those who are hungry, sick and cold. We ask for your guiding hand to lead us through this meeting. A dear friend opened our time together with a heartfelt, inspiring prayer, and it set the tone for the entire day. Enable us to acquire and understand the accurate information we need and its implications, so we can make informed decisions. Thank you for food in a world where many know only hunger; For our faith in a world where many know fear; For friends in a world where many know only loneliness. Father of mercy, all praise be to you through Jesus Christ our savior, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. We ask all this in the glorious name of Jesus Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit World without end. Go with a traditional prayer of thanksgiving for a familiar choice or go for something more unique. It could be easily adapted to a variety of settings and circumstances. Jorie Nicole McDonald leads editorial video efforts for Southern Living. Invocations can be at the opening of a meeting, business, retreat, ceremony, graduation,sporting event,award ceremonies, banquet dinners, fundraiser anywhere an observed. The principles of our country are not based on God. Please pray this prayer that all our names of God may guide us on. Dear Father in heaven, thank you so much for this time together with our family, friends and church family. Amen. - Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, A Book of Blessings, 183. Traditional Opening Wedding Reception Prayer Lord God Almighty, You have inspired us with your creativity, displayed throughout this ever-evolving universe and echoed in the varied academic achievements of the students we honor in this convocation. You are the source of all that is good. Blessed are you, Lord our God, for ever and ever. Lets open our hearts to Gods presence by opening our times together in prayer. May this drink restore our souls, giving new vision to dry spirits, new warmth to cold hearts. For the way You love, we thank You. We give thanks for this food prepared by loving hands. We lift up this bread; may it be food and symbol for all of us who shall eat it. PRAYER FOR 50TH CLASS REUNION. Amen. However, we are not the Taliban. We thank You for each and every one who is here today. At a wedding, the purpose of the prayer is primarily to thank God for the food and for those who . As we partake of this food, we pray for health and strength to carry on and try to live as You would have us. Dear and beloved stranger, please eat this food with us that we may all be nourished. O God, Most Creative and Sustaining Spirit. Open our hearts to your love. For an example of a more pointed invocation by an atheist, read this article. Thank you for every gift As we begin our planning, help us first seek you and your will. The Quaker tradition of "silent grace" before meals also works well for a dinner party with people of diverse religions and beliefs. All Voices Heard Prayer Almighty God, may Your grace cover each aspect of this meeting. Here are ten special opening prayers you can pray at your gatherings. Prayer for Wisdom in Decisions Lord who enlightens, we ask for Your supernatural wisdom as we make some tough decisions in this meeting. Make us worthy, Lord, to serve our fellow men throughout the world who live and die in poverty and hunger. for various reasons. Amen. May our facilitator keep us on track and help us understand the next steps. I hope that the many discussions we have heard about the conduct of Charleston City Council members will bring about more religious tolerance in this city. Loving Father, we thank You most of all for being here in our midst. It is important to come before God in prayer with a humble spirit. We pause to be grateful for the hidden gifts of life in this food. We seek You for guidance and instruction, we seek You also for wisdom so that we can make the right decisions today. In Christianity this prayer is called "Grace." Even when such religious commencements make an effort to include people of all faiths they may exclude people with no religion. God, for the joy of this occasion we thank you. 2. Before my public prayer, I privately pray and ask God to allow my closeness and love for him to show through me. Not sure what to pray for? Prayer for God to Answer Righteous God, we call onto You right now and we know that You will answer! The first prayer is appropriate for a time of celebration, such as wedding reception or baptism. Prayer to Bless Meeting Eternal God, I pray that You bless us in this meeting and keep us. Prayer to Do Good in Gods Kingdom Oh Lord, this meeting has occurred because we want to do good for Your kingdom. Come and let Your wisdom fall upon us, O Lord, as we gather for this meeting. Amen. Your dinner prayer could range from symbolic and lengthy to short and simple. Lord, make Your face shine on us and be gracious to us. Father, we thank you so much for our time here together For all the friends we have made For all the days of laughter and fun And for all the times of great discovery and learning. Blessed are you, Lord our God, maker of heaven and earth and Father of all your people: we give you glory for your goodness and for your loving care for us. We acknowledge You in all our ways, and in all our meetings, so that You will direct our paths. Lord, it is such a thrill to know that I have been awarded this scholarship and I pray that I will work conscientiously and hard for the . Blessed are you for ever and ever. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Here are 10 special opening prayers you can pray at your gatherings. Simply put - invocation is a prayer said at the opening of a ceremony or service to invoke God's blessings. We also give thanks for our friends and family who have traveled here today. Dear God, Today we join with heaven as we celebrate and give thanks for every student here. Thank you for this time away from our busy lives to reconnect with you. