Thanksgiving Day

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It’s Thanksgiving Day here in the U. S., and I wanted to offer a prayer. It is my habit to pray in the plural because I am of the firm conviction that no Christian ever prays alone.

Father in Heaven, we come before you this morning in awe of Your justice, Your power, Your love, Your mercy and Your grace. We praise You for who You are as You reveal Yourself to us in your Word.

We confess, Lord, that we have sinned against You, in the things we have done, the things we have thought, and the things we have said. We have sinned in doing things we should not have. We have sinned in not doing the things You would have us do.

We are truly sorry, and in reverent fear of You, we humbly repent. Please forgive us.

We thank You that we can be forgiven because of what Christ did for us on the cross.

Give us new hearts and new lives that we may glorify You in all we think, say, and do. Help us to live each day looking backward to the cross as our hope and forward to heaven as our vision. Give us assurance of our salvation and victory over our sins that our humbled hearts might be of service to others.

Thank you that we live in a country which allows us so much freedom to live out our faith. Help us to take advantage of this freedom in word and deed. Help those who do not have our freedom of worship, who meet together in secret, who live in fear of what their governments or their cultures or even families might do to them. Give them a special sense of Your presence and power.

Thank you for our wealth. We have warm, dry shelter; clean water; nutritious food; and strong clothing. Help us to be mindful of those less fortunate than ourselves. Grant that we can provide to others in Christ’s name.

Thank you for our friends and family. Give us rest from our labors on this holiday to meet with them. Bless our fellowship.

We have so much more to be thankful for, but most of all, we thank You for Your Son, Jesus Christ, and his life and sacrifice.

In His Name we pray, AMEN.

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