Let love and understanding be the foundation. But we ask that You reveal to us Your thoughts throughout this meeting, let our ways be aligned with Your ways throughout this meeting, in Jesus Name. Amen. -- Harry S. Truman. pray. - Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, A Book of Blessings, 186. September 12, 2015 / Dreams, Dreams and Prayers. honor and praise. (an invocation prayer) Almighty God, Thank you for your love, risen from the grave and freely offered for us all. Active Listening Prayer Loving Lord, we thank You that You listen to us; please help us listen to each other. Amen. Enlighten us that we may know how You want us to accomplish our tasks. I refrained from telling George what I really thought--that praying to a god makes about as much sense to me as praying to a chicken. Bless us, O God. Amen. Be in our midst. We pray that they, and we, may use our many gifts of intellect, heart, and soul to address the problems that the human community faces in bringing justice more fully into the world and in tending wisely to the lovely garden that is our earth and our home. Amen. Let our actions in this meeting be valuable to our aim, which is to build up and edify one another. We are ready to receive the rest, peace, and refreshment you offer. May their love for each other grow every day. So, we lift up this meeting to You. Prayer of Gratitude Gracious Father, for the meal that is before us, we thank You. Father, let Your will be done in this meeting so that this can be a meeting that is based upon Your desires for us. Praying at a meeting is a great way to remind everyone that God is with each and every one of us. All rights reserved. Wedding prayers and blessings from parents are often emotional as it comes from a deep place. Dear and beloved stranger, Please eat this food with us that we may all be nourished. - Edward Hays. Please send help to those who are hungry, alone, sick, and suffering war and violence. We focus our hearts and minds on you. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. Forgive us for moments when weve forgotten to put you first. May they and we, because of our faith in You, our God, taste in the victory of life over death. We give thanks for life, the freedom to enjoy it all, and all other blessings. But most of all for those we love. In Numbers 6:24-27 it says: "The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance . Daily, we are fed with good things, nourished by friendship and care, feasted with forgiveness and understanding. You are everywhere, Lord. say tonight (today). To invoke is to call upon earnestly, so an "invocation" in the context of prayer is a serious, intentional calling upon God. We must hold firmly to our unity, borne forward now not of tragedy but of loving kindness. Amen. Help us to generate good plans that are practical, sustainable, and easily implemented. Thank you for this opportunity to come together and work together. opening prayers (athletic banquet or team cele-. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lords people(Ephesians 6:18 NIV). A secular version of the famous Serenity Prayer can also work before a meal: Grant me the serenity Prayer for God to Answer Righteous God, we call onto You right now and we know that You will answer! Here are 10 special opening prayers you can pray at your gatherings. In Jesus' Name, Amen. As we begin our conference, we dedicate this time to you. And vow to respond in turn to those in need Or this may be an opportunity to go around the table and have each person say what they are grateful for. Two score and 10 years ago the class of '64 left the friendly confines of Wapak High on a journey full of victories and defeats, joys and . As we partake of this food, we pray for health and strength to carry on and try to live as You would have us. Sir Henry Guildford: Henry VIII, I, iv. However, we are not the Taliban. The Quaker tradition of "silent grace" before meals also works well for a dinner party with people of diverse religions and beliefs. . I suppose it means that we are invoking God's presence or blessing. Can you now understand how uncomfortable many non-Christians feel when they are continually subjected to Christian prayers at secular events? People can often sense our closeness with the Lordwhen they hear us Help us to each listen politely as others share their points of view. Help us to find principles that we all can agree on and put these into action. to lead a group into the throne room of God. I want my prayer to eternally touch others. those who cannot share this plenty Browse through these encouraging prayers for a dose of inspiration. Jesus said in Matthew 18:20, For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. As we begin our time of worship, we release our cares and anything else that would hinder us from experiencing more of you in this service today. "Right-minded" people, whether religious or not, should be appalled by the contemptuous behavior exhibited by members of the Charleston City Council. A classic humanist alternative to a Christian Grace is: For what we are about to receive - Mary Cronk Farrell. It is a little longer. There are dozens of beautiful ways to give thanks. Amen. Father, for our food we thank you, and for our joys: help us love you more. Amen. - Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. Dear God, we seek Your honor in everything we do and say. Be with us this hour, and every hour, I pray. We ask in Jesus' name. Each of us is a minority, with respect to something. The first prayer is appropriate for a time of celebration, such as wedding reception or baptism. 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. Love is patient, love is kind. Lead each one of us so that we can make fruitful contributions at this time. All Voices Heard Prayer Almighty God, may Your grace cover each aspect of this meeting. Bless our eyes and taste so that we may eat this food in a holy and mindful manner. 