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to gather here today. Have you ever been asked to say grace before supper? Thank you for food in a world where many know only hunger; For our faith in a world where many know fear; For friends in a world where many know only loneliness. We ask you to guide us as we read Scripture, talk about your goodness, and encourage one another in the faith. Show us Your purposes. Sometimes when we pray we have special requests to ask of God. The invocation, in its simplest form, is a prayer or request for the spiritual presence of God in a ceremony or event. As their parents, we thank you for our treasured children, loved from the first moment we knew of their existence. In sharing in this meal 1. This day of celebration is a blessing from you. - Author Unknown. Lord God, Thank you for your hope and grace. First, the Republican: Amen. Lord, let us not be misguided in this meeting so that we do not lead to decisions that produce ineffective results. Prayer to Bind Our Hearts and Minds God of peace, we pray for unity in our meeting today. A Prayer for a Class Reunion I was asked to offer the "invocation" at the 50th Class Reunion of my high school the other night. Bless this food [this bread] and grant that all who eat it may be strong in body and grow in your love. First, let us think of the people we are with today, and make the most of the pleasure of sharing food and drink together. Change of Command Ceremony for a Squadron/Battalion - Invocation (Christian) (written by Chaplain Daryl Densford, prayed the 5-15 CAV Change of Command Ceremony, Ft. Knox, KY, 2005) Dear Heavenly Father, We thank you for this beautiful day that we can stand before you. Let us thank him for our bread. Be present at our table, Lord, be here and everywhere adored. Bigotry exists everywhere, but it is especially outrageous when acts of intolerance at government functions are organized, carried out, and later defended in the media by government officials. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. Blessed are you, loving Father, for all your gifts to us. We place our hearts and our minds in Your hands so that You may direct us. We thank you for families that offer emotional, financial, and spiritual support. We rarely get the chance to bring everyone together, so we do not take it for granted. Let our aims in this meeting be aligned with Your direction. Two of the councilmen who walked out, Wendell Gilliard and Robert George, stated their reasons in a March 27 Charleston Post and Courier article by Jason Hardin. Let us enjoy ourselves, without guilt, - Mary Cronk Farrell. Thank you for this special time of gathering in celebration. These prayers do a good job of recognizing God's power in our lives and encourage humility within us. We give You thanks and praise. Let love and understanding be the foundation. O Eternal God, bless all schools, colleges, and universities [and especially __________], that they may be lively centers for sound learning, new discovery, and the pursuit of wisdom; and grant that those who teach and those who learn may find you to be the source of all truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. God bless each one of us here tonight. Loving Father, may we all celebrate together around your table in heaven. Banquet invocations may be made by anyone who is capable of prayer, including the host, a child in the family setting or an honored guest, suggests the book "The Rituals. Thank you for your Holy Word and for giving us the opportunity as a group to study your Truth together. As this chapter on our life closes, so a new one begins. Bless our happy gathering, and bless this meal that we share. Invocation: Our God and God of our fathers, we gather as loyal members of our Cub Scout Pack, and we pray for Thy blessings. But most of all for those we love. All rights reserved. Grant us success in every good endeavor as we serve our community, our nation and our world. As you work together on behalf of all who live in this city, may you gain strength and sustenance from one another through reason and compassion. BENEDICTIONS & CLOSING PRAYERS O God of people and nations, we pause at the close of this meeting to acknowledge again Your sovereignty over our lives and our Country. Let the captives rejoice, for their Redeemer is born. - Ralph Waldo Emerson. I pray that you will fill each employee with satisfaction at the great work they are doing for the sake of their country. It's Me, Margaret" Is Here! We ask for your inspiration and insights. Jesus taught us to seek you first in all things. Blessed are you, Lord God, king of the universe: you raised your beloved son from the dead, and made him Lord of all. - Author Unknown Dinner Blessing for Humble Hearts Prayer for Great Results Glorious God, You promise to open doors of blessing and abundance for Your people. I especially pray for those who are deployed away from home. Creator God and Lord of Life, You who call forth from the darkness of death all those who love You, we rejoice, on this Easter Sunday, in the resurrection from the dead of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We present ourselves like an open book before You. Here are a few prayers that center on blessings. Help us hear the complete message being communicated. May this be a safe space for people to express their opinions, and a place where ideas matter more than titles. May this food restore our strength, giving new energy to tired limbs, new thoughts to weary minds. However, when governments and other groups refuse to stop all religious commencements and invocations, they may sometimes agree to a humanist benediction as an alternative. Wise Use of Time Prayer Lord, our Helper, enable us to wisely and efficiently manage our time in this meeting today. Blessed are you, Lord God, king of the universe: you raised your beloved son from the dead and made him Lord of all. We ask that You be their guide and guardian as they move through their careers with their . Prosperity Prayer Awesome Father, I thank You for this meeting and I thank You for every like-minded individual who is here to fulfill tasks for Your kingdom. May all be loved. For all of this we give you thanks. I have two questions for the council members who could not even bear to be in the same room with an atheist giving the invocation, and who are now surprised that so many of us feel deeply offended by their organized walkout. Daily, we are fed with good things, nourished by friendship and care, feasted with forgiveness and understanding. the achievements and accomplishments . our meeting so that it is full of wisdom, productivity, and respect I pray that we feel Your presence during this meeting because You are with us wherever we go. - Author Unknown. God is great, God is good. We are grateful that they and their families entrusted Xavier's faculty and staff to engage them intellectually, morally, and spiritually.