As Thanksgiving approaches, we have an opportunity to remember a hopeful moment in the early history of America. In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims at Plymouth celebrated a successful harvest after a very difficult first year. The Wampanoag people had played an important role in helping the settlers survive and learn how to live in their new surroundings. Tisquantum, commonly called Squanto, helped the settlers learn how to plant corn and served as an interpreter, while the Wampanoag leader Ousamequin, commonly known as Massasoit, helped establish peaceful relations. About 90 Wampanoag men joined the settlers for a three-day harvest gathering. They contributed five deer to the feast, while the celebration also included wild fowl, corn, and other foods available in the region. There was eating and fellowship, along with recreation and demonstrations of skill. The Pilgrims were people of Christian faith whose lives included prayer and thanksgiving to God. While the surviving account does not give us the words of a specific prayer offered at the 1621 gathering, their writings show that thanking God for His provision was an important part of their faith. As we remember this event, we should also remember with gratitude the Native people whose knowledge, assistance, food, and friendship helped the struggling Plymouth settlement survive.
For believers in Christ—Native American and non-Native alike—Thanksgiving can become a special time of prayer for America. For a season at Plymouth, people from very different backgrounds shared food, fellowship, cooperation, and peace. That picture is worth remembering. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9), and 1 Timothy 2:1–2 teaches believers to pray for those in authority so that we may live peaceful and godly lives. This Thanksgiving, as families gather around tables across America, let us thank God for His provision, remember the important contribution Native Americans made to this part of our nation's story, and pray for peace among our people. May Native and non-Native followers of Jesus pray together for God to heal divisions, strengthen families, guide our leaders, and turn hearts toward Christ. Thanksgiving reminds us that gratitude can bring people together. May we become a people who give thanks to God, honor one another, and seek the peace of our nation.
“Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”
NAI Thanksgiving Prayer Focus
Give Thanks to God
Pray that Thanksgiving will remind Americans that every good gift ultimately comes from God. Ask the Lord to restore a spirit of gratitude in our homes, churches, communities, and nation. “Give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).2. Pray for Native and Non-Native Believers
Pray that followers of Jesus from Native American and non-Native communities will grow in friendship, understanding, and unity in Christ. Ask the Lord to help His people honor one another and demonstrate that our deepest unity is found in Jesus. “For he himself is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14).3. Pray for the Peace of America
Pray for peace across our nation—for our families, tribal communities, towns, cities, churches, and government leaders. Ask God to calm division, give wisdom to those in authority, and awaken hearts to the gospel of Jesus Christ. May believers become peacemakers who carry the hope of Christ into a divided world. “Seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34:14).
“Father, we thank You for Your goodness and faithful provision. We remember with gratitude the Native people who helped the Plymouth settlers during their time of great need, and we thank You for every act of friendship and peace that has blessed our nation’s history. Bring Native and non-Native believers closer together in Jesus Christ. Heal divisions, strengthen our families, give wisdom to our leaders, and bring peace to our communities. May America remember You with thanksgiving, and may the gospel of Jesus Christ bring hope to every tribe, people, and community. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
