Prayer For Family Reunion Dinner
V. Lord Jesus Christ,
you are the presence of God on earth
and the revelation of his love.
You welcomed all people who came to you
and joined in the festivities of their meals.
Be with us and bless our family gathering
with your presence.
Keep us always in your love
and grant us the joy of celebrating
the mystery of your love in each other.
Bless our time together
(and make us thankful for the food we share).
Accept our prayer, Lord Jesus.
You live and reign for ever and ever.
R.: Amen.
Loving Lord, as we gather together around this dinner-table, we thank You for this opportunity to take time out from our different duties and join together in family fellowship and love.
As we partake of this good food which You, by Your grace, have provided for our bodies, we pray that You would also nourish our hearts and refresh our souls.
Keep our hearts ever open to You and ever grateful for Your daily provision. And Lord, and may we be mindful of the needs of others, ready to help and share if we have the opportunity.
Lord, thank You for all You have given us and for these times of refreshment. May we each grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus, in Whose name we pray,
Amen.
Loving Father, thank You for bringing all the family together once again for this reunion meal. You have been the strength and support for each one of us over the months and now we thank You that we have been reunited once again around the meal-table, for which we want to praise Your name, in grateful thanks.
We pray that this may be a time of real blessing and fellowship as we share the joys and woes that we have each faced while we have been apart, and we pray that Your abiding Presence would remain among us and rest on each one of us, over the coming months.
Thank You, Father, for the food that You have graciously provided for us. Thank You that You are a great and bountiful God. We ask Your blessing on our mealtime together and pray that You would draw us ever closer to each other and to You. In Jesus' name,
Amen.
Father,
we thank you for providing us with this meal while we can all be together enjoying each other's company. Let us savor this meal while we bask in the light of the Holy Spirit, and feel what it means to be alive, well, and happy with our great family here today. With every bite and sip we take in, Lord, we thank you.
In God's name, we pray. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ,
you are the presence of God on earth
and the revelation of his love.
You welcomed all people who came to you
and joined in the festivities of their meals.
Be with us and bless our family gathering
with your presence.
Keep us always in your love
and grant us the joy of celebrating
the mystery of your love in each other.
Bless our time together
(and make us thankful for the food we share).
Accept our prayer, Lord Jesus.
You live and reign for ever and ever.
Amen.
Father God,
Thank you so much for bringing us all here together today.
Thank you for the wonderful blessing of family.
Thank you for the similarities we have and the differences we enjoy.
Thank you for the wisdom of age and the energy of youth.
Thank you for the way you watch over us as individuals and the way you release your love into us as a unit.
Come bless our time together.
Amen.
Dear Lord God,
You created balance.
The night to follow the day.
The sea to touch the earth.
All the wonderful animals, fish and birds.
You are the great creator of variety and diversity.
Thank you that you made us all to be unique and reflect your love.
Come draw our family together in all it's wonder and beauty.
Help us to love and respect each other.
Show us how to support and encourage one another.
Inspire us to work together to become a picture full of your perfect love.
Amen.
LET US PRAY.
LOVING GOD AND FATHER, YOUR LOVE FOR THE HASSENAUER FAMILY HAS REACHED FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION TO THE PRESENT MOMENT AS WE GATHER TOGETHER IN YOUR PRESENCE. YOUR LOVE HAS TOUCHED US IN WAYS TOO NUMEROUS TO RECOUNT. BUT TODAY WE ESPECIALLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT OF EACH PERSON WHO HAS BECOME A PART OF OUR FAMILY RELATIONSHIP WHETHER THROUGH BIRTH, MARRIAGE, OR SIMPLE FRIENDSHIP.
HOWEVER, AS MUCH AS WE VALUE OUR FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS, MUCH MORE WE TREASURE YOUR GIFT OF JESUS, YOUR SON AND OUR LORD, TO BE OUR BLOOD BROTHER IN LEADING US ON LIFE'S JOURNEY. TOGETHER YOU GRACE US WITH YOUR HOLY SPIRIT WHO DRAWS US CLOSER TOGETHER THAN ANY COMMON HUMAN ANCESTRY COULD DARE HOPE TO ACHIEVE.
IT IS IN THIS SPIRIT THAT WE, THE HASSENAUER FAMILY, NOW COME TO SHARE A COMMON TABLE. WE THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT OF THIS FOOD AND FOR THE LABOR OF LOVE OF ALL WHO HELPED TO PREPARE IT. MAY OUR SHARING OF THIS FOOD AND CONVERSATION ENABLE US TO DEEPEN EXISTING FRIENDSHIPS, TO FORGE NEW RELATIONSHIPS, AND TO RECONCILE PAST DIFFERENCES. MAY IT PREPARE US TO JOIN IN THE FINAL REUNION AT THE HEAVENLY BANQUET WITH ALL OUR FAMILY WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE US TO SHARE YOUR LIFE FOREVER. BLESS OUR FOOD. BLESS THE HASSENAUER FAMILY. WE ASK THIS IN THE NAME OF JESUS OUR LORD. AMEN.