"By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." (Hebrews 13:15)

Widely celebrated in the United States is the national holiday Thanksgiving. We are encouraged to recognize the bounty and wonder of our land, and express gratitude in some formal way.

In many homes, however, thanks have become a vague expression of happiness for prosperity rather than a "sacrifice of praise" to our El Shaddai.

Would you pray this prayer of thanksgiving with me?

O, Lord God of heaven and earth, our finite minds and feeble speech can never produce fitting praise of Thee. Although our hearts sometime fill with gratitude and overflow with the joy of knowing Thee, we stumble at our innermost thoughts. Please hear the groaning of our spirit as we try to hold Thee to our breast. Please, Father, receive our childlike thanks and our murmured whispers of love.

And, O Father in heaven, we thank Thee for Thy mercy. Every day we claim its renewed power. Every day we must have Thy mercy extended to our lives.

Help us, O God, to heed the prompting of Thy Spirit in our hearts and to obey Thy Word. We accept the gentle chastening of Thy loving hand and yield to Thy voice.

We gratefully acknowledge that all things come from Thee, and we pray that Thy bounty would supply our daily bread, and that Thy mercy and grace would forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. HMM III