Beautiful Thanksgiving Prayers for Gratitude and Giving Thanks to God
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God designed us to embrace gratitude all year round, not just during Thanksgiving. When we actively give thanks and praise, we deepen our joy and continually remember God's goodness. One of the most profound ways to express our gratitude is through prayer. When our prayers resonate with our hearts and minds, we experience the true peace and joy of a grateful spirit. To help you on this journey, we’ve gathered some of our favorite Thanksgiving prayers for you.
God is always with us, a constant presence in our lives. He has promised never to leave us, and instead of letting anxiety take over, we should turn to prayer with a thankful heart. We should thank Him not just for what He will do but for what He is already doing—providing, strengthening, and guiding us through every challenge. As Thanksgiving approaches, it’s the perfect moment to reflect on these blessings and appreciate all that we have. Whether you’re celebrating with loved ones or finding a quiet moment alone, these Thanksgiving prayers will help you connect with your faith and enrich your holiday. Let’s dive into these heartfelt prayers and discover new ways to make this Thanksgiving truly special.
To help you in thanking God, we created a 30 Days of Gratitude Prayer Guide HERE. Download and print this guide to keep with you as a reminder of God's love and promises.
A Prayer of Gratitude
Let us, therefore, proclaim our gratitude to Providence for manifold blessings–let us be humbly thankful for inherited ideals–and let us resolve to share those blessings and those ideals with our fellow human beings throughout the world.
On that day let us gather in sanctuaries dedicated to worship and in homes blessed by family affection to express our gratitude for the glorious gifts of God, and let us earnestly and humbly pray that He will continue to guide and sustain us in the great unfinished tasks of achieving peace, justice, and understanding among all men and nations and of ending misery and suffering wherever they exist. – John F. Kennedy, Thanksgiving Day, 1963
Thanksgiving Prayer, Book of Common Prayer
Accept, O Lord, our thanks and praise for all that you have done for us. We thank you for the splendor of the whole creation, for the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life, and for the mystery of love.
We thank you for the blessing of family and friends, and for the loving care which surrounds us on every side.
We thank you for setting us at tasks which demand our best efforts, and for leading us to accomplishments which satisfy and delight us.
We thank you also for those disappointments and failures that lead us to acknowledge our dependence on you alone.
Above all, we thank you for your Son Jesus Christ; for the truth of his Word and the example of his life; for his steadfast obedience, by which he overcame temptation; for his dying, through which he overcame death; and for his rising to life again, in which we are raised to the life of your kingdom.
Grant us the gift of your Spirit, that we may know Christ and make him known; and through him, at all times and in all places, may give thanks to you in all things. Amen.
Prayers of Thanksgiving from Psalms:
Psalm 95 - "Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods..."
Psalm 100 - "Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."
Psalm 118:29 - "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever."
Psalm 103:1-5 - "Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s."
Psalm 136:1-5 - "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever. to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever. who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever. who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever. "
Read more Psalms of Thanksgiving for biblical inspiration of gratitude.
A Child's Prayer of Thanks
God, I thank you for the family and friends you surround me with. Thank you for another day to wake up and celebrate life. Thank you for the strength to play and food to nourish me. Most importantly, thank you for your love for me. Amen.
Thanksgiving Prayer
O Lord our God and heavenly Father,
in your indescribable mercy
you have provided food and drink
for the nourishment of our weak bodies.
Grant us peace
to use these gifts from your hands
with thankful, reverent hearts.
Let your blessing rest on these your gifts,
to our comfort and sustenance.
Grant, good Lord,
that as we hunger and thirst for this food for our bodies,
so may our souls earnestly long after
the Bread of eternal Life,
Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
Source: Freely modified from George Webb, “Short direction for the daily exercise of the Christian,” London 1625.
A Daily Thanksgiving Prayer
Dear God, Thank you for your amazing power and work in our lives, thank you for your goodness and for your blessings over us. Thank you for your great love and care. Thank you for your sacrifice so that we might have freedom and life. Forgive us for when we don't thank you enough, for who you are, for all that you do, for all that you've given. Help us to set our eyes and our hearts on you afresh. Renew our spirits, fill us with your peace and joy. We love you and we need you, this day and every day. We give you praise and thanks, for You alone are worthy! In Jesus' Name, Amen. - Debbie McDaniel
A Scriptural Prayer to be Thankful
Lord, teach me to be thankful in all circumstances. I want to be like the Apostle Paul who was thankful even in a dark prison. I want to choose praise even in the difficulties in my life. [Name those difficulties, thanking God for how He is using them for your good.] Help me to rise up to a new level of praise and thanksgiving. Help me to see that a thankful heart paves the way for blessing, and the enemy is defeated when I praise You. I want to glorify You and advance Your Kingdom through my praises. Help me to use Your Word as I worship You. I choose to walk in Your peace, listen carefully to You, and live expectantly. Thank You for helping me to be thankful in all my circumstances.
