Heavenly Father, we praise you for there is no God like you in heaven or on earth. We thank you that you keep your covenants and show steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart.

Thank you for keeping your promises and fulfilling them through your servants Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, the nation of Israel, finally and ultimately through our Lord Jesus Christ who is greater than the Angels, Abraham, Moses, and Aaron. We praise you that Jesus’s high priesthood is divine, eternal and the only one that we will ever need.

Great God, even though the heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, much less these jars of clay to have the Holy Spirit of the Living God to indwell in us… and yet you graciously have regard to the prayer of your people. Thank you. 

Please help us to fear you and walk in your ways all the days of our lives.

Please help us to emulate our forefathers of faith in seeking you first, obeying you unconditionally, possessing the unshakable trust in you and your plans for us irrespective of our circumstances.

Please help us to love you supremely above all things with utmost reverence. May your steadfast lovingkindness be our rock and our refuge. May your faithfulness be our strong tower that we run to. May we rejoice in your goodness every day. 

Father, at this time I lift up our students of all ages who are starting a new school year.  Please bless every single one of them as they gain more knowledge, make new friends, make new choices and some for the first time on their own. Please grant them wisdom from above to choose to please you in every step of the way. Please establish their footsteps in your word. Please direct and guide them. Please put a hedge of protection around them from the enemy. 

Please protect our students and all of us from pursuing the worthless things. Please help our students and us to overcome the fear of man, the strong pull of social media and any ungodly influences in our lives.

Father, I pray for our seminary students who are pursuing vocational service unto the Lord and His people. Please may the new knowledge that they gain this year draw them closer to you and make them humbler. Thank you for the sacrifices of our seminary students’ spouses and other family members as well. 

Father, I also surrender the parents of our students at your feet. Thank you for their sacrifices to bring up their children in the admonishment of the Lord. Please bless them and regularly encourage their souls through the ministry of your word and fellowship with other believers.  

I pray that you would help all of us to experience the grace and growth as men and women of God in all of our roles.  

Please be magnified through the remainder of our worship service. In your Son’s name we pray, Amen.