Last Updated on October 19, 2023 by Emma
Wanting to give thanks for the gift of life? Need a morning prayer to start your day?
When is the last time you prayed a prayer of thanksgiving for being alive?
We can easily get caught up in the daily grind of life that we miss out on the simple joy of being alive each day. There are the errands we have to run, the to-do list that needs to get done, and the plumber is coming at one. Or we are overwhelmed with financial worries, job concerns, or health problems. And we haven’t even considered the problems in the world, like poverty and hunger!
But, with a simple prayer like, “Thank you God for life today,” we can restore our focus on God and his love for us. We can follow the advice of this wise writer in our pursuit of God,
“Whoever pursues righteousness and love
finds life, prosperity and honor” ( Proverbs 21.21, NIV).
Prayer is a way to keep going after a righteous life, as conversing with God keeps us in contact with God and it ensures we are in a relationship with God.
The four prayers below are intended to be prayed in the morning time, at the start of the day. Pray each one as you need and modify the details to suit your daily needs. Praying in the morning time is a good habit to form to begin your day with God, and not your worries.
As you are in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, you can be encouraged that you are not alone as you pray. You are living by faith, as the Apostle Paul reminds us:
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2.20, NIV).
So, even on those days when you don’t really feel like giving thanks, you can because you are empowered by the very presence of Christ Jesus within you. You don’t have to live your life on your own strength. You are living in the strength of Jesus in your physical body. Isn’t that a boost of confidence for you right now?
Praying a thankful prayer for the gift of life (and the important people in it) is also an easy way to remind yourself of the reality that you are alive, and alive in Christ! Each day opens up a new possibility for what can happen to further your growth in God. Each day opens up a new opportunity to step forward in faith as God leads you out of the darkness and into the light. As God gives you the gift of life, you can receive it as the sun rises, with joy and gratefulness.
Let the Spirit of God surround you as you pray for the gift of life each day. And please, share your personal prayer requests in the comments section below, so you can be prayed for as well.
A Short Prayer for the Gift of Life
Dear God, I wanted to thank you for the gift of life you have given me today. I am grateful that I have life and breath and purpose and meaning this day. As I go through my work and errands and to-do list, may I bring glory to you, as I live out my gratitude for all that you have done for me. I thank you Lord Jesus, for the relationship you have given me by your grace and mercy. It’s in your name I pray, Amen.
Morning Prayer for the Gift of Life
Dear Lord, I give you thanks and praise for the gift of life I have this morning. Yesterday was a horrible day and now it has past and is gone. Today is a new day, and a fresh start. I want to embrace the gift you have given me this morning.
I appreciate that whatever happened twenty-four hours ago cannot touch me now. Life is precious and life is fleeting, so I want to take advantage of a new beginning this morning. I want to live today to its fullest, even if nothing remarkable happens. Just the fact that I am alive and not dead, am health and not sick are great reasons to celebrate in the Spirit.
Thank you God for life, for your gift of salvation. I pray this all in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Prayer of Thankfulness for Gift of Life
Thank you Lord God for my life. Thank you for my marriage. Thank you for my children. Thank you for my job. Thank you for my friends. Thank you for the house that we live in right now. Thank you for health in my body and mind and spirit today.
I want to thank you over and over for the gift of life I feel in my heart today, Lord! I just want to keep giving you thanks all throughout this day. I can give you thanks for the fact that my car works and isn’t broken down. I can give you thanks for the reality that there is money in the checking account so I can buy groceries and what we need for this week to eat.
I am filled with gratitude for all that you have done and are doing in my life, O God. I don’t want to stop giving you thanks and praise for who you are and how you are guiding me each moment. Thank you Lord, in the powerful and mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
Prayer of Gratitude for the Gift of Life After a Bad Accident
Lord God, I am so thankful right now. I shouldn’t even be alive right now, according to what the doctors told me earlier this morning. I don’t remember much of what happened, but I’ve been told that the car accident I had two days ago was terrifying.
The EMTs weren’t sure I was alive when they found me in the wreckage. I am grateful for their quick response, which made a world of difference in me being alive at all. Due to their life-saving efforts, I was able to be transported to the hospital in due time. The surgeons also were your healing hands as they repaired the damage to my internal organs.
To say I am thankful for the gift of life is an understatement, Lord. I am humbled beyond words that I can even utter words in this prayer. You have given me a second chance, O God. I look at the bandages and the scars on my body as proof of your mighty hand at work. I pray from my heart with gratitude–what could have happened did not happen. I am alive, not dead!
Thank you Lord for your miracle-working power at work in my life over the last few days. I give you the glory and honor for me having life right now. I pray this prayer with joy and sincere thanks, in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Final Thoughts
Have you ever sat down and written every little thing that you are thankful for in your life? Or perhaps typed it on your computer if that is easier? Maybe you can give it a try this week and see what happens in your spirit. I encourage you to make the list very specific. Instead of just being thankful for “family,” write down each person’s name.
You can just walk through a normal day and write down each thing, each person, each aspect of the day for which you are thankful. It won’t take too long to begin to fill up the page (or pages). Food to eat, clothes to wear, transportation, a home, friends, a quality job, and so much more may come to mind as you start putting pen to paper.
Why do I suggest you do this? Because it can be a tangible method to draw your attention away from whatever is bothering you, or worrying you, or distracting you, and place that attention of the Living God who is the source of all good things in your life. It can also help you free closer to God.
As we turn our focus to Jesus, we can more easily and effectively pray a prayer of thanks to God for the gift of life.
Our belief in God and who God is, and what God can do, is the source of our faith and growth.
“Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them” (John 7.38, NIV).
As we deepen our faith and belief, we are brought, by the Holy Spirit, into a better understanding of just how much God does for us. As you make your list, or pray your list, allow yourself to be caught up in the wave of gratitude that will wash over you. Let your joy spring forth and may your prayers grow in intensity and frequency each day.
May these prayers be just a starting point for you in your journey of prayer with your God. Give thanks for life, and for the God who gives us life!