Thanksgiving for God’s Creation
God, you spoke your Word and creation sang, and all things came into being. From grateful hearts, thank you for the gift of life and for the gift of created order with all its sights and sounds.
From your Word, we remember that John baptized your Son in the water of the Jordan River and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove. We remember the promise of the Holy Spirit with us always, and say thank you. We remember your Son stilled the storm on the Sea of Galilee, and we say thank you for stilling the restlessness of our hearts. May our gratitude for air and water lead us to better care for these gifts of nature.
Your Son taught us by using the lilies of the field, the trees which stretch out their branches, the vines in their vineyards, and the grains of the harvest as examples of your goodness. For clothing the birds of the air and caring for all animals of land, sky and sea, thank you. May we, from grateful hearts, be more faithful stewards of the riches of creation.
As the star that announced our Savior’s birth shone brightly, we thank you for all the wonders and beauty of the universe that continue to remind us of our Lord, Light of the World.
And for the beauty of this Prayer Garden created, tended and used with love, may we always find in it a place to offer our thanksgiving for all things, and especially thanksgiving to you, Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. Amen
THANKSGIVING FOR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS
God, in reflecting for even a moment, we realize the infinite numbers of things for which to be thankful. Teach us to take the time to give thanksgiving and to enjoy all your gifts that we too often take for granted. Today we especially give thanks for the blessing of families and friends.
As family, as friends, as human beings, we acknowledge that we are often a fickle people. We count on you and intend our lives to be lived for you, and then we find ourselves among your people who are always seeking elsewhere and otherwise. So, we give thanks that you are the God who yearns and waits for us.
Thank you for blessing us with treasured family and friend. What a wonderful privilege it is to share our good times together and to be there for each other when sorrow or difficulties invade our lives.
Thank you for the wonderful love, care and encouragement we share with each other, and we give praise that you are a relational God who knows the importance of close friendships and special intimate relationships which enrich our lives, lifts our hearts, and refresh our spirits. Amen
THANKSGIVING FOR GRACE PESBYTERIAN CHURCH AND CHRIST’S CHURCH UNIVERSAL
God, you continue to bless us as a church. Through good times and difficult times, we have felt your hand of grace, forgiveness and healing. Hear this prayer of thanksgiving lifted up to you from the hearts of those in this congregation and your people in all places.
We thank you for the leaders among us—for the many in our church who offer their time, energy and abilities to lead us—both paid staff and volunteers, seen and unseen.
We give thanksgiving that we can come to together, all ages and stages of life, gathered in one purpose, to thank you for all your blessings and for the many opportunities we have had to serve you. We thank you for the many among us who make possible the ministries of Grace and sister churches.
We also thank you for the many who reach out to others in informal ways to help strengthen, heal and encourage one another. We especially thank you for the healing experienced by those whose names are known and unknown to us. We thank you for friendship and the many times we have enjoyed each other’s company over meals, in times of fellowship and service,
and we give our thanksgiving for Christ’s Church Universal. Thank you for or living Lord who showed us how to speak, act and live that the world may see in us the promise of salvation in and through Christ. Indeed, Lord of all, you have blessed us materially, physically, emotionally and spiritually. We have much for which to be grateful. We humbly receive the gifts you have given us, knowing that you are the giver of all good things. For all blessings, we give you thanks. Amen
REMEMBERING AND GIVING THANKSGIVING FOR SAINTS
God of life and death, and life beyond death, we thank you for calling us your saints. In spite of our unholy lives, you look at us and see Jesus’ perfect life and death covering ours. Thank you for this amazing gift of grace.
Thank you for every Christian who has helped us on our journey and encouraged us to keep believing when we felt like giving up. Thank you for all those who taught us the faith and who made the ultimate sacrifice of their lives to ensure others could hear of your love in Christ.
We remember the saints in heaven. Thank you for releasing them from the burden of sin and death in this life and for keeping your promise to them. We especially remember those from our community who have passed away (lift up the names of your own choosing.) Give comfort and hope to all those who grieve over loved ones no longer with us on earth.
God of life, we give thanks for the love you have shown to the world through all your saints, and we celebrate our continuing communion with them whenever we worship. Until we return to our heavenly home, keep us looking to Jesus and help us to keep giving clear witness to him by living the holy lives you have called us to live by the power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus holy name we pray. Amen
THANKSGIVING FOR RESURRECTION
God of the bright and morning star, God of the rising sun, God of darkness banished, we praise and worship you! For empty tombs: thank you! For disciples running with good news: thank you! For your presence, alive, powerful, resurrected: thank you! We celebrate your victory over death over all the powers that would defeat us.
