Here it is….the moment you have all been waiting for (drum roll please) IT’S GRADUATION DAY!!!
You sit anxiously in alphabetical order, awaiting the final moment when you hear your name called, and receive that little piece of paper known as your high school diploma.
CONGRATS…YOU DID IT!!!
Caps are flying in the air, hundreds of smiles, tears, and even some fears start to set in as you realize the reality of the situation…
One chapter of your life has come to a close and a new & exciting one lures right around the corner. For some of you…you will attend the college of your dreams maybe even playing the sport you always dreamed of as a young child, some may not have a desire to further their education so you choose to go straight into the work field, some may have opened their acceptance letter in hopes of getting into college only to be disappointed by a “I regret to inform you” type response, others have decided to take a semester off of school for personal reasons, and then there are some who have chosen to selflessly enlist in a branch of the military in order to serve our country and give us the freedom we now have.
No matter what category you may fall into: a high school or college graduate, a parent,a grandparent, a teacher, a sibling, a friend, one of my supporters, a future world racer, or you just so happened to stumble across this blog, I feel very called to share with you some personal life lessons And advice God has revealed to me as I am now 5 years removed from my high school graduation day, but even rapid revelation and growth has occurred 5 months into the World Race. After praying about exactly how I should present this to you I felt God wanting me to pray for each of you specifically according to the Guidelines He has invited me to share…so here it goes…
1. KEEP GOD AS YOUR #1 GUIDE: Lord, I pray that you will open up the hearts of each and every individual reading this blog. I pray they may feel the presence of your Holy Spirt upon them in this moment and know that it is YOU. I thank you so much for your goodness and for your grace in those times when we have failed to put YOU in the forefront of our minds, those times when other peoples opinions and viewpoints seemed more important than yours. I ask that you continue to peruse these graduates and anyone reading this blog so that they will have the burning desire to follow you in ALL circumstances of their lives And walk in full confidence that YOUR plans are always better than our own.
2. KNOW YOUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST: Lord, I lift up All those who have lost their identity in the things of this world. I ask that you show them their worth, their beauty, their popularity, & their accomplishments are not settled in worldly possessions, but that their true identity in Christ was settled on the cross. I ask for you to give them the peace in knowing they are absolutely beautiful, not because of how perfectly their hair is fixed, their brand of clothing, or the amount of makeup they apply each morning, but Jesus show them they are beautiful because it is YOU who lives inside of them. I pray that they do not define their identity or worth by the test scores they receive at the end of each semester, but that they come to know YOU in a more intimate way so they can better understand the Jesus that lives inside of them & how that alone is more than enough.
3. WALK WITH BOLDNESS: Lord I pray for courage and wisdom. I pray for discernment. I pray that each person who reads this can walk in greater boldness in what you have called them to do. I pray that they have the courage to stand up for what they know is right, even when it may not always be the popular choice. I pray they have discernment in knowing when to back down and when to press in deeper to certain situations that may arise. I pray for the confidence to carry out whatever task God has called them to, even when it may seem silly and insignificant Lord, I know your ways always make sense in the end.
4. ACCEPT GOD’S GRACE: Lord, I thank you so much for the gift of your son. I thank you for the example He has set for all of us to follow and the ultimate sacrifice He suffered so that we may LIVE again. I ask for hearts to open in accepting this beautiful gift of grace you have given us through your son dying and taking on all the sins of the world, the sins of you and me. Lord I pray for clearer understanding regarding this truth so that when difficult circumstances arise we may know in full confidence that YOU have already paid that price for us, you don’t want us to to struggle with past sins any more, but instead you bring us to a higher glory when we are able to see and walk in FREEDOM Because we have been washed clean!
5. LIVE A GREAT STORY: I thank you Lord for showing me what it means to LIVE A GREAT STORY throughout the nations. I ask for you to show others exactly what living a great story means to them. Lord I thank you for making us all different and placing within us desires and passions that make our hearts jump for joy. I thank you that you use those passions for your greater good and I ask for your guidance in helping others discover exactly what their desires are, then giving them the obedience to chase after their dreams no matter how big or small they may seem 🙂
Dear Jesus, I end this prayer with a special request and so much thankfulness in my heart. I am sooo thankful that YOU found me when you did, I am thankful for the heartaches you had me endure in order to show me your goodness and mercy. I am thankful for each and every graduate today and all the many to follow, I am thankful to where you have brought them in this moment and ask for more and more of you lives in their lives. Lord, I know first hand the struggles that come with leaving behind all the old comforts: the friends and teachers they have come to love, the memories they created throughout the years, and the example they set for many to follow. Lord I pray for peace as they encounter so many new beginnings and I ask that when times get uncomfortable and they want to give up, that they are able to find their strength and comfort in YOU and you alone.
I now lift up my amazing younger brother, Joe. Lord, I thank you for the calling you have put on his life, the drive and perseverance you have gifted him with, which is supernatural strengths only given by God himself, so I thank you for that testimony in his life. I ask that you send down your angels to protect him wherever he may go, as he pursues his dream of joining the navy. I ask for an increase in stability and strength when times get hard and for him to encompass all the characteristics of a humble heart. I thank you for blessing me with him, his well-rounded personality, his humor, his charm, but most of all for giving him a burning desire to LIVE A GREAT STORY. May his great story be one that glorifies You and gives power to Your name. Fill his life with adventure, with a new and changing horizon, and with a heart that knows just how very proud I am to be his older sister and watch him grow into a powerful man of God. give him comfort, and give my entire family comfort as he soon leaves for basic training and begins a whole new chapter that will trump anything he has yet to experience because YOU will be by his side.
I love you Joe~
In Jesus’ mighty name we pray all things, AMEN
