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Praying for Their Future

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18

You have laid the foundation but the journey is just beginning for your graduate. From their beginnings, you have continuously covered them in prayer with a watchful eye. Now, as they leave the nest, and continue to move forward, how can you help prepare their hearts and faith for the journey ahead? What steps can you take now to surround them with God’s grace and love? If you’re asking these questions, you’re not alone.

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Each spring, Mount Paran Christian School celebrates a deeply moving tradition. After the final academic tests are submitted and the caps and gowns are donned, our Commencement ceremony culminates in a sacred moment — one that reaches beyond diplomas and accolades. Each graduating senior is individually prayed over by a faculty member of their choosing — someone who has walked with them through the highs and lows of their school journey.

This moment isn't just symbolic. It isn't a closing tradition tacked on for sentimentality. It is essential. It is powerful. It is spiritual formation in action. It is a closing tradition tacked on for sentimentality. It is essential. It is powerful. It is spiritual formation in action. It is a declaration that no matter where life leads, we believe prayer is the foundation for what comes next.

The Power and Purpose of Prayer

At its core, prayer is not merely an act of asking for things; it is communion with our Heavenly Father. It is a continual conversation — an abiding with God that forms and transforms us. The apostle Paul, in his final encouragement to the Thessalonians, tells believers to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). This is not hyperbole. It is an invitation to a lifestyle of dependence on God, to draw near in every season, especially the pivotal ones.

In Romans 8:26–27, Paul acknowledges our human limitation in prayer, reminding us that “the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” This is a comfort, especially when we consider the unknowns our graduates face. As they step into new environments, new challenges, and new freedoms, we entrust them to the One who knows their every thought, fear, and dream — even when they don’t yet have the words.

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A Tradition Rooted in Truth

At Mount Paran Christian School, our tradition of praying over graduates at Commencement is a tangible reminder of John 15:5: “I am the vine; you are the branches… apart from me you can do nothing.”

These words of Jesus remind us that success, security, and significance cannot be found apart from Him. In the most important sense, this time of prayer is not simply a farewell—it is a commissioning. It is the “Church” sending its young members into the world as Christ’s ambassadors.

As each student prays with a faculty member — mentor, coach, teacher, counselor — they are reminded that they do not walk alone. They are covered, loved, and held by a community of faith that has invested not just in their academic success, but in their spiritual growth.

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Lifting Others Up

Prayer for our graduates is not passive — it is intercession. As faculty members pray, they stand in the gap, lifting these students before the Lord, asking for wisdom, protection, boldness, humility, and a hunger for righteousness.

We pray as Jesus prayed in John 17 — for unity, truth, and sanctification. We ask God to go before them as He did for Joshua: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” - Joshua 1:9

Our prayers are for more than academic or professional success. We pray for hearts grounded in truth, for minds renewed daily by God’s Word (Romans 12:2), and for feet willing to walk wherever He leads.

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Why This Matters

Our world is in desperate need of light. As Christian educators, we understand that sending students into the world is not just about launching careers — it is about launching Kingdom ambassadors. We do not take this lightly. In a culture increasingly skeptical of faith, prayer stands as a countercultural act of faith and surrender.

The act of praying over graduates is an acknowledgment that our influence as teachers, mentors, and leaders has limits. It’s a declaration that God alone can carry them beyond what we’ve given them.

In Philippians 1:6, Paul reminds us: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” What we begin in our classrooms, God continues through the lives our students lead.

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A Call to Continue Praying

Our challenge to the school community is simple but profound: don’t stop praying. Parents, pray over your children as they transition to college, work, or military service. Friends, pray for one another as you head into new territory. Faculty and staff, remember your graduates in prayer, even after they walk across the stage. Church members and extended family — join us in covering this next generation in prayer.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:6 that when we pray in secret, the Father hears. There is no prayer too small, too uncertain, or too late. In fact, our graduates will need our prayers more in the coming years than they may even realize. As James 5:16 says: “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” We must believe that our prayers are shaping futures, softening hearts, opening doors, and protecting from harm. Not because of our eloquence, but because of the power of the One to whom we pray.

Prayer at graduation is more than tradition. It is an anchor, a shield, a blessing, and a legacy. When we pray over our seniors, we are declaring that Christ is their beginning, their middle, and their end.

We are declaring that the God who brought them to this point is faithful to carry them forward. And we are reminding them — and ourselves — that the most important thing they will ever learn is not found in a textbook but in the simple, world-changing truth of dependence on God.

As a school that desires to educate with excellence and prepare servant leaders, we will continue to cover our students in prayer. Because prayer changes things. It changes people. And most of all—it reminds us that our story is part of a much bigger one authored by the Creator Himself.

So pray. Without ceasing. With boldness. With hope. With faith.

Because we know… God is listening.

Steve Kyle is Assistant Head of School for Christian Life at Mount Paran Christian School. 
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