Before the Feast: 3 Simple Prayers for Giving Thanks

What will you be doing this Thanksgiving? In my home, we’ll have a glorious turkey dinner with all the fixings, a football game on the TV, and the beer and wine will flow. My wife and I will be with our small extended family, the first time we’ve all been together this year.

We’ll kick-off dinner with a short prayer.

It’s a family tradition that was first introduced to me by my father who would say grace, or a short prayer of thanks, every Thanksgiving. There are a few go-to prayers we use, and you’ll find three of them below.

But for starters, let’s look at a newspaper column first published the day before Thanksgiving in 1991. It’s written by Pauline Philips who for years penned the Dear Abby column under the name Abigail Van Buren. Most of the words were written by Phillips, though I have done some light editing.

Dear Readers:

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. So, despite the circumstances, let us pause for a moment and make a mental note of all those blessings for which we can be thankful.

How is your health? You have a few minor complaints? Well, thank God they’re not major. If you’re reading this, you’re still here. You can probably think of at least one person who isn’t around this year. (I know I can.)

How is your pocketbook? Thin? You’re not alone. There are millions of Americans who are suffering financial hardship. But many people in much of the world are a lot worse off than you and have far less hope than we have in America.

Are you lonely? Well, the way to have a friend is to reach out to someone and try to be a friend. If nobody calls you, call someone. Go out of your way today to call or connect with another person. It’s a sure cure for the blues.

Are you concerned about your country’s future? Hooray! Our system has been saved by such concern. Our country may not be a rose garden, but it is far from a patch of weeds. You can worship in the church of your choice (or not worship at all if that’s your choice), cast a secret ballot and even criticize our government without fear of retribution.

What follows are the three Thanksgiving prayers you might consider using this holiday.

Thanksgiving Prayer #1: Remembering The Less Fortunate

This simple Thanksgiving prayer is also courtesy of Phillips and Dear Abby. With this prayer, we give thanks for what we have and remember those who are less fortunate than we are.

Heavenly father, we thank you for this food and remember the hungry.

We thank you for our health and remember the sick.

We thank you for our friends and remember the friendless.

We thank you for our freedom and remember the enslaved.

May these remembrances stir us to help those in need,

So that your gifts to us may also help others. Amen.

Thanksgiving Prayer #2: A Prayer of Gratitude

This second prayer is one I’ll be reintroducing it at our Thanksgiving table this year and it comes from John Templeton. It’s a simple, participatory prayer of gratitude, directed to God, the Universe, or whatever higher power you believe in. It only takes a few seconds and goes like this:

“I give thanks (to God) for all the good in my life. I am thankful for ___________”

You fill in the blank. Complete the thought by giving thanks for the meal in front of you, and the friends or family around you. You might also give thanks for any recent good fortune in your own life, even if it’s something as basic as your continued good health. You can also look beyond your home and give thanks to our frontline workers and those who have served our country in the armed services, past and present.

This prayer is meant to be passed around the table. Ask each person to chime in with what they’re thankful for. If needed, prompt them with some of the ideas above. This simple participatory prayer has a way of uplifting everyone’s spirits, reminding even the sourpusses in your group that they have something to be thankful for.

Thanksgiving Prayer #3: Let’s Appreciate This Moment

The idea for this prayer came from Seth Godin and The Thanksgiving Reader, which he published several years ago. I used some of the words found there to compose the short prayer below. It’s about the importance of being in the moment, savoring every bite of food, fully engaging in each conversation, being a full participant in the events of the day.

Let’s all sit silently and feel the magic in this room. 

Let’s appreciate this moment…and all the moments that will follow today. 

Let’s enjoy this meal….and let’s enjoy the company of the people around us. 

For this, and so much more in our lives, we give our thanks. 

Now, let’s eat.