Gratitude Practice and Prompts -- Prayers for Thanksgiving

Scott Clark
4 days ago
2 min read

Photo credit: Aaron Burden, used with permission via Unsplash

In worship Sunday, November 23, 2025, Pastor Scott shared the following gratitude practice and prompts:

A practice of gratitude is simply taking time during the day to notice the good and give thanks.

You can set aside a regular time to do this – in the morning as the day gets started, at close of day when you look back over the day just lived.

Or, you can do this throughout the day, whenever gratitude arises in you: You notice something good; stop, don’t rush on to the next thing; say/pray thank you.

In any moment, just ask: For what am I grateful today?

Here are some gratitude prompts to get you started. Pick one. Or two.

· Something good that you did not create and that you did not earn – it just came your way.

· Someone you love.

· Someone whose love you have experienced.

· Someone who has helped you along the way.

· Someone who has been a benefactor or mentor to you.

· A challenge from which you learned.

· Some bit of healing you have seen in others or felt in your own bones.

· God.

· Some part of creation, an experience of nature

· Standing on the other side of something you thought you could not get through.

· Those who helped you move through.

· A word of correction, spoken to you, offered in love.

· A word of wisdom that has made a difference in your life – could be Scripture; could be from a wise one, an elder or a child; could be a word of poetry...

· The good thing that just happened.

· A good thing that is coming to mind from years ago.

· A public servant/leader whom you think is doing the right thing.

· An experience of community.

· Something that surprised you (in a good way).

· A new idea, insight, or way of seeing things.

And if you want to take a next step and then live out this gratitude, here are examples of concrete actions of gratitude you can bring to life. Try one. Or two.

· Say thank you to God. Do this more throughout the day.

· Say thank you to someone. Do this more throughout the day.

· Give a call.

· Write a note.

· Write your gratitudes down (for instance, in a gratitude journal), and watch for patterns over time.

· Without taking or expecting credit, commit an act of kindness to keep the good flowing in the world.