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Japanese A Sunday school class can open with a prayer as short as this: “Lord Jesus, thank you for bringing us here today. Open our ears to your word, help us listen and be kind to each other, and teach us what you want us to learn. Amen.” Prayers for adult classes, teachers and the end of class follow.
Opening prayers for a children’s Sunday school class
Young children can pray in short lines they repeat after the teacher. Each of these takes under a minute.
A repeat-after-me prayer
Dear God, (Dear God,)
thank you for this day. (thank you for this day.)
Thank you for my friends here. (Thank you for my friends here.)
Help me listen to your story. (Help me listen to your story.)
In Jesus’ name, Amen. (In Jesus’ name, Amen.)
A prayer with open hands
The teacher asks the children to hold out their hands, palms up, as a sign of being ready to receive. Lord, our hands are open and our ears are open. Fill them with what you want to give us today. Amen.
For a class that is hard to settle
Jesus, we are wiggly and loud this morning. Calm our bodies and quiet our voices so we can hear about you. Thank you that you love us even when we are noisy. Amen.
For a new child in the class
Lord, thank you for bringing [name] to our class today. Help us to make [him or her] feel at home, and help [name] to make friends here. Amen.
Jesus welcomed children when his disciples tried to send them away: “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:14). The old word “suffer” means “let” or “allow.”
Opening prayers for an adult Sunday school class
Before a Bible lesson
Father, we have come to study your word together. Clear our minds of the week’s business and the conversations we had on the way in. Open our understanding, as your Son opened the understanding of his disciples “that they might understand the scriptures” (Luke 24:45). Let what we learn change how we live this week. Amen.
When the class shares prayer requests
Lord, you have heard what we carry: the sick parent, the lost job, the child far away, the test results we are waiting for. Hold each one, and help us keep praying for one another after we leave this room. Amen.
For honest discussion
God, some of us come with questions and doubts, and some with settled answers. Give us patience with each other, the humility to listen before we speak, and the courage to say what we really think. Keep our talk kind and our study faithful to your word. Amen.
A one-line opening from Scripture
A class can also open with a single verse said as a prayer: “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law” (Psalm 119:18). Another fits the teacher before the lesson begins: “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).
Traditional prayers before a lesson
Older prayer books have short prayers written for the start of teaching and study. They suit an adult class, or a teacher praying before the children arrive. A class can also say the Lord’s Prayer together, which Jesus taught his disciples in Matthew 6:9–13 and Luke 11:2–4.
For hearing the Scriptures
The Book of Common Prayer sets this collect for the Second Sunday in Advent. It asks for grace to “read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest” the Bible.
Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Book of Common Prayer (1928), The Second Sunday in Advent, The Collect, p. 92
For those who teach and those who learn
Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who hast committed to thy holy Church the care and nurture of thy children; Enlighten with thy wisdom those who teach and those who learn, that, rejoicing in the knowledge of thy truth, they may worship thee and serve thee from generation to generation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Book of Common Prayer (1928), Prayers, “For Religious Education,” p. 42
A Catholic prayer before study
The 1888 Manual of Prayers, prepared for American Catholics by order of the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore, prints this under the heading “A Prayer before Study or Instructions.” The sentence in brackets is for someone who is about to speak or teach.
Incomprehensible Creator, the true Fountain of light and only Author of all knowledge: vouchsafe, we beseech Thee, to enlighten our understandings, and to remove from us all darkness of sin and ignorance. [Thou, who makest eloquent the tongues of those that want utterance, direct our tongues, and pour on our lips the grace of Thy blessing.] Give us a diligent and obedient spirit, quickness of apprehension, capacity of retaining, and the powerful assistance of Thy holy grace; that what we hear or learn we may apply to Thy honor and the eternal salvation of our own souls.
A Manual of Prayers for the Use of the Catholic Laity (1888), Occasional Prayers, pp. 171–172
Prayers for Sunday school teachers
A teacher’s prayer before class
Lord, I have prepared this lesson as well as I can, and I know I cannot make anyone believe it. Speak through me where I am clumsy, and cover what I forget. Help me notice the child who is quiet or sad today, and give me patience with the one who will not sit still. Amen.
For the teachers, said by the class or the church
Father, thank you for the people who teach our children and our adults every week, many of them without pay or thanks. Give them rest, fresh ideas and joy in the work. When a lesson seems to fall flat, remind them that “in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9). Amen.
The Letter of James warns that teachers carry more responsibility: “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation” (James 3:1). “Masters” here means teachers.
