Faith Sharing and Thanksgiving
by Lia Icaza-Willetts, former staff member of the General Board of Discipleship

The Thanksgiving Holiday is a time for sharing love with family and friends. It is also a great time to share your faith. You can make this Thanksgiving Day a very special day by sharing prayers with your family and friends.

Christian Music
You can begin by playing your favorite Christian music in preparation for the Thanksgiving meal.

Thanksgiving Prayer Circle with Family and Friends

• Gather your family in a circle before the family meal.
• Explain that you would like to begin by asking each person to share what he or she is thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day.
• Place yourself at the end of the circle.
• Ask each person to say a sentence prayer in silence or out loud. Ask that each person squeeze the hand of the person next to him or her when he or she has finished.
• When everyone has prayed, bless the food and ask blessings upon all the people gathered in the circle and their families.

Thanksgiving Prayer
You may begin the family meal by praying the following prayer:
Loving God, we thank you for this day.
We thank you for each person gathered here.
We remember those
who could not be with us today (state their names).
We pray for your blessings upon our family and friends, upon this table,
and upon our conversation.
Bless the food that we eat and bless our lives that we may grow closer to
you every day of our lives.
Fill our hearts with love, forgiveness, and understanding for one another.
On this Thanksgiving Day, we remember the poor and the needy.
We pray for your mercy and love to surround them.
Help us to reach out to those in need and to offer a loving hand.
Help us to accept one another as Christ accepted us.
In the name of Jesus, we pray as Jesus taught us to pray:

"Our Father in heaven,
hallowed by your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not bring us to the time of trial,
but rescue us from the evil one" (Matt. 6:9-13).
Amen

Reading a Psalm and Sharing Testimony
A special way to share your faith with your family and friends is to find a part of a Psalm that speaks to your heart, read it, and then share your testimony.

A testimony could be sharing what God has done in your life, sharing when you accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, talking about a time when you felt the presence of God, or counting your blessings and offering a prayer of thanksgiving for the blessings that God has given you this year. Close with a blessing such as:

Loving God, we pray for your blessing upon our families and friends.
Bless all who are in need of shelter, food, and love on this day.
Bless our lives and embrace us in your loving arms. In Jesus name. Amen.