On this cloud-shrouded, Thanksgiving morning,
I pause in the candlelight to thank and praise You, O Lord–
for family and friends, food and clothing,
a cozy home and delightful blessings
we never even thought to ask for.
These are benevolences we see, touch, and hear.
One blessing we never thought to ask for: a trip to Israel in 1994, travel and lodging expenses paid for.
But I also want to thank you for those gifts
that only the senses of the heart can perceive—
blessings that include your eternal faithfulness,
as expansive and enduring as the skies,
and your loving devotion, as measureless as
the far reaches of the cosmos.
I thank you for your alert attentiveness,
keeping watch over me as I come and go,
for your abundant goodness which you store up
for those who fear you and take refuge in you,
for your wisdom that knows what to accomplish and when,
what to give and what to withhold.
I thank you for your compassionate mercy
that offers a fresh start each day,
your transforming grace that takes the sand of troubles
and creates pearls of lustrous steadfastness and stability.
I praise you for your strength that “turns my mush into might.”
When I’m weary in spirit, you prop me up and propel me forward.
I thank you for your Word that instructs in the ways of abundant living,
guiding me along the right path as I internalize your truths.
I thank you for its encouragement when my spirit falters,
providing hope through the promises that cannot fail
and in the knowledge of who you are, our holy and perfect Father.
Your Word is “an anchor of truth in a sea of lies.”
“Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to you O God, for ever and ever. Amen” (Revelation 7:12)!
* * * * *
Now it’s your turn! What would you add to this gratitude list that specifically celebrates God? Add your praise in the comment section below!
Scriptures and other sources:
- Verse 2: Psalm 36:5; 108:4
- Verse 3: Psalm 121:8 NLT; 31:19; Proverbs 2:6
- Verse 4: Lamentations 3:22-23; Romans 5:3-5; Anita Donihue, When I’m in His Presence, 52; Isaiah 40:29-31
- Verse 5: Psalm 119:93, 105, 92; Numbers 23:19; Psalm 145; 119:160, https://www.reviveourhearts.com/blog/20-benefits-of-being-in-gods-word-according-to-psa/
Image credits: http://www.publicdomainpictures.net (Sheila Brown); http://www.commonswikipedia.org (Edmund Nigel Gail); http://www.canva.com; http://www.dailyverses.net (2); commonswikipedia.org (Marcus Bengtsson).
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From the Inside Out 
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. I am grateful to have discovered your blog this year. You never fail to bring positivity and hope for the future. Thank you for being you.
Thank you, Cathy, for your encouragement. I always appreciate the insights you share on your blog!
❤️🩹
I couldn’t add more to this comprehensive list of things to thank God for each and every day. Happy Thanksgiving, Nancy!
We DO enjoy dozens of things we can thank God for each day. He IS a gracious and generous God!
Dear Nancy what a beautiful Thanksgiving reflection to read this morning. I smiled at your list.
I will add how grateful I am for God’s faithfulness in the middle of challenging times that he draws Us near to him. Too many to name. God bless you friend.
I’m so glad this Thanksgiving prayer made you smile, Jody! It IS wonderfully comforting and strengthening to see God’s faithfulness at work in and around us, especially in the middle of challenging times. He NEVER leaves us or forsakes us (Hebrews 13:5)–hallelujah!
🧡
Thank you, Mitch–and praise God for his inspiration
Wow ! Your prayer of thanksgiving was a wonderful reminder of the many things we should be thankful for. You are truly blessed, Nancy. 🙂
I have a feeling I just scratched the surface, Nancy. If I put my mind to it, I wonder how long the list would grow, celebrating who our God is and what he does?!
Happy Thanksgiving, Nancy!
Thank you, Dawn. I pray you enjoyed a celebratory day with family and/or friends that lifted your spirit!
It was a blessed time with family! Thank you for the prayers.
Amen and Happy Thanksgiving, Nancy.
Thank you, Dana. I pray you enjoyed a happy Thanksgiving also!
Thank you, Nancy, it was a wonderful time with family. I hope yours was good as well!
