Thanksgiving Day Prayers

The first of these Thanksgiving Day Prayers means a lot to us because it was written during a very hard time along time ago. Many of us can relate to hard times even today. Families are struggling, many have lost their jobs, their homes and more.

When we're going through hard times, it's so easy to get anxious or stressed out about things. The writer of this Thanksgiving poem probably had a lot to grumble and complain about, like we all do, but instead he chose to focus his attention on what he could be thankful for.

There's some thee's and thou's in this one because it was written 153 years ago, but it's cool to think that even then, people struggled with the same things that we still do today.

Thanksgiving

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By Hanford Lennox Gordon (1857, during a great depression)

Father, our thanks are due to thee

For many a blessing given,

By thy paternal love and care,

From the bounty-horn of heaven.

We know that still that horn is filled

With blessings for our race,

And we calmly look thro' winter's storm

To thy loving face.

Father, we raise our thanks to Thee,

Who seldom thanked before;

And seldom bent the stubborn knee

Thy goodness to adore:

But Father, thou hast blessings poured

On all our wayward days

And now thy mercies manifold

Have filled our hearts with praise

The winter-storm may rack and roar;

We do not fear its blast;

And we'll bear with faith and fortitude

The lot that thou hast cast.

But Father, Father, O look down

On the poor and homeless head

And feed the hungry thousands

That cry to thee for bread.

Thou givest us our daily bread;

We would not ask for more;

But, Father, give their daily bread

To the multitudes of poor.

In all the cities of the land

The naked and hungry are;

O feed them with thy manna, Lord,

And clothe them with thy care.

Thou dost not give a serpent, Lord,

We will not give a stone;

For the bread and meat thou givest us

Are not for us alone.

And while a loaf is given to us

From thy all-bounteous horn

We'll cheerfully divide that loaf

With the hungry and forlorn.

Read another Thanksgiving Day Prayer here.

Put Thanksgiving Day Prayers into action!

We love how the writer shares even the little he has with others less fortunate.

We recently read that the brain cannot be stressed and thankful at the same time. So if you're feeling stressed out, put on some music that makes you smile and dance, write down 5 things you're thankful for, share something, or smile at someone and watch your stress disappear!

Funny Thanksgiving Poems

If you want to read some lighter Thanksgiving poems to help your thankful heart, head on over to our Funny Thanksgiving Poems , they'll make you jiggle with giggles even more than the cranberry jelly wiggles!

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