Prayer points for a Sunday school ministry
A church praying for its Sunday school, at a teachers’ meeting or in a prayer group, can use these points:
- for each child and adult on the class lists by name, and for those who have stopped coming;
- for enough teachers and helpers, so that no one has to teach every week;
- for the safety of children, and for the people who check and supervise volunteers;
- for families who do not attend church, whose children come with a friend or grandparent;
- for the Scriptures taught to be remembered years later, as Timothy had “from a child … known the holy scriptures” (2 Timothy 3:15).
Closing prayers for Sunday school
Class can end with the blessing God gave Aaron and his sons to say over Israel:
The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
Numbers 6:24–26
A closing prayer for children
Thank you, Jesus, for our lesson today. Help us remember it at home and at school this week, and bring us all back safely next Sunday. Amen.
A closing prayer for adults
Lord, we have heard your word; now help us do it. Go with each of us into the week, to our work, our homes and the people we will meet, and bring us back together next Sunday. Amen.
For other ways to end a class, see these closing prayers for Bible study.
Opening prayers for a school assembly or VBS
The same kind of prayer works for a Christian school’s morning assembly or the first day of Vacation Bible School.
For a school day
Lord, thank you for our school, our teachers and everyone who keeps this building running. Help us to work hard, to tell the truth, and to be kind to anyone left out today. Keep us safe until we go home. Amen.
For the first day of VBS
God, this week is full of songs, crafts, games and Bible stories. Bless every child who comes, especially the ones who have never heard of you. Give the volunteers energy and patience, and let the children go home knowing that Jesus loves them. Amen.
Prayer for Open Hearts and Minds
Before we study God’s Word, it’s important to ask Him to clear away distractions. This prayer asks God to soften our hearts and open our minds, making us ready to receive the truths He has for us today.
Heavenly Father,
We come before You today with busy minds and sometimes-closed hearts. We ask You to quiet the noise within us and around us. Help us to set aside our worries about the week, our distractions from friends, and any doubts that keep us from hearing Your voice.
Lord, please soften any part of our hearts that has become hard or cynical. Break down the walls we build up so that Your truth can rush in. Open our minds to understand your Word in a new and personal way. We don’t want to just learn facts about You; we want to know You more deeply.
May the seeds of truth planted during our lesson today find good soil in our souls, ready to grow strong. Let us not just hear the words, but feel their power and accept their guidance for our lives. Prepare us to be changed by what we learn. We invite your Holy Spirit to be our ultimate teacher, guiding us into all truth and transforming us from the inside out, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
With hearts and minds prepared, we can truly listen for God’s voice in our lesson. He promises that when we truly search for Him, our efforts will not be wasted. As it says in Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Prayer of Gratitude for God’s Blessings
Gratitude changes our perspective, helping us see the good all around us. This prayer is a moment to pause and thank God not just for big things, but for the simple, everyday blessings He provides so generously.
Lord of all Creation,
We come to You today with hearts overflowing with gratitude. Before we ask for anything, we want to thank You for everything. Thank You for the breath in our lungs, the sunshine that warms us, and for the gift of another new day to live for You.
We thank You for our families who love and support us, and for the friends who sit beside us in this room, sharing this journey of faith. Thank You for our church, a place where we can feel safe and grow. Thank You for our teachers who give their time to guide us.
Lord, help our thankfulness to be more than just words. Let it become an attitude that fills our hearts with joy and peace, even when things are difficult. Help us see Your hand in the small details of our lives. Above all, thank You for the incredible gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ, through whom we have hope and forgiveness. It is in His precious name we pray, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A thankful heart is a joyful heart, ready to learn and grow. When we focus on our blessings, we honor God. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 reminds us to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Prayer for Wisdom and Understanding
Knowledge is about learning facts, but wisdom is about knowing how to use them. This prayer asks God for more than just head knowledge; it asks for the divine wisdom to understand His ways and apply them to our lives.
God of all Wisdom,
As we open Your Word today, we admit that we don’t have all the answers. Your thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and Your ways are greater than our ways. So we come to You humbly, asking for the gift of wisdom that only You can give.
Please don’t let this lesson be just more information for our brains. We ask that Your Holy Spirit would illuminate the scriptures for us. Help us to understand not just what the words say, but what they mean for us, right here, right now. Give us insight into your character and your heart for us.
