A Puritan Prayer for Thanksgiving

As all of my American readers are very well aware of, Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Tomorrow, Thursday, if you live in the States. Although Thanksgiving is an American holiday, I am thankful for the opportunity to celebrate it here in Spain too! I will be hosting una gran cena (a great dinner) here on Saturday night. And I cannot wait!! All week long (Ok make that all month long) I've been preparing for this Saturday. Collecting recipes. Ordering a 10 kilo turkey from the butcher shop. Calling my mom to get her stuffing, broccoli casserole and ambrosia salad recipe. Grocery shopping in several locations to gather all those American ingredients I need (...Just found cheddar cheese, btw and I was SO excited!) Ironing tablecloths and napkins. Etc. Etc.

But as much as this holiday is about the food and...well and more food...ultimately it's about being Thankful. And we as believers have the most to be thankful for, right? The Gospel! The Cross! Jesus' ultimate sacrifice of love for us! What a privilege to set aside a whole day and especially one great dinner just for the purpose of being thankful for the Lord and all He has done for us as His children!

Every guest at our table this year (And there are 11) will be given a poem or verse or proclamation to read. To stimulate and encourage our thankfulness and gratitude. Tonight I was typing them up and was so encouraged by them. So I would like to share over these next few days some of these selections and I hope your heart is encouraged to be thankful like mine has been!

To begin, here is a Puritan Prayer for Thanksgiving...

A Puritan Prayer for Thanksgiving

O MY GOD,

Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects,

our hearts admire, adore, love thee,

for our little vessels are as full as they can be,

and we would pour out all that fullness before thee in ceaseless flow.

When we think upon and converse with thee

ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up,

ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed,

ten thousand refreshing joys spread over our hearts,

crowding into every moment of happiness.

We bless thee for the soul thou has created,

for adorning it, sanctifiying it, though it is fixed in barren soil;

for the body thou has given us,

for preserving its strength and vigour;

for the ease and freedom of our limbs,

for hands, eyes, ears that do thy bidding;

for thy royal bounty providing our daily support,

for a full table and overflowing cup,

for appetite, taste, sweetness,

for social joys of relatives and friends,

for ability to serve others,

for hearts that feel sorrows and necessities,

for minds to care for our fellow men,

for opportunities of spreading happiness around,

for loved ones in the joys of heaven,

for our own expectations of seeing thee clearly.

We love thee above the powers of language to express,

for what thou art to thy creatures.

Increase our love, O our God, through time and eternity.