Old Fashioned Prayer of Thanksgiving
If you’re old enough, you’ll remember when praying on a television program was allowed. And acceptable.
Families were shown going to church. Together. As a family. And they were even seen in church services. Imagine that!
Oh, I do love old series and old movies. {wink}
And I love the old episodes where prayers are preserved.
Three I can think of off the top of my head: A Father Knows Best Thanksgiving Prayer and Good Times (Christmas in July). And of course, the one at the end of my favorite movie, The Bishop’s Wife.
And one other.
GRIT TV network airs reruns of the old western series Tales of Wells Fargo. I watched one not too long ago that happened to be about Thanksgiving.
At the end of the episode, Jim Hardie, the main character played by Dale Robertson, shared Thanksgiving dinner with an old couple who had basically raised him. The husband had always wanted to retire and have a turkey farm.
And so they all gathered together at their humble table and in the middle of the table sat a big ol’ beautifully baked turkey. They bowed their heads and Jim prayed…
Our hearts are full, dear Lord, for the many, many blessings that You have bestowed upon us…
…for the fruit of fields and running rivers of our beloved country,
…for the time to live and enjoy them,
…for the freedom to walk with Thee,
…for all these things, dear Lord, we are eternally grateful. Amen.
Beautiful! I’d love to shake the hand of the one who wrote that. It’s so sad that television and movies have strayed so far and no longer allow words of thanksgiving like these.
This prayer reminds me of the old hymn For the Beauty of the Earth…
For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies, for the love which from our birth over and around us lies.
Refrain: Christ, our Lord, to you we raise this, our hymn of grateful praise.
But then again, maybe it’s we who have strayed so far from those words. Thanksgiving and prayers given to God are not so much in fashion or acceptable anymore. In fact, it’s ridiculed. And so are those who choose to thank Him.
Thanksgiving is always the gist, the main or essential part of any matter. For we are to give “thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” (Eph. 5:20 NKJV) that whatever we “do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Col. 3:17 NKJV)
Therefore, “Let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” (Heb. 13:15-16 NKJV)
Christ, our Lord, to You we raise, this, our hymn of grateful praise.
May your heart raise its praises continually to the Lord...Lynn
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