Welcome back! I’m sorry about the technical issues last week. Hopefully they are worked out, and it will be smooth sailing for the rest of the year. I hope you find this written form to be useful and easily adapted to your school and senior class. A couple of notes about the prayer: The Psalm is portions of 146; James was part of my lectionary reading this week and made a good basis for petitions; and the benediction is based on 1 Corinthians 15:58.

Father,

What a blessing we have, knowing that you are a good Father, worthy of thanks and praise:

Praise the Lord,
Praise the Lord, O my soul;
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. 
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God,
Who made heaven and earth,
The sea and and all that is in them.
The Lord will reign forever;
Your God, O Zion, to all generations,
Praise the Lord!

Father, we first pause and remember your precious daughter {an employee of our school who died tragically in an accident this week}. We know You welcomed her into Your kingdom. Comfort her family. Help us as a school family to walk with them in their grief. We are so grateful for the loving heart that she brought to our school. We know we have a hope beyond today; thank You for the assurance of Your immense love for her.

We turn to more everyday cares of our kids, Lord, grateful for the ebb and flow of a normal school year. The senior retreat is coming up. There are a million things we could ask for and remember–good weather, the Spiritual Life team, bonds of friendship that grow and strengthen–most of all, let this time together bear good fruit, experiences that will stick with the members of the senior class, that provide a foundation for all the events, official and unofficial, that will take place this year.

Today, we pray over our government and Econ teacher. Economics is the study of how to use our resources, including the most precious of all the resources You entrust to us, time. And government–Your word has so much to say about leadership. It’s important that our kids understand how earthly authority operates so they can be more effective in doing Your work in the world. Thank You for a godly woman to teach these subjects. Guard her from attacks of all kinds, give her wisdom, and help her family to truly flourish as part of our school.

You tell us in many ways (but so clearly in James) that our faith is dead if it doesn’t have works that go along with it. We of course pray for more faith for our kids, Father, but also for them to produce good works that honor You. Our prayer for all our students is that they are prepared to impact the world for Jesus. In this last year, show them what that truly looks like, how Jesus is carried into the world in loving and practical ways, big and small. Make their faith vibrant, rich with works that reveal Your lovingkindness.

We don’t know each student’s concerns, Father, but You do. We join them in their worries, joys, and hopes as we remember each one of the class of 22: (we name each student every week here).

Be with each of them this week.

Now, Father, teach them to be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord their labor is not in vain. In Jesus’ name,

Amen.