“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” NLT Instead of back-building worry and anxiety as we attempt to forecast an unknown future, Paul begs us to “Pray about everything in every way you know how!” ( VOICE).
Stop to consider what the situations of our daily lives might look like if we paused to pray into them and about them more feverishly. Whether you are starting a business meeting, church service, or family event you can use these prayers to join together to ask God for guidance and blessing. Prayer can change our situation. It can move the heart of God. And I believe sometimes prayer allows us to understand our situations, rather than affect the outcome. Our hearts change as we seek God’s wisdom and Truth. King David, living in OT times, did not experience prayer the way we do today.
Read 40 Powerful Blessings to Pray over Your Children and learn how to pray in ways that reveal God's power and strength. Prayer + God’s Word = Power – the pathway for Him to do miraculous.
Yet, even He knew that true peace came only from God. In, as he faces yet another terrifying and humiliating season of his life, he chooses to focus on God’s character and faithfulness. “O Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him.’ But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.” NIV. Here are five powerful opening prayers to help focus our efforts on striving for the peace that transcends all understanding. Use them to begin asking God to bless and guide your time together! An Opening Prayer for a Meeting Father, Thank You for every seat that has been filled here, today. For each mind and heart that fills the presence of this room, we thank You.
Only You truly know what we are setting out to accomplish today. We have an idea, a vision, hints, and daily instructions. We have talents, abilities, and time to work. However, only You can see in perfect detail the end of every beginning. Every project, every season, every life. Nothing is ever in vain, for even mistakes and missteps are used for good.
Adults Sunday School Opening Prayer
Your righteousness transcends all our efforts and understanding. Forgive us for our pride. The pride that puffs us up and the pride that threatens to unqualify us. Strengthen our confidence in who You have made us to be. Set us free from comparison in order to work together efficiently. Bless this meeting today, all those present, as well as the lives of those we will encounter afterward. Ready us to make every moment count.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen 2. A Prayer to Open an Event Father, Praise You for this event, and Your purpose for it. We know that when we gather together, You always have a divine agenda. We love You for that, Father.
Children' S Home Society
That even when we have done what You have asked, the results are so much greater than we ever could have imagined. Even in failed attempts, You blow us away with Your faithfulness to provide what we need. Our prayer today is that Your will be done through this event. Take what we have prepared and multiply our efforts as only You can. Steer our intentions to align with Your righteous will.
Remind us of Your faithful provision when our efforts fail us or fall short. May all glory go up to You when we reach the finish line and climb over benchmarks. Blanket us with Your peace today, Father. Keep us physically safe and guard our hearts and minds from pride and selfishness. Keep love at the forefront of our minds today, and the guiding light for all we set out to accomplish and celebrate. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. An Opening Prayer for Group Humility and Peace Father, As we gather together, we praise You for this day and Your purpose for it.
Reset our agendas, as we sit in Your presence. For You assure us that where two or more gather in Your name You are here. Recalibrate our intentions and refocus our hearts. Your will for our lives does not always reflect our plans.
Change them to reflect Your will. Help us to understand that we don’t need full clarity to walk into the unique purpose You’ve inlaid in our lives. Lift our eyes to seek You first today, and always, surrendering our need to achieve, understand, and be known. Shift our perspective to seek Your peace above all else. In every situation we ponder in our daily lives, let the Holy Spirit translate Your commands.
Give us renewed strength and godly courage to obey You without questioning. Forgive us for striving beyond our means, worrying, and forcing results. Only You know what lies ahead. You are our good Father, just and righteous. Though our circumstances will be unfair from time to time in this life, You are always our unwavering protector and shield ( Psalm 3:3 ). Keep the words of King David fresh in our minds, and renew our hearts to the tune of Your truth.“I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.” NIV Let Your peace rain down on us today, as we seek You more than anything else. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A Prayer for Group Peace and Understanding Father, As the events of the day continue to unfold, we seek Your clarity and Your peace. We know You are with us and for us as we gather together to seek Your counsel. Scripture reminds us the more we seek You the more we will find You. Lead our surrendered hearts to the path of Your peace today.
Come fully into our situation, both as a group and individually. And sort out the muddled feelings and distorted thoughts that plague us. Cover us with a blanket of honesty and patience that is not of this world. Holy Spirit, translate our desires and pleadings, and may we understand the faithful response of our great Father. Jesus walked the earth to explain so much to us, and to save us from eternal suffering. Yet, on this earth He promised us that we would encounter much pain. Struggling for solutions amidst differing personalities can seem impossible.
Thankfully, we are not expected to be perfect. Thankfully, we’re told in the that we will all fall short. So, as we sit here today, let us release the bind of blame in exchange for accord. Help us to endure disagreement and strife with godly courage and love. Grant us peace in knowing we are pursuing Your purpose for our lives. In Jesus’ Name, Amen 5. A Prayer to Glorify God after Group Success Father, We are here today to celebrate great success!
In a world full of chaos and calamity, we are embracing a moment of triumph in Your name and for Your glory. Once again, we have experienced the miracle of Your sustenance, as King David so appropriately penned in: “You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.” Father, our hearts, the very center of our humanity and our souls, are filled by You. In extreme emotion, this indescribable feeling is even more pronounced. We are aware that we could not see this great success come to fruition without the individual purpose You have put in each person here today.
