In Gratitude, We Pray
God of joy and hope,
We thank you for this time of graduation.
Your spirit of wisdom has empowered our hard
work and discipline in such a way that our hunger
for learning has been nourished with knowledge,
discovery, creativity, and determination.
As we prepare to walk across the stage to receive
our diplomas, let us walk in prayerful gratitude for
the many blessings that have made this moment
real and filled with great potential.
In gratitude, we pray for our families and the many
who have sacrificed and worked to see us to this
hopeful moment.
In gratitude, we pray for the teachers and
administrators who have challenged, cared for, and
crafted us along this academic journey.
In gratitude, we pray for fellow students who have
taught us more about friendship, collaboration, and
sharing.
God, even as we have faced challenges and
accomplished much, we understand that our lives
move into a new chapter where there will be more
challenges to face and more will be demanded of
us to accomplish good things. May your grace
cover our anxieties and fears so that we may stay
encouraged about the future.
Give us patience and hope to energize our work
that is just and makes proper use of our gifts.
Give us the courage to face the challenges of
carving out a place in society where we might live
in peace, service, and gratitude.
Give us strength to resist the temptations of greed,
laziness, pride, and envy as we strive to do and be
our best.
Today we also pray for tomorrow. This graduation
opens another door to another time. As you have
led in the past, lead now into the future. Give us
focus and clarity and a calling from you to
understand our purpose and the courage to
respond and step toward that purpose.
May your spirit guide us as we unfold the next
chapters of our lives. Help us to enliven hope in the
world and bring good things to Your Kingdom. And,
may this celebration be a reflection of the
blessings that we find in knowing and loving you.
For this is the day that You have made.
We are glad and rejoice in it! Amen!
