Thanksgiving For The Gift of Life As Face Death

10 Great Thanksgiving Prayers

Thanksgiving is a word that appears before the word Thanksgiving Day and after thanksgiver in the Mirriam-Webster Dictionary online. One of the definitions of the word is “a prayer expressing gratitude”. The first use of the word dates all the way back to 1533 [1]. The Old English word from which it is derived is “pancian” (to give thanks) [2]. It is translated in other languages as:

zahvaljivanje (Croatian), díkůvzdání (Czech), taksigelse (Danish), dankzegging (Dutch), pagpapasalamat (Filipino), action de grâces (French), Danksagung (German), hálaadás (Hungarian), gratiarum actione (Latin), dziękczynienie (Polish), mulțumire (Romanian), благодарение (Russian), zahvalni dan (Slovenian), acción de gracias (Spanish), şükretme (Turkish), diolchgarwch (Welsh)

No matter in what language you speak, thanksgiving prayers are often written in the form of poems or songs. These ten thanksgiving prayers can be used around the dinner table this November or any time of the year.

One of the beautiful things about the Thanksgiving holiday is that it gives us a specific time to reflect on the wonderful blessings we all enjoy.

While we may not have as many things as other people have, we can all be thankful for friends and family who love us and the life God has given us.

Moravian Blessing

Come, Lord Jesus, our guest to beAnd bless these giftsBestowed by Thee.And bless our loved ones everywhere,

And keep them in Your loving care.

We Gather Together Hymn

We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;He chastens and hastens His will to make known.The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.

Sing praises to His Name; He forgets not His own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;So from the beginning the fight we were winning;

Thou, Lord, were at our side, all glory be Thine!

We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant,And pray that Thou still our Defender will be.Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;

Thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

-Adrianus Valerius
-Theodore Baker (translator)

Thanksgiving prayers are often written in the form of poems or songs

Thanksgiving

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.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

We Give Thanks

Our Father in Heaven,We give thanks for the pleasureOf gathering together for this occasion.We give thanks for this foodPrepared by loving hands.We give thanks for life,The freedom to enjoy it allAnd all other blessings.As we partake of this food,We pray for health and strengthTo carry on and try to live as You would have us.This we ask in the name of Christ,

Our Heavenly Father.

– Harry Jewell

Help Me Thanksgiving Day Prayer

O God, when I have food,help me to remember the hungry;When I have work,help me to remember the jobless;When I have a home,help me to remember those who have no home at all;When I am without pain,help me to remember those who suffer,And remembering,help me to destroy my complacency;bestir my compassion,and be concerned enough to help;By word and deed,those who cry out for what we take for granted.

Amen.

-Samuel F. Pugh

Thanksgiving Dinner Prayer

Heavenly Father, on Thanksgiving DayWe bow our hearts to You and pray.We give You thanks for all You’ve doneEspecially for the gift of Jesus, Your Son.

For beauty in nature, Your glory we seeFor joy and health, friends and family,For daily provision, Your mercy and careThese are the blessings You graciously share.

So today we offer this response of praise

With a promise to follow You all of our days.

-Mary Fairchild

A Thanksgiving Day Prayer

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 to take a few minute more
To really give thanks to what I’m thankful for

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!

-Scott Wesemann

Abundant Blessing

We thank you for the turkey,The gravy and the dressing.Dear Lord, this table overflowsWith Thy abundant blessing.Let us always be awareThat all gifts come from You,And may we serve Your heavenly will

In everything we do. Amen.

-Joanna Fuchs

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

Serve the LORD with gladness:
come before his presence with singing.

Know ye that the LORD he is God:it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,and into his courts with praise:

be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

For the LORD is good;his mercy is everlasting;

and his truth endureth to all generations.

Humorous Thanksgiving Prayer

When turkey’s on the table laid,And good things I may scan,I’m thankful that I wasn’t made

A vegetarian.

-Edgar A. Guest

Do you have a favorite?

We would love to see your favorite thanksgiving prayer. We would also to know how you say Happy Thanksgiving in your native tongue. Share it in the comments below.

