A Prayer For Graduates

The Radical Middle — June 12, 2005

Dear Friends,

Yesterday my 17 yr old daughter graduated. I was asked to pray for the graduates of her class. The following is my prayer. As I reflected on this threshold she is crossing, I thought of so many of our youth – and the world they are inheriting.

May this be a prayer we can all pray for our young people – I trust that it will inspire you to intercede for the upcoming generation.

Steven Fry

A Prayer For Graduates

In Psalm 127 we are told that the young are like arrows in the hands of a warrior. The OT records the story of an ancient king who was summoned by a prophet to shoot an arrow. He did so, and that arrow was called the arrow of the Lord’s Victory.

Before us today, Lord, are arrows of Your Victory. These are young men and women you have formed and gifted for such an hour as this.

For though these are days like the prophet Isaiah described – days of uncertainty, when thick darkness covers the people – we also know that they are days of incredible opportunity.

May each one of these men and women fly as an arrow of truth to a society often muddled about right and wrong; as an arrow of compassion to the unloved and unwanted; as an arrow of light pointing to a day when the Lord Jesus will reign over the earth.

I pray that they would know the ‘hope of their calling’ and, like Timothy, stir up the gift within them. That when in the course of things they are tempted to lose heart they would know that they are indeed arrows of Your Victory. That they are not consigned to a random existence, but

Called to be Your mouthpiece, penetrating a distracted and weary world with the wonder of Your wisdom.

Called to be an extension of Your hand of grace to the many they will touch who have never known what grace feels like.

Called to run in shoes of peace, bearing the Good News that Jesus has made a way for people to know God.

Grant them the gift of faith – a faith that will illumine every season of hardship and darkness.

Grant them a love for Your Word, a heart for Prayer, a song of praise and a sensitive ear to your Spirit.

For they will encounter many crossroads in life. Not just crossroads of career – but much more importantly crossroads of character.

Times when they will have to decide whether or not to take the path that most glorifies You – even if it means being less successful or lesser known in the eyes of others.

In these days of easily discarded relationships, help each of them know what it means to be a faithful friend, husband, wife, father or mother.

In these days that seem so frantic, help each of them to know Your peace which passes all understanding.

In these days when they will most surely navigate through seas of change and even crisis, help them forge anchors of wisdom out of every disappointment.

And then give them a heart to pass that wisdom on to their children.

And may they never lack in passion for You. Grant them a spirit that pursues You
above all else.

For at the end of the day, we know that it is not about making our mark, but pressing on to Your mark, that prize for which Paul himself strained – the moment when the Master says, “Well done” and the ‘forever’ we will have of knowing You face-to-face.

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