From grateful hearts may we truly grasp and understand the power of resurrection and see its force at work in the world, overturning evil empires, changing the hatred within us, moving the world slowly, forcefully bending us towards love and truth.
From grateful hearts for your resurrecting power and gift of salvation in Jesus, empower us to be your faithful disciples, proclaiming this good news from our kitchens and living rooms, in offices and workshops, in fields and factories Help us to be that good news, walking softly on this good earth caring gently for all people, living hopefully into your kingdom. We give our thanksgiving to Jesus for making the ultimate sacrifice to save us and for loving us despite our sinful nature and disobedience. Thank you for calling us your children, God and for Jesus who calls us brothers and sisters. With our hearts full of joy and gratitude, we shout out: Because Jesus lives, we can stay hopeful even amid troubles. Our faith and trust are not in vain, for Jesus is alive! Amen!!!
THANKSGIVING FOR EACH NEW DAY AND EACH NEW START
Good morning, dear Lord! We thank you for a new day full of your good work to do. Yesterday has come and gone, along with any regrets, mistakes, or failures we may have experienced. Today is a good day to be thankful.
We give you sincere thanks for the rest and sleep of the past night or past life circumstances and the gift of a new day, a new start, with its opportunities to serve you. Thank you that your compassion is renewed every morning. Great is your faithfulness and your steadfast love, O Lord! We don’t know what is going to happen, but you do. So, we give this day to you, trusting that you have filled us with your energizing Holy Spirit for the living of this day, as you do with each rising sun. Help us to set our eyes and our hearts on you afresh. Renew our spirits and fill us with your peace and joy. We love you, and we need you this day and every day.
Thank you, Lord, for your new beginnings and unwavering provision. We trust that your peace will watch over me as we step into a new beginning. With gratitude and passion, this day is yours. Our bodies are yours. Our minds, hands and feet are yours. Our hearts are yours. Everything we are-is yours. May you be pleased with us today. Amen
THANKSGIVING FOR A DAY’S ENDING
God of light and dark, our day is drawing to an end, and we are preparing for rest. But before we lay down our weary heads, we thank you for your faithfulness this and every day. Thank you for helping us see the good in each day, even when things may not have gone the way we planned or when the world’s chaos seems to close in around us. For all the times we were aware of your help today, all the times when your unseen presence seemed so near, thank you, God. For all the ways you worked behind the scenes, unknown to us, moments when heaven-sent angels moved on our behalf in ways we’ll never know, hear our words of thanksgiving:
You bless us as we rest. Restore us as we sleep.
You care for us as we drift off and make our dreaming sweet.
You are the safest place. You are the God of grace.
Forgiven, loved and held by you is each small seed of faith.
You know our thoughts and feelings. You see our deep desires.
You understand our weariness and catch each tear we cry.
You walk beside us every day. You are a constant friend.
You stay with us all through the night. On you, we can depend.
As we lay down to sleep, may we rest in the promise of your presence and wake up with a heart full of thanksgiving. Amen
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
We come to God with thanksgiving: For the good world; for things great and small, beautiful and awesome; for seen and unseen splendors; thank you, God.
We come to God with thanksgiving: For human life; for talking and moving and thinking together; for common hopes and hardships shared from birth until our dying; thank you, God.
We come to God with thanksgiving: For work to do and strength to work; for the companionship of labor; for exchanges of good humor and encouragement; thank you, God.
We come to God with thanksgiving: For family; for living together and eating together; for family amusements and family pleasures; thank you, God. We come to God with thanksgiving: For children; for their energy and curiosity; for their brave play and startling frankness; for their sudden sympathies; thank you, God. We come to God with thanksgiving: For the young; for their high hopes; for their impatience toward worn-out values; for their search for freedom; for their solemn vows; thank you, God. We come to God with thanksgiving: For growing up and growing old; for wisdom deepened by experience; for rest in leisure; and for time made precious by its passing; thank you, God.
We come to God with thanksgiving: For your help in times of doubt and sorrow; for healing our diseases; for preserving us in temptation and danger; thank you, God.
We come to God with thanksgiving: For the Church into which we have been called; for the Good News we receive by Word and Sacrament; for our life together in the Lord; we praise you, God.
We come to God with thanksgiving: For your Holy Spirit, who guides our steps and brings us gifts of faith and love; who prays in us and prompts our grateful worship; we praise you, God. Above all, God, for your Son Jesus Christ, who lived and died and lives again for our salvation; for our hope in him; for the joy of serving him; We thank and praise you, Eternal God, for all your goodness to us. Amen
