Friday Prayer / A Day of Remembrance and Thanksgiving

September 11th is a day of tragedy for our country, and a day of celebration for our church. 

Today’s prayer is focused on Thanksgiving. 

September 11th is a day of sober remembrance, but for us, at Trinity Lake Nona it is also a day of gratitude, as we remember our first public worship service which was four years ago today. 

Join Cynthia and I as we reflect on the past four years and offer up these prayers of thanksgiving:

A LITANY OF THANKSGIVING

Let us give thanks to God our Father for all his gifts so freely bestowed upon us: For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and sky and sea, 
We thank you, Lord. 

For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and our friends, 
We thank you, Lord. 

For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve, We thank you, Lord. For health and strength to work, and time to rest and worship, 
We thank you, Lord. 

For all who are patient in suffering and faithful in adversity, 
We thank you, Lord. 

For all who earnestly seek after truth, and all who labor for justice, 
We thank you, Lord. 

For all that is good and gracious in the lives of men and women, revealing the image of Christ, 
We thank you, Lord. 

For the communion of saints, in all times and places, 
We thank you, Lord. 

Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord; To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever.  Amen

A THANKSGIVING PRAYER

Accept, O Lord, our thanks and praise for all that you have done for us. We thank you for the splendor of the whole creation, for the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life, and for the mystery of love. We thank you for the blessing of family and friends, and for the loving care which surrounds us on every side. We thank you for setting us at tasks that demand our best efforts, and for leading us to accomplishments that satisfy and delight us. We thank you also for those disappointments and failures that lead us to acknowledge our dependence on you alone. Above all, we thank you for your Son Jesus Christ; for the truth of his Word and the example of his life; for his steadfast obedience, by which he overcame temptation; for his dying, through which he conquered death; and for his rising to life again, in which we are raised to the life of your kingdom. Grant us the gift of your Spirit, that we may know Christ and make Him known; and through him, at all times and in all places, may give thanks to you in all things.  Amen.

FOR MILITARY VETERANS

O Judge of the nations, we thank you with grateful hearts for the men and women of our country who in the day of decision ventured much for the liberties we now enjoy. Grant that we may not rest until all the people of this land share the benefits of true freedom and gladly accept its disciplines. This we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

FOR THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH

Almighty God, you sent your Son Jesus Christ to reconcile the world to yourself: We praise and bless you for those whom you have sent in the power of the Spirit to preach the Gospel to all nations. We thank you that in all parts of the earth a community of love has been gathered together by their prayers and labors and that in every place your servants call upon your Name; for the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours, forever and ever.  Amen.