Resources: They Holy Bible, King James Version. www..com “Thanksgiving Song”- Mary Chapin Carpenter. [1] //www. merriam-webster.com. [2] //www. etymonline.com. //www. translate.google.com. Image courtesy of/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Источник: //www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/10-great-thanksgiving-prayers/

Three Prayers of Thanksgiving

the biblical doctrine of the “Fatherhood” of God naturally arises the concept of prayer. What child does not need, and wish, to communicate with his father? Thus, in the “model prayer,” the Lord taught his disciples to pray: “Our Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:9).

One manifestation of prayer that should flow abundantly from the heart of the Christian is the expression of gratitude. Jesus took note of the opposite disposition when he asked the haunting question: “Where are the nine?” (Luke 17:17).

In this brief article we propose to discuss three “tenses” of thanksgiving. We pray because of exceeding gratitude with reference to things that have gone by already, i.e., matters that now are history.

Quite obviously we wise speak to God relative to circumstances pertaining to the present. Finally, our prayers of gratitude should focus toward the future as well.

We are not without biblical precedent in these past, present, and future time modes in which our appreciation is framed.

Gratitude for the Past

In his epistle to the saints and faithful brethren in the city of Colossae, Paul encouraged his kinsmen in the Lord to join him in:

giving thanks unto the Father, who made us adequate to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; who delivered us the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love; in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins (Colossians 1:12-14).

This prayer format reflects backwards upon the redemptive history implemented by the holy Godhead in the interest of fallen humanity. Observe the following points.

Our inheritance

We are thankful that we have been made “adequate,” “sufficient,” or “qualified” for a grand “inheritance.” The inheritance finds its ultimate fruition in heaven (1 Peter 1:4). The sufficiency results from the vicarious death of God’s Son who, as a sinless sacrifice, offered himself on behalf of sinful humanity (see Romans 3:24-26).

Our spiritual family

Our thanksgiving embraces the fact that we share a relationship with all the “saints” (separated ones) who have left the power of darkness and have been translated into the kingdom of “light”—an expression for our new “life” in Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6; Ephesians 5:8; 1 Peter 2:9). Elsewhere, that entrance into the “kingdom” is represented by the “birth” metaphor (John 3:3-5), which entails obedience to Christ’s gospel message (1 Peter 1:22-23).

Our redemption

We are grateful that our state is one of “redemption” (release from indebtedness due to adequate payment) that involves the “forgiveness of our sins.” How blessed we are that God provided the “Son of his love” for those who deserved it not! Such is the essence of “grace.”

Are we not thankful as well for the Hand of Providence that, in such marvelously inexplicable ways, helped us discover gospel truth? Do not our hearts throb with thanksgiving for those benevolent souls who have encouraged us in difficult times? One could pray for months and not totally survey the blessings of the past for which he is so deeply grateful.

Thanksgiving for Present Circumstances

The Christian’s daily life is an offering of thanksgiving to the Creator. Paul wrote: “And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17). Every day is an expression of praise to the Lord—in the thoughts of our hearts, the words of our lips, and the actions of our busy days.

Similarly, in the symbolism of sacrificial service, the apostle admonishes:

I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, and ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:1-2).

Our thanksgiving may be daily for those who love us, inspire us, and mean so much to us on our heavenward journey. Paul constantly engaged in prayers of thanksgiving for such ones in his life (cf.

Our thanksgiving certainly must involve appreciation to the Lord, who is with us always (“all the days”—ASVfn), even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).

Gratitude for the Future Victory

The final book of the New Testament is a document dealing with the past, present, and future.

It was dispatched initially to seven churches of Asia (as representatives of all of Christ’s congregations) by means of John the apostle, who had been exiled to the island of Patmos.

It was from the God of “three tenses”—him who is, was, and is to come (Revelation 1:4,8).

The inspired apostle was commissioned to “write,” therefore, about the things which he “saw, and the things which are, and the things which shall come to pass hereafter” (1:19).

