Thanksgiving Prayer for Family

Philippians 1:3

Philippians 1:3 is from the letter Paul and Timothy wrote to the church at Philippi, in which Paul, writing in chains, tells the believers there that he thanks God every time he remembers them.

Father, I thank You every time I remember my family. Thank You for each one You have given me: the ones at my table today, the ones far away, and the ones I miss. You began a good work in us; carry it on. Where we are tired or at odds, bring us close. Keep us in Your love this year and always. Amen.

Philippians 1:3 is from the letter Paul and Timothy wrote to the church at Philippi, in which Paul, writing in chains, tells the believers there that he thanks God every time he remembers them.

The Scripture

“I thank my God every time I remember you.”
— Philippians 1:3

Prayer points from Philippians 1:3

Thank God for each family member by name, one at a time.
Remember something good each one has brought into your life.
Pray for those who are far away or unable to come home.
Ask God to carry on His good work in each of them.
Bring Him any strained relationship and ask for peace.
Thank Him for those you miss, and entrust them to Him.

About this verse

Paul wrote to the church in Philippi while he was in chains, and he begins not with his troubles but with thanks: “I thank my God every time I remember you. In every prayer for all of you, I always pray with joy.” These were people who had stood with him “from the first day until now.” He doesn’t thank God for them in general; he remembers them, and the remembering turns into prayer. That is what a Thanksgiving prayer for family can be. Before the busy day, the travel and the cooking, stop and remember the people God has given you one by one, including the hard to love and the ones no longer at the table. Paul adds a promise worth praying over every family: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.” This prayer is for anyone who wants to thank God for their family this Thanksgiving, whether the family is gathered close, scattered far, or grieving someone missing.

When to pray this prayer

On Thanksgiving morning, before family arrives
Before the meal, as a blessing over everyone at the table
When family is far away and you can’t be together
When the holiday brings tension and you need grace
In the first Thanksgiving after losing someone
On the drive home after the gathering

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