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Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Christmas and Easter are the best in their original intent, but those two holidays have become so commercialized that their original meaning is often lost under the focus on Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. However, Thanksgiving is so simple it’s hard to miss its significance. Just as America’s early settlers paused in the early 1600s to give thanks to God for a bountiful harvest, we pause today to thank God for His abundant goodness to us.

Thanksgiving is about our spiritual heritage. The tragic account of the Pilgrims losing over half of the original 104 settlers during the first brutal winter and then pausing to give God thanks for a bumper crop reminds us of our rich spiritual heritage. Many of America’s founders were devoted followers of Jesus Christ and sought to glorify Him.  

So this Thanksgiving may we pray:

Lord, help us remember our spiritual roots and repent of our sense of entitlement.  Inspire us to humbly return to You, because You promised, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance” (Psalm 33:12).

Thanksgiving is about delicious food. The sweet aroma of elaborate, home-cooked meals reminds us that the Lord has given us abundantly more than we need.

God, we thank You that we eat like the kings of yesterday. Forgive us for complaining that the turkey is dry or the potatoes are lumpy. Thank You for our daily bread… and Derby Pie!

Thanksgiving is about needed relaxation. I admit, I’m not the one cooking the meal, but it seems to me that Thanksgiving is less stressful than most holidays. It lacks the pressure of last-minute shopping, complex decorations, hectic gift-wrapping, and all the seasonal expectations. Brief Thanksgiving afternoon naps are not uncommon, and the four-day weekend provides a much-needed break from the pressures of life.

Dear Lord, thank You for peaceful times to rest and replenish our energy. Forgive our feverish ways and help us to be still and know You.

Thanksgiving is about meaningful relationships. The fourth Thursday in November is a time for family and loved ones to reconnect, reminisce, and remind each other that we genuinely care. In the evening, as family members prepare to leave, we hug and mumble,  Be sure to call if you need me… love you!”

Heavenly Father, we thank You for our family and close friends. Help us to draw closer to one another this season, because we need to bear one another’s burdens. Your Word teaches that love “…always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:7–8).  And Lord, please bring special comfort to those who celebrate the holidays alone.

Most of all, Thanksgiving is about appropriate gratitude. I’m convinced gratitude is one of the most important virtues in life. Hebrews 12:28 in the Living Bible reads, “Since we have a Kingdom nothing can destroy, let us please God by serving Him with thankful hearts and with holy fear and awe.”

Father, forgive our whining, griping, and complaining. We’re like the Israelites in the wilderness—freedom from slavery wasn’t enough, daily manna wasn’t enough, fresh water from a rock wasn’t enough, the shade of a cloud by day and the warmth of a pillar of fire by night somehow weren’t enough. We’re always wanting more. Lord, we don’t deserve Your goodness—we deserve Your wrath. Thank You that You are “…gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love” (Psalm 145:8). Forgive our spiritual blindness. You have given us so much. Please give us one more thing… grateful hearts. In the name of Jesus, our Savior who gave His lifeblood for us.

Amen.