanksgiving we pray in the name of Jesus,

Prayer For Those Alone
Simply said God, I'm alone today and I will say it makes me sad not to be with those I dearly love. In fact, I may be even angry.

However Father, I pray that you would move me to think about past memories of special times and laughter and great family meals. I also ask that you would move me to do something special on this day of being alone. Help me to make my own good memories.

I also ask that you remember and care for all of us. My parents are getting older and I am concerned that I cannot get to see them as often as I'd like. Help me and them to be together in ways that work out for all of us. Be with us and bless us during our phone chat this afternoon.

Thank you God for all you given me, my family and all of us each and every day. We mostly all have more than we need and sometimes our wishes are for things we don't need. Help us to make good choices. Help us also to help and be kind and pay forward as we move onward along life's path.

I pray that you'll enable me to be with my family during the Christmas holiday. If not, be with me and guide me and help me to be uplifted with the knowing that your son was born to save us from our sin.

In his name I pray,