Thank You for bringing us together to accomplish this great feat for Your glory, though the odds were stacked against us as they often are. Guard our hearts from pride and selfish gain as we celebrate today. Let it fuel our in You as our provider and our sustainer. Filler of our hearts. May all glory for our achievements go up to You today and always.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen Meg writes about everyday life within the love of Christ on her blog,. She is a stay-at-home mom, freelance writer, blogger, and preparing to release her first book, “Friends with Everyone.” She resides in Northern Ohio with her husband of eleven years, two daughters, and their Golden-doodle.
FREE BOOKMARK: We have a special gift for you. One of the prayer ideas below is a 5-Finger Prayer, and we have created a unique printable bookmark for you to use with your family, or perhaps you’d want to email it out to families in your church or community. 10 Ways to Pray with Kids Discovering ways to pray with children offers them space for connection with God and, not surprisingly, has been time and again. Consequently, we give our children an invaluable and timeless gift when we teach them how to pray. Additionally, it’s a gift they can carry with them throughout all of life. At ICM, we think this is so important we compiled a list of 10 ways to pray with kids.
Pick and choose, mix and match any way you’d like. Pray Through Art Coloring Prayer: First, gather coloring utensils and coloring sheets. Second, decide what you’ll pray for with each color. For example, use purple while praying aloud for animals, green for family members, blue for the Earth and the environment.
Tailor the categories to your own family or classroom. (Also, looking for some fresh coloring sheets? Grab a free sample pack!) Prayer in Song: One of the easiest ways to teach children to pray is through singing. There are several options out there. The doxology is one song used as a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.
The lyrics are as follows: Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise God all creatures here below. Praise God above ye heavenly host. Praise Father/Mother, Son and Holy Ghost.
Prayer Journal: Invite your children to begin drawing and writing their prayers to God. Even little ones can draw their prayers. For those who are older, they may want to write letters to God.
Additionally, giving children a prompt can offer needed structure. Perhaps encourage them to write God about their hopes for the coming school year. Pray Using Your Body Prayer through Movement: There are several ways to pray with kids that teach how their minds and bodies communicate with God. So, try this simple prayer below, especially useful for the kinesthetic learner. Additionally, yoga and dance are great options that can be done with children of all ages. (3 deep breaths) God, you are above (reach toward the sky), below (touch your toes), inside (hands to heart) and all around (big arm circles).
I worship you (reach toward the sky), and give my life to you (touch your toes). And I love you (hands to heart) with all that I am (big arm circles). (3 deep breaths) Five-Finger Prayer: Developed by Pope Francis, this prayer practice assigns each finger something to pray for.
The thumb is for those closest to us. The index finger for those who teach, instruct and heal us.
The middle finger, our tallest, is for our leaders. The ring finger, our weakest, for those who are weak. The pinky is for ourselves. Pray Through Conversation Fill in the Blank Prayer: Take turns going back and forth or from person to person, if you’re in a group, saying, “God is great, God is good, thank you God for.” See how long you can keep it going. It’s fun (and sometimes breathtaking) to hear what your children say.
Discussing what is inside our hearts and minds with each other is a crucial way to build relationships. Consequently, this practice builds both relationships with God and with each other. Prayer Walk: Go for a walk together in search for the things you’re thankful to God for. Sidewalks, trees, bird songs, smiles from other pedestrians, flowers in bloom, passing cars and buses that make travel possible. So much to appreciate!
Additionally, this is an excellent way to get outside, slow down the mind and get active together. Pray Through Silence Centering Prayer: Pray silently in this way to empty the mind and become open to God’s presence.
Opening Prayer For Sunday School
Young children can struggle to sit quietly and still since their bodies often desire movement and activity. Therefore, two to five minutes can be plenty for young elementary children to start with. Now, for older children, try up to ten minutes once they’re acclimated to the practice.
First, invite them to close their eyes and imagine that they are standing in a forest along the side of a stream. Second, explain that when a thought comes into their minds, they can imagine the thought landing on a leaf, floating down onto the surface of the stream and away until it’s out of view. Breath Prayer: First, choose a word or brief phrase to repeat in one breath. Now, if it’s a phrase, say one part on the inhale and one part on the exhale. For example, invite your children to think in their minds or whisper to themselves Psalm 56:3. Next, on the inhale, think or say “When I am afraid.” Then, on the exhale, think or say “I will trust you.” Repeating breath prayers is a meditative practice that can be done with children of almost any age.
Scripture Prayer: First, choose a Bible verse and use it as a prayer to begin and end each day with your children. Try John 3:18, Psalm 46:1 or Romans 15:13. Additionally, it may be helpful to have it posted by their bed to read together. Tell Us Your Prayer Ideas for Kids Phew, that was a lot to take in! We hope this has given you a few ways to pray with kids that help cultivate spiritual growth and connection.
Also, how do you and your kids pray? We’d love to hear in the comments below!
Gratitude Alphabet: This will likely work best for kids ages 3-10 years or so. Going through the alphabet, share a thing you’re thankful for in your life right now. Go around the car, each person taking the next letter in succession. For example, the first person to start could say something like, “I’m thankful for my best friend, Annie.” Then, the next person is on B and says, “I’m thankful that I got to bat during P.E. Baseball today.” Next person is on C, and so on. This encourages gratitude in our kids and conversation between you and them. Additionally, it can give a window into what has gone on in your children’s recent days.
A few other great ways of expressing gratitude can be found in our post on ten different ways to pray with kids.