If your worship this Thanksgiving will also include prayers for those less fortunate—perhaps those starving in East Africa—here’s a prayer of intercession you might consider using.
Our Father, who brings heaven to earth,
merciful and mighty Son who guards our hearts,
compassionate and counselling Spirit who walks with us,
we stand in prayer with our Christian brothers and sisters around the world,
in places where food is scarce and hunger powerful.
And with them we pray for your light to burn brightly on their work.
As we pour out our prayers, pour out your mercy to answer us.
Merciful and mighty Son,
sender of good gifts, bringer of life, worker of miracles,
you have given your church your own heart.
Help us, through our prayers and actions,
to enable local churches to lift the broken;
to release the potential which resides in even the poorest communities.
As we pour out our prayers, pour out your mercy to answer us.
Compassionate and counselling Spirit,
we commit ourselves, as part of your global church movement,
to play our part in bringing a kingdom of justice;
in bringing spiritual and material transformation into the darkest places,.
in being part of the church
and releasing its potential to be your agent of change in the poorest of places.
As we pour out our prayers, pour out your mercy to answer us.
Holy Trinity, all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful,
we call out to you,
and ask that you will bless the people of [insert region].
We seek your light to shine on the work of your people there.
We seek an end to all poverty – spiritual and material.
Both in [insert region] and around your world.
Hear us, your servants.
So we pray for strength to fulfill your call to us,
to care for the orphan,
to feed the hungry,
to release the potential of poor communities
so that they may find a better future.
Hear us, your servants.
Amen.
—from the We are Church harvest resource prepared by Tearfund and posted on their website.
For more creative worship resources for Thanksgiving Sunday or Harvest celebrations, click on Thanksgiving Sunday in the list of “Labels” at the lower right side of the page, or see this Thanksgiving Day Resources index.
