Typically, it invites and welcomes God's presence at an event or ceremony. It is you who are omnipotent. Father, your Word says in Jeremiah 29:11, For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Graduation can bring feelings of uncertainty about the future, but we know with you we have hope. Many groups and government bodies begin their meetings with prayers or other forms of religious invocation conducted by a chaplain or religious minister. Strengthen us as we make tough decisions. Be in our midst. Thank you for the blessings of our individual and collective God-given gifts. Jorie Nicole McDonald leads editorial video efforts for Southern Living. We rarely get the chance to bring everyone together, so we do not take it for granted. In Jesus' Name, Amen. and for all the good memories we share. Help us to each listen politely as others share their points of view. And as we discuss the affairs of this church/school/ministry/business, we ask for Your will to be done. 2. Let us be effective and decisive. Even when such religious commencements make an effort to include people of all faiths they may exclude people with no religion. A grace for use as an Invocation at a Blue and Gold Banquet: Scouts, family members and friends . An Invocation Loving God, bless all those gathered here today as we come together in friendship and fellowship. These prayers evoke a spirit of thankfulness and can be a good inspiration for your dinner prayer on Thanksgiving or any day. Some of the words might be a little unfamiliar to the younger Cub Scouts, but you could substitute appropriate simpler language as necessary. On Tuesday, March 25, I gave the invocation to the Charleston City Council. All glory belongs to you. Whatever it is that You want to result from this meeting, Lord, let it happen. Show us Your purposes. Guidance Prayer Precious Lord, please give us guidance in this meeting because a lack of guidance causes a nation to fall, but victory is won through many advisers. It could be easily adapted to a variety of settings and circumstances. Bless our food and our drink. You are our Light and our Fortress. (an invocation prayer) Almighty God, Thank you for your love, risen from the grave and freely offered for us all. and the wisdom to know the difference. Throughout Scripture, special occasions were celebrated by holding a banquet, when your people would congregate to eat, fellowship, and enjoy your many blessings. I pray that You would give me, my children, my family, and friends what we need, whatever that may be, to see You and feel Your presence more clearly in our lives. let us be truly thankful Prayer of Thanksgiving Gracious God, we thank You for this opportunity to call people for a meeting. I pray that this meeting focuses upon You and Your plans for us as a body of believers. Thank You for this gathering to celebrate and rejoice in the life of (celebrant's name). We must pledge our best efforts to help one another, and to defend the rights of all of our citizens and residents. Major General Dondi Costin delivers an outstanding invocation at the 2015 USO Gala. Praying at a meeting is a great way to remind everyone that God is with each and every one of us. Direct our thoughts, words, decisions, and actions toward the right path and help us stay on track. This we pray, in Jesus Name, Amen. Heavenly Father, We thank You for the gift of life You have given, and for blessing us with our beloved (celebrant's name) 's life. Please bless this food we are about to share, those who prepared it, those who serve it, and those who have worked to make today the special occasion that it is. Amen. Amen. our meeting so that it is full of wisdom, productivity, and respect Amen. As their parents, we thank you for our treasured children, loved from the first moment we knew of their existence. Dear God, help us apply Your wisdom as we decide on certain matters and make plans. Scholarship Award Luncheon Prayer. The organized walkout vividly showed that we are engaged in one of the last civil rights struggles in which blatant discrimination is viewed as acceptable behavior. that we have been given. It reminded me of the importance of praying at the beginning of every occasion. -- Harry S. Truman. Before my public prayer, I privately pray and ask God to allow my closeness and love for him to show through me. What better way to honor the Lord than to open our gatherings, meetings, celebrations, and services with prayer? We ask you to give us wisdom, patience, and guidance as we plan for the future. Let our efforts be kingdom-motivated and Spirit-led so that we can be blessed by this meeting. Amen. Thank you for their confidence to discover and explore new possbilities and knowledge to discern what is right and good and just. - Author Unknown A Table Prayer Before Meals We look to you, O Lord, for food to nourish our bodies, for grace to strengthen our spirits, for love to enrich our life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. There are dozens of beautiful ways to give thanks. (five short prayers for use at meal times) God is great, and God is good, And we thank him for our food; By his hand we all are fed; Give us, Lord, our daily bread. You are the source of all that is good. Fortunately, lemonade is now being squeezed from these lemons. Public prayer opens the door for displaying for others how to feel comfortable and accepted in the Father's presence. Bless us, O God. 