Thanksgiving Dinner Prayer

QUESTION: Can you give me tips for a Thanksgiving dinner prayer?

ANSWER:

Do you desire to lead your family in a Thanksgiving dinner prayer? Consider these questions as a way of preparing for your prayer:

What were the major events that took place in your family this year?

Did your family grow in number, through weddings or births?

Did your family experience hard times? If so, consider what you learned from each situation.

Who are the members of your family? Name one quality that you’re thankful for in each person.

A good idea for a Thanksgiving dinner prayer is go to the old hymns. Many express deep sentiments. Let them become your prayer. One beautiful old Thanksgiving hymn is titled ‘Thanks to God.’ ‘Thanks to God for my Redeemer. Thanks for all Thou doest provide.’ (If you don’t have a hymnal that contains that song, the words can be found online by doing a simple search). The message of the song is taken from 1 Thessalonians 5:18. “Give thanks in all circumstances.”

Life does not give us only good circumstances, but we must also deal with hurt, and pain, and negative experiences. It becomes hard to be thankful when things go wrong. But it is still a command. Give thanks in all circumstances, not for, but in. That’s how we become strong.

After having read the verses of a song as a prelude to the Thanksgiving dinner prayer, perhaps it would be good to have each person share one good thing that happened for which they are thankful. Then share one bad thing. Share how God has helped you to overcome that difficulty. How have you grown by it? How has it strengthened your faith?

That is real thanksgiving. Then you can truly say, “Thanks for peace within my soul.”

Dear Heavenly Father,
“Thank You for this special day, a day to remember Your goodness to us.
I want to thank You for a roof over our heads, and more than enough food to eat.
I want to thank You for the relationships You have given to us -- for family and friends.
Also, I want to thank You for all the bad experiences we’ve had. We have learned that you were there for us all the time. For this, we thank You and praise You. In Jesus name, amen.”