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. Forgive us for having our minds set on other things and not giving you the honor you deserve. If we do disagree, let it be on the content, and not personality conflicts or power plays. Invocation: Our God and God of our fathers, we gather as loyal members of our Cub Scout Pack, and we pray for Thy blessings. Thank you for the blessings of our individual and collective God-given gifts. Feed our souls on the bread of life and help us to do our part in kind words and loving deeds. It is when we wear our majority hats that we need to be most mindful of how we treat others. Sweet Reason, the humanist advice columnist, responds to a father's request for a "secular grace" for his daughter's wedding reception. Lets open our hearts to Gods presence by opening our times together in prayer. Give us the wisdom to walk the path youve set before us. Loving Father, may we all celebrate together around your table in heaven. Thank you for your Holy Word and for giving us the opportunity as a group to study your Truth together. 1. Amen - Samuel F. Pugh. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. We lift up this bread; may it be food and symbol for all of us who shall eat it. Scout Law Prayer: This is a very nice prayer based on the twelve points of the Scout Law. Our Heavenly Father, Kind and Good Traditional Our Heavenly Father, kind and good, We thank Thee for our daily food. It was the first time in many months wed seen each other in person, and I realized what a precious gift God had given usthe gift of gathering and opening prayer. Prayer to Bless Meeting Eternal God, I pray that You bless us in this meeting and keep us. Opening prayer for a high school graduation. Invocation We fold our hands and bow our heads; And than thee Lord for our daily bread; For home and school and family, WE give thanks O Lord to thee. And let us thank all whose efforts have set them before us; We pause to be grateful for the hidden gifts of life in this food. Later he was approached by someone who had become hungry for the kind of relationship with God that he heard exhibited during that prayer. Make us worthy, Lord, to serve our fellow men throughout the world who live and die in poverty and hunger. I have received numerous apologies from Christians for the behavior of the Christian council members who walked out. Help us to be innovative as we brainstorm solutions. I believe that You will guide us in this meeting so that the results can be seen days, months, and even years after today. 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. Amen. And once refreshed, may we give new pleasure to you, who gives us all. Here in Your presence many friends and families are gathered to celebrate in fellowship. We are grateful for the people sitting at our tables, the bounty of food before us, and the chance to be together. May the seal of God's love rest upon this food and upon this day now drawing to a close. - Christina Baldwin. In Jesus Christ's holy name, Amen. 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. Dear and beloved stranger, please eat this food with us that we may all be nourished. Thank you for this time away from our busy lives to reconnect with you. Even when such religious commencements make an effort to include people of all faiths they may exclude people with no religion. - Mother Teresa. This a prayer from the Baha'i Writings: "O Thou kind Lord! This is exactly the kind of publicity we need in the Freethought community. Giving thanks before a meal can be just a few words spoken from the heart and finished quickly before the food gets cold! 2. For food in a world where many walk in hunger; For faith in a world where many walk in fear; For friends in a world where many walk alone; We give you thanks, O Lord. 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. 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. May each of us around this table really hear what our team members are saying. We honor them for their loyalty to God and Country, for their good deeds, and for their friendship. Be with us as we honor this years graduates. Thank You for this gathering to celebrate and rejoice in the life of (celebrant's name). May all be healed. We thank You for each and every one who is here today. Be present at our table, Lord, Be here and everywhere adored. We praise you and give you glory through Christ our Lord. May they always appreciate each other, and when required, forgive each other, as you have so freely forgiven them. Help us make new connections and gain wisdom to do the work youve set before us. Amen. O God, our Father, we thank you for this gathering as we come together to honor the members of Recruit Class 131, their families and their instructors, on the day of their graduation. For each new morning with its light, for rest and shelter of the night, for health and food, for love and friends, for everything Thy goodness sends. Your dinner prayer could range from symbolic and lengthy to short and simple. let us be truly thankful May those sharing information give us pertinent points so we all clearly understand. . Preface to the prayer for the one giving the invocation: This prayer was designed for use as an invocation for a city council meeting. 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. 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. Guide us in the things we do and. This we ask in the name of Christ, Our Heavenly Father. Lord, make Your face shine on us and be gracious to us. You are the source of all of our blessings. They are usually one or two minutes in length, are delivered by a designated club member, and are entirely optional.. Even if we have different opinions, give us unity of spirit. God, for the joy of this occasion we thank you. You know everything. Prayer for Invocations and Prayer for Office Christmas Parties Prayers for Meetings Almighty God, You are our Creator and our Sustainer. An Invocation Loving God, bless all those gathered here today as we come together in friendship and fellowship. 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. Eternal God, I pray that You bless us in this meeting and keep us. We declare that we will be blessed by this gathering. For your presence here and now and for your presence at all times, we thank you. - Christian mealtime prayer. 