I recently had the privilege and honor to do the invocation prayer at the graduation ceremony held at Evan's school. No, he wasn't graduating yet but I did think a lot about how he is now half-way between birth and graduation. I tend to think about life a lot that way -- where we are on timelines. It probably shows some deep-seated psychological flaw for me to do that.

Anyway, so I can keep track of it, here is the prayer I prayed. I really struggled with whether to write out the prayer and, in essence, just "read" it or to pray spontaneously. I ended up writing it out and reading it. My preference would be to nevr do it that way again if I can help it.


Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank you for this day of harvest – a day of sending forth the next class of Christian Academy students to be leaders for you.

All sorts of emotions fill the room this evening, ranging from nervousness to excitement and everywhere in between.

For the graduates, we pray for discernment and wisdom. We know that you have a very special plan for each of them. Christian Academy has been but one small part of that plan but we pray that they have learned things here which will allow them to fulfill the rest of your plan. We pray that each of them in coming months and years will not only discover your plan for their lives but that they will have the courage and faith to pursue it relentlessly, Lord, because it is a plan from you, not a plan of this world. We know that, in their lives, mistakes will be made, just as we all make mistakes. We thank you for your grace which covers us and we pray for your direction to always guide us back on your path.

We thank you, Lord, for each of the parents here and for the love that they hold for your children who have been entrusted to them. On behalf of these parents, we pray that you will watch over their children in the coming months and years. We pray that your loving hand of protection will hold them and guide them. When these graduates face difficult decisions, may they seek more of you and through that may they discover your wisdom and your will.

And we pray, God, for your continued watch over this school. We thank you for your blessings in the past and we look forward to the future as you continue to reveal the impact that you want Christian Academy to have on the world. We pray that you will show us how to continually turn out Christian leaders who will go out and stand up for you in a world that seems to be increasingly off-course.

Father God, bless this day. May it be a day marked with memories and excited anticipation but may it also be a day marked as a harvest … a harvest of graduates entering the world to have a transforming impact on your Kingdom.

In Jesus’ holy name we pray, Amen.