An outline of the Great Thanksgiving Prayer, for those who wish to lead it in a free style.
(Option J in the PCUSA Book of Common Worship, used with permission)
The prayer begins with thankful praise to God:
for God's work in creation and providence, and in covenant history;
for the witness of the prophets;
for God's steadfast love in spite of human failure;
for the ultimate gift of Christ;
and for the immediate occasion or festival.
The prayer continues with thankful recalling of the acts of salvation in Jesus Christ:
redemption;
Christ's birth, life, and ministry;
Christ's death and resurrection;
his present intercession for us and the promise of his coming again;
the gift of the Sacrament [which may include the words of institution if not otherwise used].
The Holy Spirit is called upon:
to lift all who share in the feast into Christ's presence;
to make the breaking of the bread and sharing of the cup a participation in the body and blood of Christ;
to make us one with the risen Christ and with all God's people;
to unite us in communion with all the faithful in heaven and earth;
to nourish us with the body of Christ so that we may mature into the fullness of Christ;
to keep us faithful as Christ's body, representing Christ in ministry in the world,
in anticipation of the fulfillment of the kingdom Christ proclaimed.
There follows an ascription of praise to the triune God.