Family and Friend Thanksgiving Materials

Holidays are great opportunities to have a sacred moment at home as an extended family or group of friends. It is natural to share something special of your faith with others during these times.

Here are some good selections of scripture, prayers, and songs you and your family or friends can use when you get together this week for Thanksgiving Day. Use several selections or just one. You decide.

If you do not have a printer at home and live in El Paso, we are happy to print a few out for you to pass out at your family gathering. Please let us know and we’ll have them ready for you to pick up from our office or at worship on Wednesday, Thanksgiving Eve.

The 2023 materials are ready!

Thanksgiving Day prayers, scripture, and song
download pdf (three pages of material)

For Uvalde, we pray…

Risen and ascended Lord, enlighten our hearts that we may know the hope to which You have called us. Center our faith in You. Strengthen us for what lies ahead as we embrace the promise of a better future. Lord redeem, transform, heal, and redirect the hearts of all who would seek to harm others. Change the spirit within. Console and guide all who are in anguish in the aftermath of this week’s terrible evil in Uvalde.

O Lord,

have mercy.

O Christ,

have mercy.

O Lord,

have mercy.

O Christ,

hear us.

God the Father in heaven,

have mercy.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

have mercy.

God the Holy Spirit,

have mercy.

Be gracious to us.

Spare us, good Lord.

Be gracious to us.

Help us, good Lord.

From all sin, from all error, from all evil;

From the crafts and assaults of the devil; from sudden and evil death;

From pestilence and famine; from war and bloodshed; from sedition and from rebellion;

From lightning and tempest; from all calamity by fire and water; and from everlasting death:

Good Lord, deliver us.

By the mystery of Your holy incarnation; by Your holy nativity;

By Your baptism, fasting, and temptation; by Your agony and bloody sweat; by Your cross and passion; by Your precious death and burial;

By Your glorious resurrection and ascension; and by the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter:

Help us, good Lord.

In all time of our tribulation; in all time of our prosperity; in the hour of death; and in the day of judgment:

Help us, good Lord.

We poor sinners implore You

to hear us, O Lord.

To rule and govern Your holy Christian Church; to preserve all pastors and ministers of Your Church in the true knowledge and understanding of Your wholesome Word and to sustain them in holy living;

To put an end to all schisms and causes of offense; to bring into the way of truth all who have erred and are deceived;

To beat down Satan under our feet; to send faithful laborers into Your harvest; and to accompany Your Word with Your grace and Spirit:

We implore You to hear us, good Lord.

To raise those who fall and to strengthen those who stand; and to comfort and help the weakhearted and the distressed:

We implore You to hear us, good Lord.

To give to all peoples concord and peace; to preserve our land from discord and strife; to give our country Your protection in every time of need;

To direct and defend our [president/queen/king] and all in authority; to bless and protect our magistrates and all our people;

To watch over and help all who are in danger, necessity, and tribulation; to protect and guide all who travel;

To grant all women with child, and all mothers with infant children, increasing happiness in their blessings; to defend all orphans and widows and provide for them;

To strengthen and keep all sick persons and young children; to free those in bondage; and to have mercy on us all:

We implore You to hear us, good Lord.

To forgive our enemies, persecutors, and slanderers and to turn their hearts; to give and preserve for our use the kindly fruits of the earth; and graciously to hear our prayers:

We implore You to hear us, good Lord.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,

we implore You to hear us.

Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,

have mercy.

Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,

have mercy.

Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,

grant us Your peace.

O Christ,

hear us.

O Lord,

have mercy.

O Christ,

have mercy.

O Lord,

have mercy. Amen.

Evening Prayer During COVID – Service of Light & Psalms 141, 70, 23

SERVICE OF LIGHT

Jesus Christ is the Light of the world, the light no darkness can overcome. Stay with us, Lord, for it is evening, and the day is almost over. Let Your light scatter the darkness and illumine Your Church. The Spirit and the Church cry out: Come, Lord Jesus. All those who await His appearance pray: Come, Lord Jesus. The whole creation pleads: Come, Lord Jesus.

PHOS HILARON

Joyous light of glory: of the immortal Father; heavenly, holy, blessed Jesus Christ. We have come to the setting of the sun, and we look to the evening light. We sing to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: You are worthy of being praised with pure voices forever. O Son of God, O Giver of life: the universe proclaims Your glory.

THANKSGIVING FOR LIGHT

Blessèd are You, O Lord our God, king of the universe, who led Your people Israel by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Enlighten our darkness by the light of Your Christ; may His Word be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path; for You are merciful, and You love Your whole creation and we, Your creatures, glorify You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

PSALM 141

Let my prayer rise before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. O Lord, I call to You; come to me quickly; hear my voice when I cry to You. Let my prayer rise before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Set a watch before my mouth, O Lord, and guard the door of my lips. Let not my heart incline to any evil thing; let me not be occupied in wickedness with evildoers. But my eyes are turned to You, O God; in You I take refuge. Strip me not of my life. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Let my prayer rise before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

PSALM 70

Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O Lord, make haste to help me! Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life! Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire my hurt!  Let them turn back because of their shame who say, “Aha, Aha!” May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!” But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay!

PSALM 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.