Much to be thankful for!✨
AMEN, R.H.!
Nancy,
The anchor of my soul when storms want to pull me apart or wash me away. Nothing in this world is solid enough to withstand soulstorms. Merry Christmas, Gary
Gary Avants Forbear Productions * *garyavants66@gmail.com garyavants66@gmail.com
You’re so right about that, Gary. God has seen me through a number of storms; He’s my Rock and my refuge (Psalm 18:2)!
✝️🤗✝️
I hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving. These are beautiful words, Nancy!!
Thank you, Jean. We did enjoy a blessed Thanksgiving–just the two of us this year. One son and family were with his wife’s clan, our daughter and family live too far away (they are coming for Christmas though), and our younger son and his wife caught Covid and couldn’t be with us. But there’s much to be said for a quiet Thanksgiving also. And we look forward to Christmas when we’ll all be together for five glorious days!
I’m grateful to have found your blog, Nancy, since your words celebrate God as effectively as our pastor’s weekly sermons. Your prayer feels “fresh”, as if you woke up last Thursday and captured the moment’s thoughts on paper. I hope they set the tone for a beautiful day with family and/or friends.
Thank you, Dave, for your encouragement. To be honest, this prayer was not written Thanksgiving morning, but I did complete the final revisions and edits at that time! We ended up spending the day as just a twosome, but delightful nonetheless. (See my comment to Jean Wise above for details!)
We’re in a similar stage of life Nancy, where our kids have their own families and belong in their own homes for the holidays. We’ll be with our son in Dallas this Christmas – our first one away from home! Life’s pages are turning…
Yes, we mustn’t become too attached to one page. “Blessed are the flexible,” my husband often says. I pray you enjoyed a blessed time in Dallas!
Nancy, your reflections through this prayer encourage others, including myself, to share gratitude toward our heavenly Father. I embrace the witness of these thoughts about God’s Word: an anchor of truth in a sea of lies. My own prayer shares gratitude to God for family and faith. He has blessed Colleen and I with a family who walk with the Lord daily. He has strengthened faith when we’ve encountered a turbulent storm.
I’m so glad you found encouragement here, Richard. And thank you for adding your affirmation that God does indeed strengthen our faith when we encounter the storms of life. I can’t imagine trying to cope in life without him; I know you feel the same!
I thank my Lord for His wisdom. Often, He did not give me my heart’s desires which broke my heart. But He ALWAYS knows what is best for His children.
AMEN, and praise God he DOES know best–he’s not just floundering about and hoping for the best! I’m especially fond of a John Flavel quote when the “why” questions beg to be answered. I’ve probably included it in blog posts at least 2-3 times: “It may support your heart to consider that in these troubles God is performing that work in which your soul would rejoice–if you did see the design of it” (from his book, Keeping the Heart, published in 1668). That thought helps to settle my mind.
This was such a beautiful Thanksgiving prayer! I love the verses you chose and the photographs. The last photo is very compelling. Amidst the turbulent seas of life, God is our refuge. (Psalm 46:1), “God is our refuge and strength.” I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I’m so glad you found beauty here, Linda. Praise God for his inspiration as he helped me gather, compose, revise, and edit! We did enjoy a quiet Thanksgiving, just the two of us. Now we’re looking forward to the whole family gathering for five days at Christmastime!
Dear one, a beautiful prayer not only for Thanksgiving but also for Advent, for every season of the year.
The alert attentiveness, the compassionate mercy. All of it. Thank You, Jesus.
Indeed–thank you Jesus for ALL of it! And thank you A.B. for stopping by and taking the time to comment.
Nancy, it’s me, Linda Stoll! I have no idea who A B is!
Linda Stoll, M.S., BCPC, BCMHC @ Grace & Space https://lindastoll.substack.com/ text – 845.264.2455
Oh, that’s too funny! How on earth do you suppose that happened?! (No need to answer–unless you have a theory you want to share!😁)
Beautiful!
Thank you, Katie. Praise God for his inspiration!