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 . We ask you to guide us as we read Scripture, talk about your goodness, and encourage one another in the faith. We are gathered today, both religious and secular members of our community, with the shared belief that we must treat our fellow human beings with respect and dignity. We place You at the center of this. what's on this page? Learn more about Jesuit Resource. Blessed are you, loving Father, for all your gifts to us. So, we lift up this meeting to You. May today be a memory that burns bright within them as they embark on life's great adventure. for the good things we have Finally, let us think of all the people all over the world, members with us in the human family, who will not have a meal today. All rights reserved. after we said our temporary goodbyes to our dear Alma Mater. Daily, we are fed with good things, nourished by friendship and care, feasted with forgiveness and understanding. 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. As we join together to eat, come bless our conversations with the flavour of your grace, supplement the food we share with your heavenly goodness and unite us as one in your everlasting love. O Who is like you, God, who is holy and loving like you? May the Risen Christ, our Lord and Savior, be our guest as we celebrate His resurrection with this Easter Sunday dinner. May all be healed. Father, please guide us so that this meeting can be productive. Our principles are enshrined in the Constitution, like the right of all citizens to be represented by their elected officials and not to be shunned because their religious beliefs differ from the majority. Amen. I gave the invocation at the installation banquet for the Board of Directors for the Greater Hammond Chamber of Commerce this week which was made more meaningful because I was one of the people being sworn in as an advisory member of the board. May the seal of God's love rest upon this food and upon this day now drawing to a close. We give you the glory for everything that is accomplished. 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. Amen. We have come together as a group united in passion and purpose. It gives an example of what others can have with the Father. Help us move towards our goals with determination and always with an abundant sense of humor. Loving Father, may we all celebrate together around your table in heaven. May they always appreciate each other, and when required, forgive each other, as you have so freely forgiven them. Thank you for leading them in their learning, for keeping them safe as they studied, and for watching over them in their final exams. Dear and beloved stranger, Please eat this food with us that we may all be nourished. In Jesus' Name, Amen. Our Father in Heaven, we give thanks for the pleasure of gathering together for this occasion. An Opening Prayer for an Awards Ceremony Dear God, Thank you for bringing us together to recognize the hard work and dedication of this year's award recipients. Understanding of Objectives Prayer God of truth, enlighten us now as we meet together so that we each have a clear understanding of the issues we need to discuss. May we and our gifts of food be under the tent of God's peace. Remove the distractions that would keep us from you here today. Thank you for the blessing of bringing (name) and (name) together in marriage today. We ask for your guiding hand to lead us through this meeting. May all be fed. O God, you sustain all of us at every moment, as we work and weep and worry, and as we rejoice and celebrate! This page has six simple prayers for giving thanks before meals. say tonight (today). Pausing for a moment at the beginning of this Blue and Gold banquet let us still our bodies, quiet our minds, and let us be in a spirit of prayer. 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 celebrate their capacity for creativity, for critical thinking, for focused effort. For the significance of this wedding day we thank you. Father, we do not rely on ourselves for effective results for we are only human and often make mistakes. Lord God and giver of all good gifts, we are grateful as we pause before this meal, for all the blessings of life that you give to us. We are grateful for the people sitting at our tables, the bounty of food before us, and the chance to be together. Amen. Bless our eyes and taste so that we may eat this food in a holy and mindful manner. O God, when I have food, help me to remember the hungry. Please pray this prayer that all our names of God may guide us on. Simply put - invocation is a prayer said at the opening of a ceremony or service to invoke God's blessings. The sun of Thy mercy is shining upon all, and the clouds of Thy bounty shower upon all. Prayer #4. Not sure what to pray for? Blessed are you, Lord God, king of the universe: you raised your beloved son from the dead, and made him Lord of all. 