Say Grace: Thanksgiving Mealtime Blessings and Prayers
Whether you are celebrating Thanksgiving with family or alone—in person or on Zoom—it is valuable to take a moment for a prayer of thanks.
A Gratitude Meditation for Thanksgiving, and Every Day
No matter the circumstance, Thanksgiving can be observed as a sacred day of gratitude, when we come to the table with love and appreciation for friends and family and life itself.
Anytime we sit down to eat, whether alone or with others, taking a moment to bless the meal and express thankfulness for abundance allows our hearts to pause on the good in the world.
When we express gratitude before a meal, we gather in the spirit of thanksgiving. With a prayer over our table, we acknowledge the blessings and abundance in our lives.
In this special season of love and gratitude, Unity ministers and friends share mealtime blessings for Thanksgiving and any meal.
Thanksgiving Table Grace
For the food that fills us, for the joy that lifts us, for the ties that bind us, and for the love that blesses us, we are so grateful. Amen.
—Rev. Teresa Burton
Blessings for Thanksgiving
As we gather together in new and creative ways this holiday season,
We come into awakening to our humanity.
We come into the realization of oneness.
We come into gratitude for the spectrum of diversity.
We come into loving each person as we feel the energetic strands of connection.
Today we create new traditions of thanksgiving and celebration.
—Rev. Sheree Taylor-Jones
A Thanksgiving Prayer
On this Thanksgiving Day, I express appreciation for everyone and everything that shares my world. As I bow my head, I open my heart and know that I am truly blessed.
—Veronica Walker-Douglas
A Prayer for Holiday Gatherings on Zoom
In gratitude for the divine technology that brings us together across the miles, we open our hearts and eyes in prayer, sending love to every member of this group through the screen.
Feeling the distance disappear and joining as one, we appreciate our food, our shelter, our lives, and the love we share.
Expanding outward, we make room for everyone in our town, our country, and our world within our sacred circle. For blessings sent and received, we say Amen.
—Trish Yancey, CSE, LUT
Prayer of Thanks
We acknowledge God as the source of our supply.
We give thanks for this food as just one manifestation of our abundant good.
We bless the loving hands of those who prepared this wonderful meal for us.
Amen.
—Rev. Michael Jamison
Table for One
Today, I am grateful for all the blessings that used to be,
For the ones that surround me right now and
The space of possibility within me.
For this meal, may it serve to nourish my body, and
For the blessings in my life, thank you!
At this table for one,
I am in the good company of my soul and for that
I am grateful. Blessed be!
—Rev. Kathy Beasley
Table Grace for When I Dine Alone
As I approach this meal alone at the table, may I be fully aware that God is here with me, lifting me up, nourishing me with this food, guiding me in rich and loving memories, sustaining me through all those who support me in prayer and other ways.
May my heart be open to these gifts, and may I experience this day wrapped in the warmth of your love for me, knowing I am never alone in you.
—Rev. Peggy Konkel
The Blessing of the Table
Upon this table,
Every element of this meal supports the nourishment of our bodies,
While the light of those gathered around this same table
Supports the nourishment of our souls.
We are grateful and thankful.
Amen. Ashe. And so it is!
—Rev. Kathy Beasley
I Am: An Affirmation for Mealtime
I am thankful, grateful, and blessed for the people in my life.
I am thankful, grateful, and blessed for the purpose in my life.
I am thankful, grateful, and blessed for the joy in my life.
I am thankful, grateful, and blessed every day of my life.
—Lila Herrmann
Grateful for the Food of Body and Soul
In prayer, we join our hearts and minds in a vast field of gratitude—thankful for this food, those who produced it, those who prepared it, and for friends and family with whom we share it. We are immensely grateful for this bounty that feeds our bodies and these cherished friends who feed our souls.
—Rev. Paul Hasselbeck
A Thanksgiving Meal
A serving of love to bring worldwide harmony to all people.
A serving of life to give energy and vitality to our bodies.
A serving of strength to persevere through dark days and difficult times.
A serving of faith to know that God will never leave nor forsake us.
Fill your plates, eat well! Refills are available!
—Blanche Kimble-Wilson
A Prayer of Gratitude and Grief
Opening now into the energy of prayer, we allow the love and gratitude we feel for those who are present to include and embrace our grief for those we have lost. Breathing deeply, we feel their essence here with us now, and we pause.
As sadness gives way to cherished memories, we hold it all sacred in our celebration today. We are grateful to be here, together, forever joined by the love we share. Thank you, God, for this love, in every form it takes. Amen.
—Trish Yancey, CSE, LUT
A Prayer for Thanks at Mealtime
Dear Spirit,
We pause to give thanks for this manifestation of abundance before us.
We bless the hands that prepared this feast—from beginning to end.
We bless one another and give thanks for this opportunity to break bread together.
In gratitude, we pray and look forward to continued blessings.
—Rev. Karen R. Shepherd
A Traditional Table Blessing for Every Day
We give thanks for family and friends joining us. We are grateful for the food before us. We bless it to our bodies’ use knowing that it strengthens us as we serve the truth in ever greater ways. We bless the hands that prepared our meal. For these our blessings, we give thanks. In the name of the living Christ. Amen.
—Rev. Ric Schumacher