Our Father in Heaven,

We pause out of our busy week to set aside this time to give You thanks for all Your special blessings this past year.

Thanksgiving is a season designed to remind us of Your goodness and grace to us.  And Lord, You know full well how much each of us needs this reminder.  It is so easy to get caught up in all the busyness and affairs of this present life.

Actually, You call us to be thankful to You every day of our lives and not wait for special seasons like this.  You tell us in Your word in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

There is a reason why You have commanded us to be thankful in everything.  Giving thanks is so important for us because it reminds us that You are the sovereign and loving God of this universe.  Giving thanks helps us lift up our eyes from ourselves and the details of daily life, so that we might see You in a new and fresh ways. 

Everything we experience in life is the result of Your perfect will for our lives.  Help us to rejoice in prosperity, to remain patient and content even in times of adversity and difficulty, and to trust You during times of uncertainty when we don’t know or understand what You are doing in our lives.

You also warn us in Your Word that a lack of being thankful is a serious offense against You because it indicates we are already on a downward slope of ignoring You and failing to trust and acknowledge Your sovereign control of this world around us.

O Lord, give us eyes and hearts to see you and trust You even today.  Help us to see and acknowledge Your goodness and grace in every area of our lives.

We also pray and ask You to give us a special love for Your best and greatest Gift of them all, the person of Your Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Again, Your Word tells us that You “so loved the world, that [You] gave [Your] only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Truly there is nothing more important in life than our responding to the gospel and giving Your Son the place He deserves in our lives.

We worship You this day and ask again for the gift of eyes that would see You afresh in all Your honor and glory.  Give us hearts that would acknowledge You as Lord and King.

We pray this all in Jesus’ wonderful name. 

Amen.