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Family Prayer

New Year’s Prayers and Blessings

With the passing of every Christmas comes the turn of the New Year, are you ready for that number to go up once more? Some feel like nothing is really different, but a new year is a door to many new opportunities.

Kick It Off With Prayer

Saying a New Year prayer, whether it’s to yourself, with your family, or with a whole party of people is a nice way to kick off the new year. Prayer can set the mood for positive changes and encourage good behavior, which is always the way to start the new year!

Why wouldn’t you want to start a new year without saying a prayer first?

Tips for New Year Prayers:

Ask God to help you better…: Chances are, you have set a few goals or resolutions. Resolutions are often (conveniently) forgotten about after the first couple of weeks of January. Don’t let yourself be that person. Commit to change, ask for God’s help, and stick with it. He’ll help if you let Him.

Pray for strength: What is it going to take to get you to stick with your guns? Strength and willpower. Who can help you find that within yourself? God. So just ask.

Tell Him your goals: If it’s just you or a whole room of people, make your goals clear aloud. Declare it. The more you put it out there, the more “real” it will feel, thus making it easier for you to accomplish what you are aiming for.

Pray temptation away: If your goal is a healthy diet, He won’t be able to hide the chocolate cake at the supermarket, but he might just be able to help you overlook it instead!

Pray for others: If this prayer is being said aloud at a party or family gathering, pray for the rest that are with you, in giving them strength to accomplish their New Year goals as well.

Safe Travels: Again, if this is at a group gathering, don’t forget to pray for their safe travels home! We all know how many intoxicated people there are on the road around this time (pray for those people as well)!

Sample Prayer

If you would like a sample New Year prayer, here’s one that takes into account most of the tips above:

Heavenly Father,

I’d like to thank you for this opportunity to start fresh in the oncoming new year. It is because of you that I navigated safely through this one and that I am at where I am today. And we, as a family, Lord, know that we are so blessed. We pray for strength to get through the hardest parts of the new year, and the many adjustments that we will be making. We pray that should temptation stumble upon our path, that we can simply look away, remembering and desiring every goal that we set. As we get closer to this new year, we ask that you keep everyone here out of harm’s way, and keep us safe in our travels back home. We know that nothing that we do compares to your glorious work, but we strive to be like you in everything we do. Let us start this new year off the right way, and that is by talking to you, God.

In your name we pray, Amen!

All you need to do in a new year prayer, like any other prayer, is just speak the truth and pray with all your heart!

Christmas Prayers for the Family

It’s so easy to get all caught up in what I like to call the “holiday shuffle,” that we often forget why we are celebrating the holiday; we almost forget what’s most important! While we are out shopping for trivial things like presents and decorations, we often fail to stop and say a prayer to the one we are celebrating for, Jesus Christ, our saviour!

Say A Christmas Prayer

It is on Christmas day that He was born, and without his birth, there would be no CHRISTmas. Although it is by his grace that we spend the holiday time with family, we should do so in honor of Him and take a moment to say a Christmas prayer.

Perhaps you often talk to God through prayer, but a Christmas prayer should be a bit different and special. Some things you want to make sure to talk about in prayer are:

Happy birthday: It is his birthday and the reason why we are celebrating Christmas, so be sure to wish him a happy birthday!

Be thankful: Tell him what you are thankful for, and be sure to thank him for your wonderful family gathering and any gifts you received. Let’s not forget about your Christmas meal, either!

Safe travels: Thank Jesus that everyone made it safely to the Christmas gathering, and pray for their safe return as well.

For those who have passed: Pray that those who can no longer join the celebration are in heaven celebrating, and that those who feel the pain of their missing presence find comfort in the Holy Spirit during this time.

Sample Prayers

While the entire family is gathered together, join hands and bow your head and pick one of these Christmas prayers to honor Christ on His birthday.

Christmas Prayer #1

Our Dear Heavenly Father, It is because of you and your sacrifices that we get to gather together on this day we now call Christmas.  What perfect way to celebrate your day than by honoring you while being with the ones we love most. We are thankful for this hot meal we get to enjoy, and pray that everyone will make it home safely tonight. In Your name we pray, AMEN!