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. Purify our thoughts and motives so that each one of us will enter this meeting desiring the good of others and the pleasure of Your name. Copyright 2021 Beth McLendon of Inspirational - Prayers. Here are a few prayers that center on blessings. In either situation, you may find the following advice and examples useful. Perhaps we can now become effective in making Charleston a more progressive community that celebrates, rather than fears, its diversity. Enlighten us that we may know how You want us to accomplish our tasks. Amen. Sweet Reason, the humanist advice columnist, responds to a father's request for a "secular grace" for his daughter's wedding reception. Prayer to Bless Meeting Eternal God, I pray that You bless us in this meeting and keep us. Thank you that today we dwell in your kingdom and live in your presence. Come and scribe Your words of life into our lives - Fill our minds with Your thoughts Fill our bodies with Your strength Fill our hearts with Your dreams That we might eternally love and serve You This day and every day. Father of mercy, we praise you and give you glory for the wonderful gifts you have given us: for life and health, for faith and love, and for this meal we have shared together. Oh god of this great universe, I thank thee for the wonderful opportunity you have given me in being a member of a Lions club, which I believe is one of the greatest humanitarian organizations in the world that is always ready to help and care for the blind and many other unfortunates. Thank you for protecting us as we traveled and providing an opportunity to meet, learn, and grow. Thank you for this special time of gathering in celebration. I'd like to close in a bipartisan manner by quoting from two presidents I greatly admire-one a Republican and the other a Democrat. Let us thank him for our food. Obviously people who don't believe in a god are not giving thanks to God but they can say more than just "Bon Appetit!". Prayer of Gratitude Gracious Father, for the meal that is before us, we thank You. 07 of 25. Many religions say a short prayer before a meal, in which a blessing is asked and thanks are given. Let us open our hearts and minds in grateful prayer: for all creation; for all people; for all who are with Xavier University; and most especially for those whom we come to recognize and honor this day. We pray that all voices will be heard and that we will have a mindset of inclusivity. As we begin our conference, we dedicate this time to you. These prayers do a good job of recognizing God's power in our lives and encourage humility within us. Prayer for God to Give Wisdom and Clarity God of Wisdom, we seek Your help today. If we do disagree, let it be on the content, and not personality conflicts or power plays. I ask that we might know the blessing of your presence here this afternoon as we honor these young scholars. For wind and rain and sun above. Help us to stick to the agenda and not get distracted with discussions that arent pertinent to our objectives. by war, oppression and exploitation The day is coming to a close, and, like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we pause to break bread together. O Thou, the Sustainer of our bodies, hearts, and souls, Bless all that we thankfully receive. Active Listening Prayer Loving Lord, we thank You that You listen to us; please help us listen to each other. Photo Credit: Getty Images/Foxys_forest_manufacture. Let Your will be done as we plan and make decisions. Thank you for making the way possible for this family celebration. Blessings on our meal. May 1, 2016 / Mitchell Lewis. Loving God, bless all those gathered here today as we come together in friendship and fellowship. We honor them for their loyalty to God and Country, for their good deeds, and for their friendship. Earth maker and Lord of all creation, we are mindful that this food before us has already been blessed by the sun, earth and rain. I pray that You intervene in this meeting, let it work for our good and for the good of the church. - Harry Jewell. Help us not to waste valuable time, as we all have many tasks to complete today. Help us to tackle all the topics we need to discuss, come up with excellent solutions, and leave this meeting inspired and on time. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Be present at our table, Lord, be here and everywhere adored. God, for the joy of this occasion we thank you. Give them through our hands this day their daily bread, and by our understanding love, give peace and joy. We remember before You our comrades now departed this life. Enable us to. Wise Use of Time Prayer Lord, our Helper, enable us to wisely and efficiently manage our time in this meeting today. The Quaker tradition of "silent grace" before meals also works well for a dinner party with people of diverse religions and beliefs. Amen. Come upon us and cause us to have a productive meeting. I pray that you will fill each employee with satisfaction at the great work they are doing for the sake of their country. PRAYER FOR 50TH CLASS REUNION. Place in our hearts the desire to make a difference to our families, to our community, to our country, and to the many cultures and peoples worldwide. Have you ever been asked to say grace before supper? - Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, A Book of Blessings, 182. hunger inside of them. Bless your church throughout the world, and all those who seek to do your will today. May we see the Lord of Life in our food, our conversation and lives shared in common. Here in Your presence many friends and families are gathered to celebrate in fellowship. Help us to find principles that we all can agree on and put these into action. Help us come up with effective strategies that can enable us to move forward as a team in a meaningful way. Prayer for Our Thoughts Omniscient God, we know that Your thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are Your ways our ways, for the heavens are higher than the earth, so are Your ways higher than our ways, and Your thoughts than our thoughts. May this drink restore our souls, giving new vision to dry spirits, new warmth to cold hearts. Expressing gratitude for the food and appreciation of the company is all that is needed. Reveal problem areas and show us the best solutions that will apply.

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