A Thanksgiving Prayer from the Bible
"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." - 1 Thessalonians 5:18. This verse reminds us to be thankful in all circumstances, emphasizing the importance of gratitude as a central aspect of our faith. You can incorporate this verse into your Thanksgiving prayer, expressing your thanks for God's presence and blessings in your life. Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, As we gather on this day of Thanksgiving, we remember the words of Holy Scripture that call us to give thanks in all circumstances. Lord, we thank You for the countless blessings You have bestowed upon us, both in times of joy and in times of challenge.
We are grateful for the love of family and friends who surround us, for the food on our table, and for the shelter over our heads. Most of all, we thank You for Your presence in our lives, for Your grace, and for the gift of salvation through Your Son, Jesus Christ.
Help us, dear Lord, to always maintain hearts filled with gratitude, not just on this special day but every day of our lives. May we continue to count it all joy and to give thanks in all things. In Jesus' name, we offer this prayer of thanksgiving. Amen.
Praise and Thanksgiving
Father, We praise you today with our hearts and songs, we praise you for your faithfulness, we praise you for your great power and love. We confess our need for you, our lives don't go so well when we just spin around on our own. We struggle and worry, get weary and worn. Yet you never leave us. Thank you for your presence. Thank you for your care over us, thank you that you breathe renewal right into our souls. We ask for your spirit to fill us, to draw us close to yourself, and to work your purposes through us, as we set our eyes on you. Amen.
Thank God For His Blessings
Lord, forgive me for focusing more on the negatives in my life than the positives. Thank You for Your blessing of love, grace, mercy and eternal life. Fill my heart with Your spirit this Thanksgiving so I can be thank-full. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. - Tracie Miles
Thankful for All Things
Dear God, Thank you that you make all things new. Thank you for all that you've allowed into our lives this past year, the good along with the hard things, which have reminded us how much we need you and rely on your presence filling us every single day. We ask for your wisdom, for your strength and power to be constantly present within us. Give us ability beyond what we feel able, let your gifts flow freely through us, so that you would be honored by our lives, and others would be drawn to you. We pray that you’d keep us far from the snares and traps of temptations. Help us to be known as great givers, help us to be generous and kind, help us to look to the needs of others and not be consumed by only our own. May we be lovers of truth, may the fruits of your spirit be evident in our lives - your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Amen - Debbie McDaniel
A Prayer to Give Thanks to the Lord
Lord, teach me to offer you a heart of thanksgiving and praise in all my daily experiences of life. Teach me to be joyful always, to pray continually and to give thanks in all my circumstances. I accept them as Your will for my life (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). I long to bring pleasure to Your heart daily. Break the power of the enemy in my life. Defeat Him through my sacrifice of praise. Change my outlook and attitude into one of joyful contentment with my present circumstances.
"The Prayer of Thanksgiving" by Thomas Ken
“All praise to Thee, my God, this night, for all the blessings of the light; keep me, O keep me, King of kings, beneath Thine own almighty wings. Forgive me, Lord, for Thy dear Son, the ill that I this day have done; that with the world, myself, and Thee, I, ere I sleep, at peace may be. O may my soul on Thee repose, and with sweet sleep mine eyelids close, sleep that shall me more vigorous make to serve my God when I awake. Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise Him all creatures here below; praise Him above, ye heavenly host; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.”
Praise God's Goodness
Dear Lord, teach me to keep my eyes on You. I praise You for every victory, seen and unseen, as day upon day I gather the plunder of Your goodness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. - Branda Bradford Ottinger
Make Us Grateful
Jesus, Make us grateful. Give us eyes to see what it is that really makes us blessed, and forgive us when we allow our gratitude to extend only to those blessings which can be measured in “likes.” For we know that when all else fades, faith, hope, and love remain (1 Corinthians. 13:13). In Your Name, Amen.
Expressing Gratitude and Thanks to God
Lord Jesus, forgive me for not saying “Thank You.” I repent of focusing on the things I don’t have, instead of the blessings You have given me. I want to be like the one who returned to express gratitude. Thank You for saving me, forgiving me and providing for my needs each day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.- Arlene Pellicane
Quick Thanksgiving Prayer Before Eating
God, we thank you for the blessing and joy of family. Thank you for those who are gathered with us today and those who are far away. May we all see the many ways you provide for us, comfort us and protect us. Bless this food to make us healthy and strong. Amen.
Blessing Before The Thanksgiving Meal
God, we thank you for the blessing and joy of family.
Thank you for those who are gathered with us and those far away.
May we all see the many ways you provide, comfort, and protect us.
Bless this food to make us healthy and strong. Amen.
Happy Thanksgiving! Let us be thankful for God's Word and for the ability that we have to be grateful in all things.
Sources:
- Thanksgiving Prayer - 20 Encouraging and Inspiring Prayers! ~ Crosswalk.com
- A Prayer of Thanksgiving ~ Encouragement Café
- Thanksgiving Day Prayers ~ acollectionofprayers.com
- Book of Common Prayer
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