A Method for Thanksgiving

During this week’s Wednesday evening worship and prayer, I mentioned a resource by Matthew Henry. Here’s the link to this week’s prayer.

Matthew Henry, who lived from 1662 to 1714, was an English pastor. He is best known today for his commentaries, but I’ve found his smaller work called “A Method for Prayer” to be a very helpful resource in focusing on the attributes of God and in giving thanks to God for who He is and what He has done. In the book, Henry lists the character and attributes of God, followed by corresponding prayers from Scripture. Here’s an example…


"Let us now lift up our hearts, with our eyes and hands unto God in the heavens. Let us stir up ourselves to take hold on God, his face, and to give him the glory due unto his name. Let us now attend upon the Lord without distraction, and let not our hearts be far from him, when we draw nigh unto him with our mouths, and honour him with our lips. Let us now worship God; who is a SPIRIT, in spirit and in truth...

1. We must solemnly address ourselves to that INFINITELY GREAT and GLORIOUS Being with whom we have to do, as those that are possessed with a full belief of his PRESENCE and a holy awe and reverence of his MAJESTY which we may do in such expressions as these:

- HOLY, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, which art, and Wast, and art to come.

- O thou whose name alone is JEHOVAH, and who art the most HIGH over all the earth

- O God, thou art our God, early will we seek thee; our God and we will praise thee ; our father's God and we will exalt thee.

- O thou who art the true God, the living God, the only living and true God, and the everlasting King ! The Lord our God, who is one Lord.



The book is available online for free at Google Books, here.

A version with modern text is also available from Christian Heritage Publishers.

I hope you find it a helpful resource in giving thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving,
-Dave