A Prayer of Gratitude

O God, giver of every good and perfect gift: We thank you that you have given us a place among your people, and have enabled us to come into your presence through prayer.  We praise you for the world in which we live, for the works of your hand, which show us your infinite power and unsearchable wisdom.  We bless you for your gifts of reason and understnding whreby we can receive and understand the teaching of your Son jesus, the Christ.  Through him you have shown us what a true child of yours lives like.  We esecially thank you for his victory over Sin and Death which he has also made possible for us.  In his most blessed name, we offer this prayer.  Amen.