Thanksgiving Blessings to Say at the Table

These traditional Thanksgiving blessings are Christian prayers for sharing at your table. Consider saying these simple, straightforward blessings as you gather to enjoy fellowship and a meal with family and friends on Thanksgiving Day.

Psalm 100 (New Living Translation)

A psalm of thanksgiving.
Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. (NLT)

Thanksgiving Table Blessing

By Patricia Gore

Thank You, God
For the food we are about to eat,
For those who are here
To share these blessings,
For the generosity of our hosts
That make this possible.
Bless those who are here
And those who are in our hearts,
And all those who are not
As fortunate on this day.
Amen.

Moravian Blessing

This short and simple prayer is an oft-cited translation of a traditional Moravian thanksgiving blessing.

Come, Lord Jesus, our guest to be
And bless these gifts
Bestowed by Thee.
And bless our loved ones everywhere,
And keep them in Your loving care. 

We Give Thanks to You

By Ethel Faye Grzanich

As we bow our heads to pray, we give thanks to you God, for this Thanksgiving Day.

We thank you, Father, for our families, friends, and for all the blessings, both big and small, that you pour out on us each day.

We give thanks to you for this food and for the hands that have prepared it. We ask your blessings upon this meal: that it will nourish our bodies and refresh our souls.

We give thanks to you for this wonderful time together, and for each one present here today.

We ask you, dear Lord, let each one of us feel your love, comfort, and presence in our lives today and every day.

Let us not forget those who can't be here with us today. We give thanks to you for them, too. We miss our loved ones, Lord, but we are thankful for all the good times that we had with them.

We know, Lord, that this life is not all there is; that the best is yet to come if we live for you. So, help us each day to live our lives in ways that honor and please you. And we'll not forget to give you all the praise and glory.

In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

I Thank Thee

"I Thank Thee" is a beautiful Thanksgiving prayer. This Christian poem was originally written by Jane Crewdson (1860) as a prayer of thankfulness to God for all things in life, both the good and the bad, the bitter and the sweet. The poem has also been put to song in a hymn. Alternate titles for this work are "O Thou, Whose Bounty," and "At All Times."

O Thou whose bounty fills my cup,
With every blessing meet!
I give Thee thanks for every drop—
The bitter and the sweet.

I praise Thee for the desert road,
And for the riverside;
For all Thy goodness hath bestowed,
And all Thy grace denied.

I thank Thee for both smile and frown,
And for the gain and loss;
I praise Thee for the future crown
And for the present cross.

I thank Thee for both wings of love
Which stirred my worldly nest;
And for the stormy clouds which drove
Me, trembling, to Thy breast.

I bless Thee for the glad increase,
And for the waning joy;
And for this strange, this settled peace
Which nothing can destroy.

We Thank Thee

By Ralph Waldo Emerson
For flowers that bloom about our feet,
Father, we thank Thee.
For tender grass so fresh, so sweet,
Father, we thank Thee.
For the song of bird and hum of bee,
For all things fair we hear or see,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee.
For blue of stream and blue of sky,
Father, we thank Thee.
For pleasant shade of branches high,
Father, we thank Thee.
For fragrant air and cooling breeze,
For beauty of the blooming trees,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee.
For this new morning with its light,
Father, we thank Thee.
For rest and shelter of the night,
Father, we thank Thee
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee.

King David's Song of Thanksgiving

Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.
Let the whole world know what he has done.
Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.
Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.
Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the Lord.  

1 Chronicles 16:8–10 (NLT)

A Thanksgiving Prayer

By Mary Fairchild

Heavenly Father, on Thanksgiving Day
We bow our hearts to You and pray.

We give You thanks for all You've done
Especially for the gift of Jesus, Your Son.

For beauty in nature, Your glory we see
For joy and health, friends and family,

For daily provision, Your mercy, and care
These are the blessings You graciously share.

So today we offer this response of praise
With a promise to follow You all of our days.