It is Thanksgiving season. Here is an idea for a prayer of thanksgiving for the whole family to enjoy.
A Prayer of Thanksgiving for the Whole Family
The Bible is full of advice for us to “give thanks”. God has given us so much in life to richly enjoy but it is easy to get caught up in the stress and busyness of homeschooling that we can forget to model simple thanksgiving for our kids.
I was blessed to speak for a MOPS group the other day, and since it is Thanksgiving season, I shared a simple prayer of thanksgiving for the whole family. I thought I’d share it here.
It goes like this.
When the family is together, have everyone look back through the day. If they think about it, no matter what kind of day it was, they will notice that God has been at work. Have each person share at least one way they have seen God working that day.
Did they notice that God had created something beautiful to enjoy in the world around them?
(A lovely sunset, a sparkly night sky, a pretty flower, a singing bird?) These are all God’s handiwork. As our kids learn to notice the beauty that God has created around us, it helps them grow an attitude of thanksgiving.
Did they notice God’s work in someone else’s life?
Did a sibling help them with a chore or a math problem? Were they able to understand a Scripture better? Did they notice God blessing a friend or neighbor? Noticing the ways that God is at work in others helps develop an attitude of appreciation.
Did they notice God’s work in them?
Each day God is showing each of us something. Did He help them keep their patience? Learn a Scripture? Understand algebra? An attitude of noticing God’s personal work helps develop trust.
These three simple questions are actually one form of an old prayer practice called the Ignatian Examen. (You can download more instructions on the Ignatian Examen in this freebie).
Another way to pray gratefully is to do some prayer journaling.
Prayer journals (especially those with prompts) are an excellent way to recalibrate to work noticing God’s work daily. When we notice His work, we can be more thankful!
As each person develops habits of noticing God’s work, everyone can grow in obedience to the call to be thankful. Thus, this becomes a lovely prayer of thanksgiving for the whole family.
There are lots of prayer activities similar to this one in 7Sisters’ Prayer Journals.
Also check out these uplifting posts:
- 7 Simple Ways to Help Teens Build a Prayer Life
- How to be More Thankful this Year (Homeschool Highschool Podcast)
- 10 reasons our kids are thankful for homeschooling
- The Importance of Teaching Teens an Attitude of Gratitude
- Thanksgiving: A Philosopher Explains Why We Have Traditions
- Need a little encouragement? You’re our friend Anita Gibson says that you’re the RIGHT parent for your homeschooler.
7Sisters email subscribers receive periodic practical encouragement, special offers and NO SPAM EVER.
Click the image above to periodically receive real homeschool value in your inbox.
