Thanksgiving Prayers That Are Powerful and Effective

I’m not sure where or when I saw it, but I vaguely recall a movie scene in which some not particularly religious character was asked to pray over the meal. After awkwardly folding his hands and bowing his head, he uttered, “Good food, good meat, good God, let’s eat!” Not the most eloquent expression of thanksgiving!

Then I think of persons asked to pray at public gatherings who reach into a coat pocket, unfold a sheet of paper and proceed to recite a prayer they had composed in advance. There’s nothing wrong with that, I suppose. None of us would want to stumble with our words in such a setting. But I believe the prayers God loves most are those expressed spontaneously, from the heart, without pomp or circumstance, as led by the Holy Spirit.

On the day recognized nationally as Thanksgiving Day, perhaps this is especially significant. In some households, a traditional “saying of grace” before meals is rare. So a show of sudden spirituality might seem daunting. How should we pray? And what should we pray for?

I don’t have a formula – or “recipe,” if you will – for a Thanksgiving Day dinner prayer. But the Scriptures do offer many helpful suggestions. Perhaps one of the best was given by Jesus when He warned against what I’d call “ostentatious religiosity.” In giving examples of persons who liked to parade their piety, He said, 

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men…. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:5-6).

This doesn’t mean if someone asks us to pray for God to bless the food, that we should retreat to a room, close the door, and then pray. That would defeat the purpose, wouldn’t it? But we don’t need to try to impress anyone listening, either. Jesus continued, “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:7-8).

What’s most important, I believe, on this Thanksgiving Day, is that before enjoying the food that’s been so lovingly prepared, that we pause to enjoy and praise the One who has so lovingly provided for all that we need. I like what the apostle James said about prayer, words that could be applied even to the simple practice of “saying grace”: “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).

Recently I was reminded of how the ancient Israelites sometimes expressed their gratitude in a call-and-answer manner. The worship leader would voice a phrase of thanksgiving, and then the congregation would give a repeating response: 

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good...His love endures forever. 

Give thanks to the God of gods...His love endures forever. 

Give thanks to the Lord of lords...His love endures forever” (Psalm 136:1-3).

Maybe it’s because it reminds me of my early church days when we had a responsive reading each Sunday, but that seems like a cool way of giving thanks. Amen!

The Great Thing about Grace

On Thanksgiving Day, just before we dive into the turkey and fixings (I like that term, “fixings” – sounds like something was broken), in many of our homes a designated pray-er person will “say grace.” This practice comes in various forms and is meant in different ways.

Some prayers will have a “to whom it may concern” tone to them, directed to some nebulous “supreme being” or “the Man upstairs.” Others might sound something like Rickie Bobby (the Will Ferrell character in the movie, “Talladega Nights”), who insisted on praying to “little baby Jesus.” I’ve always chuckled at the guy whose honest “prayer” consisted of “Good food, good meat, good God, let’s eat!”

In many homes, however, saying grace will have a little more focus as families and friends, at least momentarily, cease from the festivities to pray to the God of the Bible.

Author Anne Lamott, who became a believer despite being raised in an atheistic home, recently commented in an article about this tradition of saying grace. She observed:

“I think we’re in it for the pause, the quiet thanks for love and for our blessings, before the shoveling begins…. We’re acknowledging that this food didn’t just magically appear…. We savor these moments out of time, when we are conscious of love’s presence, of Someone’s great abiding generosity for our dear and motley family, these holy moments of gratitude.”

I like her term, “the pause…before the shoveling begins.” How true. And how important this pre-feasting hesitation is; yet how nonchalantly we treat it. Too often we regard it, Lamott writes, as a “pro forma blessing,” a mere formality that’s a requirement of the holiday ceremony.

But if it’s true thanksgiving we’re after, perhaps it deserves more thought and attention. I’m not suggesting a pre-dinner sermon or some sanctimonious monologue, but a heartfelt acknowledgement to the Giver for whose provision we give thanks.

There’s one more thing that’s significant about this “saying grace.” Biblically, the word “grace” means unmerited favor, receiving from God what we didn't deserve and couldn't earn.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves. It is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). Being “saved” – becoming a member of God’s family – isn't based on performance or worthiness, but solely based on His acceptance, freely offered.

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). This isn’t referring to material wealth, but rather to the richness of a meaningful life.

The point is this: Even though most of us would consider ourselves fairly good people, we’re not deserving to even mention the Lord’s name, let alone be a part of His eternal family. And when we gather with family and friends around the Thanksgiving table, we can be thankful for the gift of life; the minds, talents and skills we have; the relationships we’ve enjoyed; and for love – given and received.

Everything beyond that is gravy, icing on the cake, whipped cream on the pie.

What did we really do to deserve such blessings? If we’re honest, we’ll admit we didn’t do anything. It’s grace. And perhaps that the greatest reason of all for “saying grace.”