Christmas Prayer #2

Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, we thank you for our family making it here safely today. We thank you for everything you have provided for us and wish you a Merry Christmas as we sit down to our Christmas dinner and honor you. Although today we celebrate your birth, we thank you for dying on the cross for our sins. Here’s to you! Amen!

Christmas Prayer #3

Dear Jesus, as I sit here getting emotional, searching for the right words to say, it occurs to me that there’s no right or wrong words. It is Christmas Day, your day of birth, and as we celebrate and rejoice in you, Jesus, we are thankful for everything and everyone who surrounds us. Your Spirit fills this room, the warmth is enough to light a thousand fires in our hearts. Our hearts burn for you. Let us sit and enjoy this meal as we ponder everything Christmas is all about, and let us not forget the true importance of this glorious day. In Jesus name we pray, AMEN!

Make Christmas prayer a part of your family’s Christmas traditions; after all, this day is about Him and celebrating Him with our families.

Lovely Thanksgiving Prayers for Family

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound…of the oven timer going off letting you know the turkey is done!

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, have you thought about saying a Thanksgiving prayer? For family, it might already be a tradition, whether it’s saying grace before dinner or a prayer at the conclusion of the wonderful family gathering. Maybe it’s even sharing a few Thanksgiving Bible verses with the family. Whatever the case, you probably stumbled upon this article because you were looking for a Thanksgiving prayer for family.

Of course, when it comes to saying a Thanksgiving prayer for family, the words best come from the heart. While this may be easy for some, others have a tough time finding the words, even in front of a room of people they’ve known their whole lives (I’m guilty)!

If you prefer to write your own Thanksgiving prayers, here are a few tips for you for writing a dinner prayer.

Thank God for…

Bringing the family together: Every Thanksgiving prayer for family should make at least one mention of a thank you for bringing the family together safely! After all, it wouldn’t have been possible without God, right?

The meal: Food is a huge blessing, and so many go without it on a continuous basis. Having an abundance of food should not be taken for granted, and thanking God for it is a must in a Thanksgiving prayer.

Dessert: As if the meal wasn’t enough food, you likely have a nice, warm pumpkin pie waiting to be consumed on an already full belly following your meal. Be thankful and gracious to those who provided the tasty offerings!

Special sentiments: Think of a thing or two that you are personally thankful for. Keep it related to family, whether it’s a cousin that recently won a battle against cancer, a recent family member’s accomplishment, or maybe a new addition to the family!

Sample Prayers

You are aware of what types of things to include in a Thanksgiving prayer for family, but perhaps you would still prefer to find a prayer to use instead of writing your own. There’s nothing wrong with that at all, and here’s a few examples that you can make your own:

Thanksgiving Prayer #1:

Our Father in Heaven, It is with great pleasure that we gather here today, together, and in good health. With all going on in this world, we know just how blessed we are that you have made this possible. We just thank you so much for this meal that we are about to enjoy, and pray that those who could not be with their families on this day can find total comfort in you. Thank you for the blessings! In your name we pray, AMEN!

Thanksgiving Prayer #2:

Dear God, As we sit around this table with the blessings of being able to be together face-to-face, we are thankful that you brought us here by your grace. Thank you for this warm meal, cheers, and that we get to gather today. We honor you as we enjoy this meal and the delicious pumpkin pie! Amen.

Thanksgiving Prayer #3:

Our Heavenly Father, First of all, thank you for giving us this opportunity to get together on this joyous holiday. We know that it was made possible by you, and we are overjoyed to be rejoicing in you before our meal. We are grateful for this warm food and the hands who put it together. We also pray for others who could not be with their families today. Be with them and give them comfort. Thank you for everything you continue to do for us. In God’s name we pray, amen.

When it comes to a prayer, it’s always a beautiful thing and you really cannot go wrong. Just be thankful for everything you have, every single day, even outside of the prayer. When you talk to God, it’s just you and him; finding the right words to say will come naturally.