A Thanksgiving Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,

Today we come to you in thanks for all the many blessings you have given to us.   We thank you for the people in our lives that show us your grace and love through their friendship.   We thank you for husbands, wives, partners, and those who are closest to us who hold our hands through the trials and share our joys when we celebrate.   We thank you for new babies and the happiness that they bring into our lives.   And we thank you for those who have passed on and the richness they gave our lives during the time we were blessed to know them.

We thank you for those who serve to protect us, Father.   And we pray your blessings on them – both here and in far away places.   We lift up their families to you and ask that they might be blessed for the service that they do by allowing us to share in the goodness of their loved ones.

We thank you for food on the table and for the roof over our head.   This has been a difficult year for many people, Father, and we lift those up to you who will go without today.

In the coming year, Lord, we pray that we might become better, shining examples of the peace and forgiveness that You show us.   Teach us tolerance.   Teach us humility.   And guide us so that we might be ambassadors of Your love.

On this day of Thanksgiving, I am so thankful for the gift of my son but I am even more thankful for the gift of Yours.

It is in His name we pray.   Amen.