Thanksgiving Prayer

Each Atrium session ends with a few minutes at the prayer table, as we gather for Communal Prayer. In Children’s House (Level I), this prayer is led by the adult, with many opportunities for the children to suggest songs and contribute their prayers of thanks and praise. In Elementary (Levels II and III), the children take on more of a role in leading prayer until they are able to plan and lead prayer for all of us completely on their own.
Many children, as they begin to write, enjoy making prayer cards or booklets of prayer cards. In elementary, they continue this but also move into writing Scripture verses and Hebrew prayer cards (Alleluia, Amen, etc. in Hebrew characters).

This past week, three 3rd grade children planned and lead prayer. They began by looking up “thanks” in a concordance and chose both a Psalm and Scripture reading for their prayer. Then they chose music and wrote prayers of thanks, instead of petitions, and practiced their readings and leadership roles in order to guide all of us in prayer. Here is their Thanksgiving Prayer…

Opening Song: “Thank you, Lord, for giving us Life.” (Second verse: Joy)
Psalm: 107:1-9. “Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, his mercy endures forever!”
   1. Give thanks to the LORD for he is good,
        his mercy endures forever!
   2. Let that be the prayer of the LORD’s redeemed,
        those redeemed from the hand of the foe,
   3. Those gathered from foreign lands,
        from east and west, from north and south.
   4. Some had lost their way in a barren desert;
        found no path toward a city to live in.
   5. They were hungry and thirsty;
        their life was ebbing away.
   6. In their distress they cried to the LORD,
        who rescued them in their peril.
   7. Guided them by a direct path
        so they reached a city to live in.
   8. Let them thank the LORD for his mercy,
        such wondrous deeds for the children of Adam.
   9. For he satisfied the thirsty,
        filled the hungry with good things.
Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
   “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing, in all circumstances give thanks,
     for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.”

Prayers of Thanks: Response: “Amen.”
  1. Lord we thank you for Pope Francis and for keeping him and all the priests healthy.
  2. Lord we thank you for the Atrium and a chance to learn about your love for us.
  3. Lord we thank you for all the blessings you have given our families.
  4. Lord we thank you for the whole universe and all your gifts of creation for us.
Closing Song: “Give Thanks to the Lord, Always.” (Tune: “Rejoice in the Lord, Always.”)

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