Help us connect the dots between the stories in the Bible and the story of our own lives. May the understanding we gain today lead to real change in how we think, how we speak, and how we treat others. Let this wisdom guard our hearts and guide our choices throughout the coming week, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Seeking wisdom is one of the most important things we can do. God delights in giving it to those who ask with a sincere heart. James 1:5 promises, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
Prayer for Our Teachers and Leaders
Our teachers and leaders are a gift from God, but they need His strength and guidance too. This prayer is for them, asking God to bless them, give them patience, and fill them with the right words to say.
Gracious and loving Father,
We pause to lift up our Sunday School teachers and leaders to You. We are so grateful for their commitment to us and for their desire to see us grow in our faith. Thank You for their preparation, their patience, and their love.
Today, we ask you to bless them in a special way. Fill them with Your Holy Spirit. Give them clarity of thought and the right words to speak so that the lesson is clear and powerful. Grant them an extra measure of patience, kindness, and energy as they lead us.
Lord, let them feel our appreciation and Your divine approval. Encourage their hearts and remind them that their work for You is not in vain. May the message they share today come from a heart that is close to Yours. Help us to be good listeners, showing them respect and making their job a joy. We pray a special blessing over them and their families, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Praying for our leaders honors them and builds a stronger community. When we support them in prayer, we all benefit from their God-given guidance. As Hebrews 13:17 encourages, “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account.”
Prayer for Unity and Friendship in Christ
Sunday School is more than a class; it’s a community of believers. This prayer asks God to remove any division or awkwardness between us and to build strong bonds of friendship rooted in His love, making our group a true family.
Father of Unity,
You have brought us all together in this room today, from different families and with different personalities. We thank you for each person here. We ask You to take our group of individuals and unite us as one body in Christ.
Please help us to be kind to one another. Remove any jealousy, judgment, or cliques that might keep us apart. Help us to see each other the way You see us—as beloved children, made in Your image. Fill this room with a spirit of acceptance and genuine care.
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Lord, encourage us to build true friendships here. Give us the courage to welcome someone who looks lonely or to offer a kind word to someone who is quiet. May our conversations be filled with encouragement and our actions be filled with Your love. Make this group a safe place where we can be ourselves and grow together in faith, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Christian community is a powerful witness to the world. When we love each other well, we show others what God’s love looks like. Jesus gives us this instruction in John 13:35: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Prayer to Live Out Today’s Lesson
It’s one thing to hear God’s Word, but it’s another thing to live it out. This prayer is a commitment to not be just listeners, but to be doers of the Word, putting our faith into action this week.
Lord, our firm foundation,
We are excited to learn from You today. As we prepare to open the Bible and study together, we ask for Your help with one very important thing: help us to be doers of Your Word, and not hearers only.
It’s easy to sit in this room and agree with what we hear. It’s easy to feel good about the lesson. But Lord, we know that true faith results in action. We don’t want this knowledge to stay in our heads or just in this classroom. We want it to sink deep into our hearts and change how we live.
As we learn, please show each of us one specific way we can apply this lesson to our lives this week. Give us the strength and courage to follow through—to be more patient, to forgive someone, to share our faith, or to serve others. Let our lives be the real sermon that shows the world we belong to You, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Faith that doesn’t lead to action is incomplete. God calls us to live out our beliefs in practical, everyday ways. The book of James puts it clearly in James 1:22, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
Prayer to Feel God’s Loving Presence
Sometimes God can feel distant. This prayer is an honest request to feel His presence in a real way, to be reminded of His personal, unconditional love, and to find comfort and peace in knowing He is right here with us.
Emmanuel, God with us,
We know that You are always here, but sometimes our hearts feel far away from You. We get caught up in our own lives and forget to look for You. So today, Lord, we ask that You would make Your presence known to us in a powerful way.
Help us to feel Your peace that calms our anxious thoughts. Help us to feel Your strength that holds us up when we feel weak. Most of all, help us to feel Your overwhelming, unconditional love that quiets every fear and insecurity. Remind us that we are not alone in this room.
Let us sense Your nearness as we sing, as we listen, and as we talk with one another. Let this time be a true encounter with the living God. May we leave this place not just knowing more about You, but knowing that we have been with You, and that a piece of Your heart now beats stronger in ours, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
God is not a distant, uncaring creator; He is a loving Father who desires a close relationship with us. He promises to be near to us when we draw near to Him. Psalm 145:18 declares, “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”
Prayer for a Forgiving and Merciful Spirit
Holding onto grudges can poison our hearts. This prayer asks God to help us be more like Him by giving us a spirit of forgiveness and mercy, both for others who have wronged us and for ourselves when we make mistakes.
