PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AFTER THE OFFERING

When Holy Communion is celebrated, The Great Thanksgiving follows the offering. When Holy Communion is not celebrated, a prayer such as one of the following is appropriate after the Offering.

Almighty and forgiving God,
we your unworthy servants give you most humble thanks
for all your goodness and loving kindness,
to us and to all whom you have made.
We bless you for our creation, preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for your immeasurable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ,
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
Give us such an awareness of your mercies,
that our hearts may be thankful,
and that we may show forth your praise,
not only with our lips, but in our lives,
by giving up ourselves to your service
and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be all honor and glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
(THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER, U.S.A., 1928 p.19, ALT.)

Almighty and most merciful God,
from you comes every good and perfect gift.
We give you praise and thanks for all your mercies.
Your goodness has created us, your bounty has sustained us,
your discipline has chastened us, your patience has borne with us,
your love has redeemed us.
Give us a heart to love and serve you,
and enable us to show our thankfulness for all your goodness and mercy
by giving up ourselves to your service,
and cheerfully submitting in all things to your blessed will;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
(THE BOOK OF WORSHIP 1965, ALT.)

All things come from you, O God,
and with gratitude we return to you what is yours.
You created all that is, and with love formed us in your image.
When our love failed, your love remained steadfast.
You gave your only Son Jesus Christ to be our Savior.
All that we are, and all that we have, is a trust from you.
And so, in gratitude for all your gifts,
we offer you ourselves, and all that we have,
in union with Christ's offering for us.
By your Holy Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other,
and one in ministry to all the world;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
(HOYT L. HICKMAN, U.S.A., 20TH CENT., ALT.)

Almighty God, giver of every good and perfect gift,
teach us to render to you all that we have and all that we are,
that we may praise you, not with our lips only,
but with our whole lives,
turning the duties, the sorrows, and the joys of all our days
into a living sacrifice to you;
through our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
(THE BOOK OF WORSHIP 1965, ALT.)

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Copyright: Items from the Book of Worship 1965 are Copyright © 1964, 1965 Board of Publications of The Methodist Church, Inc., Renewal © 1992 UMPH. “All things come from you, O God” by Hoyt Hickman, from The Worship Resources of The United Methodist Hymnal, p. 51, Copyright © 1989 UMPH.