So many have expressed a desire to have a new copy of some Thanksgiving prayers The Citizen first published in 2006. Here are most of them, plus a few new ones. May they remind us of our need to say “Thanks.”
The Psalmist
1 Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.
3 For the LORD is the great God,
the great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
6 Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
7 for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care.
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
Islamic prayer: (Thank you, Soumaya)
“In the name of God the Most Gracious the Most Merciful.
All praises and thanks are due to God alone, the Sustainer of all the worlds. The Most Gracious, the Dispenser of Grace, Lord of the Day of Judgment. You alone do we worship; and unto You alone do we turn for aid. Guide us the straight way. The way of those upon whom You have bestowed Your blessings, not of those who have been condemned by You, nor of those who go astray. Amen.”
Scott Wesemann
Lord, so often times, as any other day
When we sit down to our meal and pray
We hurry along and make fast the blessing.
Thanks, amen.
Now please pass the dressing.
We’re slaves to the olfactory overload
We must rush our prayer before the food gets cold
But Lord, I’d like to take a few minutes more
To really give thanks to what I’m thankful for
For my family, my health, a nice soft bed
My friends, my freedom, a roof over my head
I’m thankful right now to be surrounded by those
Whose lives touch me more than they’ll ever possibly know
Thankful Lord, that You’ve blessed me beyond measure
Thankful that in my heart lives life’s greatest treasure
That You, dear Jesus, reside in that place.
And I’m ever so grateful for Your unending grace
So please, heavenly Father, bless this food You’ve provided
And bless each and every person invited
Amen!
Contributed by Tim Chambers
God is great, God is good.
Let us thank him for our food.
By his hands we all are fed,
Give us, Lord, our daily bread. Amen.
Thomas H. Harbold
Thank you for the food we eat,
Thank you for the world so sweet,
Thank you for the birds that sing,
Thank you God for everything.
For the blessings you’ve bestowed upon this home and on this family,
For all the days we’ve had together and all the days to come,
For the joys and sorrows that bind us ever closer,
For the trials we’ve overcome,
And for teaching us that we can do no great things,
Only small things with great love,
Lord, we thank you.
The Selkirk Grace by Robert Burns:
Contemporary Traditional
Some have meat and cannot eat;Some cannot eat that want it:But we have meat and we can eatSae let the Lord be thankit! Some hae meat and canna eat,And some would eat that want it;But we hae meat, and we can eat,Sae let the Lord be thankit.
Some have hunger, but no meat;
Some have meat, but no hunger;
I have both.
God be praised!
Contributed by Mel Johnson
For food in a world where many walk in hunger;
For faith in a world where many walk in fear;
For friends in a world where many walk alone;
We give you thanks, O Lord. Amen.
(Source: Huron Hunger Fund, Anglican Church of Canada)
There once was a cock and a hen,
Who gave lunch to a goose in a pen.
“Good Lord” said the goose,
“Bless this food for our use
And us to thy service.” Amen.
A Thanksgiving Prayer
In the spirit of humility we give thanks for all that is.
We thank the great spiritual beings who have shared their wisdom.
We thank our ancestors who brought us to where we are now.
We are grateful for the opportunity to walk this planet,
to breathe the air, `
to taste the food,
to experience sensations of a human body/mind,
to share in this wonder that is life.
We are grateful for the natural world that supports us,
for the community of humankind that enables us to do many wondrous things.
We are grateful that we are conscious,
that as intelligent beings we can reflect upon the many gifts we have been given.
From Tom Barrett
For cities and towns, factories and farms, flowers and trees, sea and sky—
Lord we praise You for the world and its beauty.
For family and friends, neighbors and cousins—
Lord, we thank You for friendship and love.
For kind hearts, smiling faces, and helping hands—
Lord, we praise You for those who care for others.
For commandments that teach us how to live—
Lord, we thank You for those who help us to understand your laws.
And for making us one family on earth, the children of One God—
Lord we praise You, who made all people different, yet alike.
God, we thank you for this food.
For rest and home and all things good.
For wind and rain and sun above.
But most of all for those we love.
Abundant God, we give you thanks for the fruitful earth which produces what is needed for life. Bless those who work in the fields; grant favorable weather to all engaged in agriculture; and help us ensure that all people share the fruits of the earth, rejoicing in your goodness. Amen.
God of abundance, you have poured out a large measure of earthly blessings: Our table is richly furnished, our cup overflows, and we live in safety and security. Teach us to set our hearts on you and not those material blessing. Keep us from becoming captivated by prosperity, and grant us in wisdom to use your blessings to your glory and to the service of humankind. Amen.
O Lord, maker of all things, you open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living creature. We praise you for crowning the fields with your blessings and enabling us once more to gather in the fruits of the earth. Teach us to use your gifts carefully. That our land may continue to yield its increase. Amen.
God our creator, you have ordered seedtime and harvest, sunshine and rain. Grant that all the people of our nation may give thanks to you for food, drink, and all that sustains life; may honor the land and water from which these good things come; and may respect those who labor to produce them. Amen.
Heavenly Father,
We thank you for
the food before us,
the friends beside us,
the love between us and
your presence among us.
Amen
Bless the food upon the dishes
as you blessed the loaves and fishes.
As the sugar hides in the tea,
let me hide myself in Thee. Amen
From a Jewish liturgy (Thanks, Susan)
Baruch atah Adonai, eloheynu melech ha’olam hamotzi lechem min ha’oretz.Blessed are you Lord our God, ruler of the universe, who gives us bread from heaven.
Father we thank Thee for this food,
for health and strength and all things good.
May others all these blessings share,
and hearts be grateful everywhere. Amen
Thanksgiving by Martin Luther:
God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, You looked upon all that you created and declared it good. Grant that I, this day, might regard Your creation with the same esteem and appreciation, seeing You at work in every daily operation. Help me to give thanks as I recognize Your loving work in all abundant blessings. Most of all, let me see not only Your creation, but also its redemption, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
