Thanksgiving prayer
Someone usually gets asked to say grace at Thanksgiving, often without warning. These Thanksgiving prayers are ready for the table, from a short blessing to a fuller family prayer, plus prayers for the harder parts of the holiday.
Prayers to pray now
A short Thanksgiving blessing
Lord, thank You for this food, for the hands that prepared it, and for the people around this table. Bless our time together. Amen.
A Thanksgiving prayer for family and friends
Gracious God, we are grateful. Thank You for this meal, for the table that holds it, and for each person gathered here.
Thank You for the year behind us: for the joys we celebrated and for Your faithfulness in the things that were hard.
Make us people who give thanks in every circumstance, not just today. Help us share what we have with those who have less.
Bless this food to our bodies and this time to our hearts. In Jesus' name, amen.
A Thanksgiving prayer for those who are missing
Lord, there is an empty chair this year. Thank You for the one we miss and for the love they gave us. Comfort us as we remember, and let gratitude and grief sit together at this table. Amen.
A Thanksgiving prayer for children to pray
Thank You, God, for food to eat, for family and friends, and for loving me. Amen.
A prayer of gratitude
Father, before I ask You for anything, I want to thank You: for life, for grace, for daily bread, and for never leaving me. Amen.
When and how to pray this
If you are asked to pray at the table, keep it to about thirty seconds: thank God for the food and the cooks, the people present, and one blessing from the year. Mentioning someone who is missing, gently, can be a gift to a grieving family.
To make gratitude last past one meal, try praying a prayer of thanks each morning through November.
Bible verses to pray
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
Psalm 100:4 (KJV)
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV)
O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psalm 107:1 (KJV)
Questions people ask
What is a good Thanksgiving prayer?
A good Thanksgiving prayer thanks God for the food, the people who made it, the people gathered, and the blessings of the year. The short blessing on this page takes about fifteen seconds to say.
What is a prayer of thanksgiving?
A prayer of thanksgiving is a prayer that thanks God for who He is and what He has done, rather than asking for something. Psalm 100:4 describes entering God's presence with thanksgiving.
How do I start a Thanksgiving prayer?
Begin by addressing God, such as "Lord" or "Gracious God", then say thank you for the food and the people at the table. From there, add one or two blessings from the year.
When is Thanksgiving in 2026?
U.S. Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November, which is Thursday, November 26, in 2026. Many families pray before the meal.