Breathtaking scenes adorn the symbolic terrain of this mysterious but thrilling book. In chapter eleven there is a depiction of twenty-four elders (perhaps an order of angels, or a representation of the redeemed), who sit before God on thrones appointed for them. They are described as falling upon their faces and worshiping God. From them issues this prayer of thanksgiving.

We give you thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who was; because you have taken your great power, and did reign.

Some wonderfully striking literary gems are contained within this prayer of gratitude.

Lord God Almighty

God is described as “Lord” (one possessing authority), “God” (characterized by the nature of deity), and “Almighty” (limitless in power).

He is represented as him who “is” and who “was” [the “is to come” phrase (KJV) is missing from the better texts].

The reversal of tenses (with the present preceding the past) seems significant, emphasizing that the present takes precedence in the imagery. The future is depicted as the present already.

Prophetic certainty of victory

The prayer speaks to the coming “time of consummation” (Morris 1980, 153), but the verbal forms (e.g., “your wrath came”) suggest that the events have transpired already.

This is because of their prophetic certainty. God “has taken great power,” the perfect tense form suggests, perhaps, the permanence of the seizure (Robertson 1933, 385).

The Lord has “begun his reign” (the aorist tense is viewed as “inceptive”), i.e., the reign has started (Mounce 1977, 236).

Victory over rebellion

The nations have raged in their angry rebellion against God (cf. Psalm 2:1), but divine anger “trumps” theirs. The “wrath” of God is not an impulsive response, in the sense that humans get “angry.

” Rather, it is a way of figuratively describing the full measure of holy justice to be inflicted upon those who mock the Lord and reject his authority. The last day of earth’s history is portrayed; it is time for the dead to be judged (Revelation 20:11ff).

One scholar observes: “[T]here is nothing here to suggest a thousand years’ earthly reign of Christ on a literal throne in the program” (Jones 1971, 57).

Thanksgiving to God

The prayer expresses thanksgiving to God for the fact that the faithful (the prophets, the saints, all who fear the Lord—great and small) will receive the reward promised to them. Additionally, there will be the destruction of the wicked (i.e., everlasting separation from the Lord—cf.

Matthew 7:23; 25:41; 2 Thessalonians 1:9). These are they who are in the process of “destroying” (corrupting) the earth—i.e., disregarding the design for which it was created, namely serving God.

The imprecatory tone of the gratitude is not one of personal vengeance, but is an offering of appreciation for the righteous eradication of evil.

We too may lift up our voices in devout thanksgiving for the glorious victory yet to be realized, and for the thrilling reward that is prepared for those who have loved Christ’s appearing (2 Timothy 4:8).

Let us, therefore, frame our prayers in all tenses—past, present, and future, and be grateful for the gift of prayer as sons and daughters of God.

Источник: //www.christiancourier.com/articles/1369-three-prayers-of-thanksgiving

Poems of Thanksgiving

We truly admire the skill of these poets, it amazes us how they express just the right sentiment with so few words.

Funny Ode to Thanksgiving

May your stuffing be tastyMay your turkey plump,May your potatoes and gravyHave nary a lump.May your yams be deliciousAnd your pies take the prize,And may your Thanksgiving dinner

Stay off your thighs!

A Poem for Thanksgiving

The year has turned its circle,The seasons come and go. The harvest all is gathered inAnd chilly north winds blow.Orchards have shared their treasures,The fields, their yellow grain, So open wide the doorway,

Thanksgiving comes again.

 [ Unknown]

At Grandma's House

I the taste of turkeyAny time throughout the yearBut it neverseems to taste as good

As when Thanksgiving's here.

Could be it's all the trimmingsThat are cooked with it to eat- But I think it'seating at Grandma's house

That makes it such a treat!

Turkey Warning

Tell me, Mr. Turkey,Don't you feel afraidWhen you hear us talking

'Bout the plans we've made?

Can't you hear us tellingHow we're going to eatCranberries and stuffing

With our turkey meat?

Turkey, heed my warning:Better fly away;Or you will be sorry

On Thanksgiving day.

