FAMILY PRAYER FOR THANKSGIVING

I meant to post this yesterday, but was too busy with other preparation. I hope though that you can use this to have the proper preparation for your thanksgiving feast.  Set aside simply 15 minutes. You will find this brief prayer exercise will have a significant impact on your enjoyment of this day, making your time together even more sacred.

Being grateful is the key to living a life of joy and contentment. Thanksgiving is a day to set aside to renew that thankfulness in us and a great time for us to pass on that trait to our family. I offer to your family this brief devotional share with your family.

Prayer: Almighty God our Father, your generous goodness comes to us new every day. By the work of your Spirit lead us to acknowledge your goodness, give thanks for your benefits, and serve you in willing obedience; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Scripture Reading: (read one or both)

• Deuteronomy 8:7-18
• Psalm 65

Devotional thought:  In his Small Catechism, a basic explanation of the Faith, Rev. Martin Luther wrote about the phrase “Give us this day our daily bread” from the Lord’s Prayer.

“What does this mean? To be sure, God provides daily bread, even to the wicked, without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that God may make us aware of his gifts and enable us to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.

What is meant by daily bread? Everything required to satisfy our bodily needs, such as food and clothing, house and home, fields and flocks, money and property; a pious spouse and good children, trustworthy servants, godly and faithful rulers, good government; seasonable weather, peace and health, order and honor; true friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.”

In the Large Catechism, Luther wrote, “When you pray for “daily bread” you pray for everything that is necessary in order to have and enjoy daily bread.”

Prayers: people gathered may say a series of prayers.  You could ask various family members to take one of the topics, even the children.

• For food and clothing, house and home
• For your employment as a means to provide for your family
• For your resources and property
• For your family, your spouse, your children
• For true friends and good neighbors
• For godly and faithful rulers, and for good government
• For seasonable weather
• For peace in your home and health
• For a spirit of gratefulness to inhabit your home.

Closing Prayer: Lord, help us always to remember to give thanks for all the blessings we receive from you. Most of all, we thank you for your love that you show to us in your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.