Thanksgiving is the time where families travel miles on end just to be reunited with one another to break bread and celebrate the holidays together. One of the most anticipated moments of Thanksgiving is, of course, the dinner — wherein families put in hours and hours in order to make a festive meal. Thinking of the proper prayer for such a joyous occasion can sometimes catch some off guard, and it is always better to be prepared with some beforehand.
There are a few short prayers that are quite easy to memorize, and are straight to the point, according to Busted Halo. For those who are not the loquacious type when it comes to hitting all the bases in terms of wishing everyone well, perhaps this prayer will do:
The Universal Prayer
"Thank you for the food.
Thank you for all that we have.
Bless the hungry and the homeless.
Look after those in hospitals, jails, and institutions.
Comfort the refugee and the orphan,
And grant us peace."
The prayer above is called the "Universal Prayer" since the words uttered can be applicable for all forms of faith, as well as religion. Apart from that, it is very short but sweet. However, for those who would want to be a little bit more poetic and ambitious regarding their prayers, they can look to Thanksgiving.com to find this one from Harry Jewell:
Traditional blessing
"Our Father in Heaven,
We give thanks for the pleasure
Of gathering together for this occasion.
We give thanks for this food
Prepared by loving hands.
We give thanks for life,
The freedom to enjoy it all
And all other blessings.
As we partake of this food,
We pray for health and strength
To carry on and try to live as You would have us.
This we ask in the name of Christ,
Our Heavenly Father."
This prayer may be inclined more for Christians or Catholics, but it is a simple yet beautiful one that can most assuredly move families before the meal.
