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A Thanksgiving Prayer from the First Century

A Thanksgiving Prayer from the First Century

Last updated on: November 28, 2024 at 5:55 am by Gene Veith

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A Thanksgiving Prayer from the First Century 2024-11-27T07:37:41-05:00 Gene Veith

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This Thanksgiving, pray a prayer from the earliest days of the Christian church.

Crossway has just come out with an anthology prayers from throughout the history of the church, edited by Jonathan W. Arnold and Zachariah M. Carter: Cloud of Witnesses: A Treasury of Prayers and Petitions through the Ages. This one is from the Didache, perhaps the earliest non-Biblical document from the early church, from the second generation of Christians, some of whom may have known the Apostles. (For an online translation, go here.)

This is from Cloud of Witnesses:

Prayer of Thanksgiving

The Didache (ca. 100)

Holy Father, we thank you for your holy name, which you have caused to dwell in our hearts. And we thank you for the knowledge and faith and immortality that you have made known to us through Jesus, your servant. To you be glory forever. You, the Almighty Lord of all, created everything for the sake of your name.

You have given food and drink to humanity for their enjoyment so that they would give you thanks. But to us, you have given spiritual food and drink and eternal life through your servant. Above all, we give thanks to you because you are all powerful. To you be glory forever.

Remember, oh Lord, your church, to deliver her from all evil and to perfect her in your love. Gather her from the four winds once she has been sanctified for the kingdom you have prepared for her, for yours is the power and glory forever.

May grace arrive and let this world pass away. Hosanna to the God of David. If anyone is holy, let him come. If he is not, let him repent. Maranatha. Amen.

Illustration: The Cubiculum of the Veiled Woman in the Catacombs of Priscilla, photo by Kristicak via CC BY SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Note: This is a picture of the Christian woman who was buried here, in these catacombs. The image on the left shows her wedding, which was conducted by a bishop. The image on the right shows her with her baby. The central image shows her praying.

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