Thank You For Inviting Us

Thank you for inviting usTo your Thanksgiving dinner.A day spent in your company

Is invariably a winner.

Thank you for the time you spentPreparing all the food;For making us feel welcome,

You have our gratitude!

Poem by Joanna Fuchs

Follow-up
It's not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, that is the true measure of our Thanksgiving.  WT Purkiser

Remember Your Friends This Thanksgiving

To: God.com

Dear Lord,Every single eveningAs I'm lying here in bed,This tiny little PrayerKeeps running through my head:God bless all my familyWherever they may be,Keep them warmand safe from harm

For they're so close to me.

And God, there is one more thingI wish that you could do;Hope you don't mind me asking,

Please bless my computer too.

Now I know that it's unusualTo Bless a motherboard,But listen just a second

While I explain it to you, Lord.

You see, that little metal boxHolds more than odds and ends; Inside those small compartments

Rest so many of my friends.

Takes me in to where they live.

By faith is how I know themMuch the same as you.We share in what life brings us

And from that our friendships grew.

Please take an extra minuteFrom your duties up above,To bless those in my address book

That's filled with so much love.

Wherever else this prayer may reachTo each and every friend,Bless each e-mail inbox

And each person who hits 'send'.

When you update your Heavenly listOn your own Great CD-ROM,Bless everyone who says this prayerSent up to God.com

Amen

Poem Kindly sent in by Annick Morris

I am Thankful – Poem Of Thanksgiving

Will and Guy have been sent this poem of Thanksgiving which reflects the positive spirit of this celebration season:

I am thankful:

For the wifeWho says it's hot dogs tonightBecause she is home with me

And not out with someone else.

For the husbandWho is on the sofaBeing a couch potatoBecause he is home with me

And not out at the bars.

For the teenagerWho is complaining about doing dishesBecause it means she is at home,

Not on the streets.

For the taxes I payBecause it means

I am employed.

For the mess to clean after a partyBecause it means I have

Been surrounded by friends

For the clothes that fit a little too snugBecause it means

I have enough to eat.

For my shadow that watches me workBecause it means

I am out in the sunshine.

For a lawn that needs mowing,Windows that need cleaning,And gutters that need fixing

Because it means I have a home.

For all the complainingI hear about the governmentBecause it means

We have freedom of speech.

For the parking spotI find at the far end of the parking lotBecause it meansI am capable of walking,

And I have been blessed with transportation.

For my huge heating billBecause it means

I am warm.

For the lady behind me in churchWho sings off key

Because it means I can hear.

For the pile of laundry and ironingBecause it means

I have clothes to wear.

For weariness and aching musclesAt the end of the dayBecause it means I have been

Capable of working.

For the alarm that goes offIn the early morning hoursBecause it means

I am alive.

And finally, for too much e-mailBecause it means

I have friend who is thinking of me.

Footnote:
Please send us your Poems of Thanksgiving

First Thanksgiving

Venison for stew and roasting,Oysters in the ashes toasting, Geese done to a turn,Berries (dried) and wild grapes (seeded) Mixed with dough and gently kneaded~What a feast to earn! Indian corn in strange disguises,Ash cakes, hoe cakes (many sizes), Kernels roasted brown…After months of frugal livingWhat a welcome first Thanksgiving

There in Plymouth town.

Poem by Aileen Fisher

Thanksgiving Verse

Pilgrimsmove among us.Silent, their gray lips mouth prayers for the bountiful fields ofautumn. FeatheredIndians standtall in quiet cornersinvoking harvest home in a strange tongue. This isour Thanksgiving.Gathered together, we are visited by the grace of

old guests.

Poem by Myra Cohn Livingston

The Ears of Wheat by The Brothers Grimm

Ages upon ages ago, says the German grandmother, when angels used to wander on earth, the ground was more fruitful than it is now. Then the stalks of wheat bore not fifty or sixty fold, but four times five hundred fold. Then the wheat- ears grew from the bottom to the top of the stalk.

But the men of the earth forgot that this blessing came from God, and they became idle and selfish.

