A Morning Prayer of Thanksgiving

Loving God, Creator of all that has been, all that is, and all that is to come; You made us human and gave us hearts to love you and follow you.

We thank you for the many blessings you have given us over this past year. 

God, we thank you for all of the blessings you have given us throughout our lives:

Food to eat,
Clothes to wear,
Shelter from the storm,
People who love us unconditionally. 

We thank you for their love because we recognize 

that their love for us is a reflection of your love.
We acknowledge that there are times in our lives 

when we, ourselves, feel unloved and unlovable.
Give us the grace to love others, even when they 

are difficult.

We trust in your faithfulness to carry us over the rough places of life.
We trust in your love to walk with us through the difficulties of our days.
We trust in your promise of life everlasting and put all 

of our hope in you.

 

We thank you for Jesus.
We thank you that he died so that we might have eternal life.

Forgive us for our sins: 

The things you asked us to do and we failed to do 

As well as the things you told us not to do but we did anyway. 

We are sorry and we ask that you will strengthen us
So that we will always follow you.

We pray that your Holy Spirit will be felt by people who are in pain in mind, body or spirit.
help them to know that you are with them
and you are able to carry them through their trials.

Bless our church family.
Bless our community.
Bless our nation.
Bless our world. 

Enable us to live so that your will might be made manifest in the world around us. We ask all these things in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior who taught us to pray as he taught his disciples: 

(The Lord's Prayer)
 

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The Rev. Dr. LaGretta Bjorn is the pastor of the United Methodist Church of Spring Valley in Spring Valley, New York, and is a clergy member of the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.