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. We ask for your inspiration and insights. Many religions say a short prayer before a meal, in which a blessing is asked and thanks are given. 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. and for all the good memories we share. In addition to the major rites of passage, humanists and other nonreligious people often find themselves asked to contribute to other types of ceremonial event: a benediction before a banquet, an invocation at the beginning of a legislative session, or a toast at a retirement party. For the hands held in ours, we thank You. 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. We are privileged to come together today on a happy occasion, in which we celebrate the particularly wonderful human beings we call our children, our students, our friends. May our eyes be opened, and, in this act of common sharing, may we see the risen Lord in one another. It's possible to use invocations for all occasions, such as graduations, city council meetings and religious . We wait upon You, Lord, knowing that You shall renew our strength. I pray that we seek You for advice. I pray that You bless us as we do not walk in the step of the wicked, but we delight in Your law. come and gather together this day. Come, Holy Father and look with favor upon all of us gathered at this celebration. We ask you to give us wisdom, patience, and guidance as we plan for the future. 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. I've never cared much for the word "invocation" in worship services, or community meetings for that matter. O Giver of life - we are here to celebrate 5 decades of life in the real world. We lift up this bread; may it be food and symbol for all of us who shall eat it. Daily, we are fed with good things, nourished by friendship and care, feasted with forgiveness and understanding. Sometimes when we pray we have special requests to ask of God. We rarely get the chance to bring everyone together, so we do not take it for granted. Prayer for Productive Discussions Lord of wisdom, we pray that You will bless this meeting. We ask you to bless their marriage, their family, and all of their relationships. For the roof above our heads, we thank You. Feel free to make it fully your own, and personalize each prayer for the specific occasion and guests at your dinner party. Prayers for our Chamber of Commerce. However, when I emcee or speak at events, I commonly see one big mistake made consistently. Invocation for the Sovereign Pontiff - Lord Jesuss, shelter our Holy Father the Pope . Let us be mindful of how our Lord, at such a meal as this, washed his friends' feet in an act of holy service. We come expecting to make a mark on this earth that is significant, but we can only do it with Your guidance. O Gracious God, we give you thanks for your overflowing generosity to us. Whatever it is that You want to result from this meeting, Lord, let it happen. God, we love You and we gather to carry out the tasks that You have given us in order to fulfill our purpose. This page has six simple prayers for giving thanks before meals. - Author Unknown. that we have been given. - Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, A Book of Blessings, 156. As we celebrate them today, we ask that you bless and guide their future lives. Help us to be unified in making the best possible decisions and to effectively carry them out. Since you redeemed us so dearly and delivered us from evil, as you gave us a share in this food so may you give us a share in eternal life. for those that made it possible, - Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, A Book of Blessings, 181. The Prayer of Blessing. - Harry Jewell. Lead us in joy and celebration of the only reality . Help us to grow in wisdom and grace alongside our group members. 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. Prayer 1. We hope that they are safe and well. That is my religion. O God, when I have food, help me to remember the hungry. Please share this walk with us that we may all know nature's peace. Thank you that each one is unique and brimming with potential. Before my public prayer, I privately pray and ask God to allow my closeness and love for him to show through me. Blessed are you for giving us family and friends to be with us in times of joy and sorrow, to help us in days of need, and to rejoice with us in moments for celebration. Youll find weekly encouragement to help you become more than yourself through Gods Word at her website,kristinebrown.net. Direct our thoughts, words, decisions, and actions toward the right path and help us stay on track. We gather together to lift up the name of your son Jesus, the name that is above every name. As you prepare to modify it for your own use, keep these basic rules in mind: Understand the context. And so, mindful of your continuous care, we pause to be grateful for the blessings of this table. 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. Come and let Your wisdom fall upon us, O Lord, as we gather for this meeting. 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. For the significance of this wedding day we thank you. God we give you all the glory to You tonight as we remember Jesus' birth on earth. Amen. Be here and everywhere adored. Father, we praise you for your son Jesus, who knew the happiness of family and friends, and in the love of your Holy Spirit. 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. 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. 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. Source of All Blessing, we desire your presence here among us as we honor our fine students and their dedication. May these objectives drive each of us to actively participate rather than just passively listen. Help us to grow in your love, and work with you to build up the kingdom of God. May the Lord bless you and keep you. This past weekend I hosted a group of women at our church for a day of fellowship, connection, and refreshment.

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