Gratitude breeds joy

For an ardent praying person, there’s no bigger holiday than Thanksgiving.

It’s a day set aside for saying thanks. Thanks for the turkey, thanks for the cook, thanks for the fellowship, thanks to God.

All that thankfulness makes one happier. It’s a scientific fact. There is a direct link between happiness and gratitude. The more someone is thankful or feels gratitude, the less there is time or room for negative thoughts. A grateful heart is a magnet for miracles.

Here at Bell Tower Prayer, I’m thankful to you, my blog readers, and to my faithful prayer subscribers. I’ve been writing and emailing daily prayers for a year now. I chose to begin with Advent, the beginning of the Christian church year; Advent usually begins the Sunday after Thanksgiving. To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure I could pull it off, but when I began getting subscribers—who expected a fresh prayer every day for 365 days!—I dove in and accomplished the work in the same way every magnificent work gets done: one piece at a time. Let me also send up a prayer of gratitude to the divine for the time, wherewithal and talent to pull it off.

To celebrate, I’m offering a Thanksgiving dinner prayer for you here. I want you to begin you meal with gratitude. If saying a group prayer puts you on the spot, here are some words you can use before you dig into your turkey dinner today:

Heavenly God, with grateful hearts we offer you our thanks as we are about to share in this meal.

We have so much for which to be thankful. For the bounty before us, we thank you, and ask that you help us also to be generous. 

For our loved ones, gathered here, we thank you for this time together.

For our loved ones not here, we give you thanks and ask your blessing to be upon them also.

For the beauty of our world, help us to be good stewards of all that you have given us.

For the love you showed us in the gift of life itself, we thank you, and ask that you help us to be loving towards others as well. 

Help us to be vessels of your love as we go forth, nourished by our time together and by your loving presence. 

Help us to be always grateful for your great and forgiving, merciful love. 

We offer our prayers in your wondrous name,

Amen. 

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! May your day be blessed.

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If you’d appreciate a little inspiration, gratitude and radiance in your life every day, consider subscribing to a daily prayer, a reminder to connect with the Divine.