One day a woman went through a wheat-field, and her little child, who accompanied her, fell into a puddle and soiled her frock. The mother tore off a handful of the wheat-ears and cleaned the child's dress with them.

You mortals are not worthy of the gifts of Heaven!'
Some peasants who were gathering wheat in the fields heard this, and falling on their knees, prayed and entreated the angel to leave the wheat alone, not only on their account, but for the sake of the little birds who otherwise must perish of hunger.

The angel pitied their distress, and granted a part of the prayer. And from that day to this the ears of wheat have grown as they do now.

A Thanksgiving in France

The first Thanksgiving after moving overseas, I decided to treat my family to a traditional turkey dinner.

I went to the closest store, which happened to be French-speaking, and approached the area where a variety of meats were laid out. Not being fluent in French, I looked and tried to determine on my own whether the large poultry breasts I saw were turkey or goose.

The butcher indicated that he was ready to help me. I asked in broken French if he spoke English; he replied, 'No.' I tried again, asking if he spoke German; again, he replied, 'No.'

I pointed at the poultry breasts, then tucked my thumbs in my armpits, flapped my arms, and said, 'Gobble, gobble?' The butcher broke into a smile as he replied, 'Oui.'

Embarrassing, sure, but I ended up with a turkey and the butcher got a laugh!

A tale by Monica Harris

Desiderata – A Lovely Poem for Thanksgiving

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
And remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,Be on good terms with all persons.Speak your truth quietly and clearly;And listen to others, Even to the dull and the ignorant;They too have their story.Avoid loud and aggressive persons;

They are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,You may become vain or bitter, For always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.Keep interested in your own career, however humble;

It is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

It is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,Gracefully surrendering the things of youth.Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,Be gentle with yourself.You are a child of the universeNo less than the trees and the stars;You have a right to be here.And whether or not it is clear to you,

No doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,Whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations,In the noisy confusion of life, Keep peace in your soul.With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, It is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Footnote:
This is one of Will and Guy's favourite poems written by Max Ehrmann in 1927. We think it is applicable to all Thanksgiving celebrations.

The Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving

It may be I am getting old and too much to dwellUpon the days of bygone years, the days I loved so well;But thinking of them now I wish somehow that I could knowA simple old Thanksgiving Day, those of long ago,When all the family gathered round a table richly spread,With little Jamie at the foot and grandpa at the head,The youngest of us all to greet the oldest with a smile,

With mother running in and out and laughing all the while.

It may be I'm old-fashioned, but it seems to me to-dayWe're too much bent on having fun to take the time to pray;Each little family grows up with fashions of its own;It lives within a world itself and wants to be alone.It has its special pleasures, its circle, too, of friends;There are no get-together days; each one his journey wends,Pursuing what he s the best in his particular way,

Letting the others do the same upon Thanksgiving Day.

I the olden way the best, when relatives were gladTo meet the way they used to do when I was but a lad;The old home was a rendezvous for all our kith and kin,And whether living far or near they all came trooping inWith shouts of 'Hello, daddy!' as they fairly stormed the placeAnd made a rush for mother, who would stop to wipe her faceUpon her gingham apron before she kissed them all,

Hugging them proudly to her breast, the grownups and the small.

Then laughter rang throughout the home, and, Oh, the jokes they told;From Boston, Frank brought new ones, but father sprang the old;All afternoon we chatted, telling what we hoped to do,The struggles we were making and the hardships we'd gone through;We gathered round the fireside. How fast the hours would fly-It seemed before we'd settled down 'twas time to say good-bye.Those were the glad Thanksgivings, the old-time families knew

When relatives could still be friends and every heart was true.

Poem by Edgar Albert Guest, 1881-1959

Will and Guy were struck by the tiny word 'of' in Poems of Thanksgiving.  William Arthur Ward captured the thought with this sentence, 'Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is wrapping a present and not giving it.'

Footnote
Please send us your poem of Thanksgiving

Источник: //www.funny-jokes.com/humor/thanksgiving/thanksgiving_poems.htm