Merciful Father,
We come before You today acknowledging that You have forgiven us for so much through the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus. Your mercy is a free gift that we don’t deserve, and we thank you for it with our whole hearts.
Lord, because You have been so forgiving to us, we ask you to help us be forgiving to others. Search our hearts for any bitterness, anger, or grudges that we are holding onto. Give us the strength to let them go and to release those who have hurt us from the debt we feel they owe.
It is not always easy, Lord, so we need Your divine power to soften our hearts. Help us also to be merciful, showing kindness and compassion instead of judgment. Let the grace you’ve shown us flow through us to the people in our lives this week. Help us to live in the freedom of forgiveness, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Forgiveness is at the very core of the Gospel message. As we have been forgiven by God, we are called to extend that same grace to others. Colossians 3:13 commands us to “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
Prayer for Strength and Courage in the Coming Week
Leaving the encouragement of church can make faith feel harder. This prayer asks God for the supernatural strength and courage needed to face the challenges of the week ahead—to stand for what is right and to be a witness for Christ.
Almighty God, our Rock and our Fortress,
We are so thankful for this time together, to be refreshed and encouraged in our faith. But we know that when we leave this place, we will step back into a world that can be challenging. We will face temptations, pressures, and difficult situations.
So, we ask You now to equip us for the week ahead. Fill us with Your spiritual strength, not our own. When we are tempted to do wrong, give us the power to say no. When we feel pressured to compromise our beliefs, give us the courage to stand firm and be different.
Lord, when we have the chance to be a light for You, take away our fear and give us the boldness to speak or act with love. Help us to be brave, not because we are strong, but because You are with us. Be our shield and our protector from this moment until we meet again, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
God never asks us to live the Christian life in our own power. He promises to be our source of strength for every situation. This is wonderfully captured in Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you.”
Prayer for Kind Words and Loving Actions
Our words and actions have the power to build others up or tear them down. This prayer is a plea for God to take control of our mouths and our hands, so that everything we say and do brings honor to Him.
Lord, who is Love,
You have taught us that the greatest commandments are to love You and to love our neighbor. Today, we ask for Your help to put that love into practice. We confess that our words are not always kind and our actions are not always loving. Forgive us for the times we have used them to hurt others.
We ask that You would place a guard over our mouths. Help us to think before we speak. Stop us from spreading gossip, using harsh language, or making sarcastic comments that tear people down. Instead, fill our mouths with words that build up, encourage, and bring healing.
Father, also guide our hands and feet. Move us to perform acts of service and kindness, even when no one is watching. Let our love be more than just a feeling; let it be a visible, active force in our schools, our homes, and our communities. Make us known by our love, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Our behavior is a direct reflection of our faith. We are called to be representatives of Christ in the world. Ephesians 4:29 gives us a clear instruction for our speech: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs.”
Prayer to See Others Through God’s Eyes
It is easy to judge people based on their appearance or actions. This prayer asks for a supernatural shift in perspective—to see every person with the same compassion, value, and unconditional love that God has for them.
Creator God, who sees the heart,
You made every single person in Your image, and You love each one with a perfect and personal love. We confess that we often fail to see people the way You do. We are quick to judge, to label, and to notice faults. Forgive us for our critical spirits.
Lord, we ask that You would change our vision. Help us to look past the outward appearance, the annoying habits, or the different opinions. Let us see the soul that You created, the person that Jesus died for. Fill our hearts with Your compassion and empathy.
When we look at the person who is difficult to love, help us to see someone who is hurting. When we look at a stranger, help us to see a potential brother or sister in Christ. Let this new sight transform how we treat everyone we meet, filling our interactions with grace and dignity, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Seeing people as God sees them is the first step toward true Christian love and service. It changes our motivation from duty to genuine care. The Bible reminds us of God’s perspective in 1 Samuel 16:7, “…The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
Prayer to Be a Light in the Darkness
The world can often feel like a dark place, full of sadness and sin. This prayer is a commission, asking God to empower us to be bright lights that shine with His hope, truth, and love wherever we go.
Father of Lights,
Jesus said that we are the light of the world. Lord, that is a huge calling, and we know we cannot shine on our own. Our light is just a reflection of Your glorious light. So we ask you to fill us up so completely that Your love and goodness shine out of us.
In a world that is often dark with sadness, help us to be a light of joy and hope. In a world full of confusion and lies, help us to be a light of Your truth. In a world with so much anger and hate, help us to be a shining light of Your unconditional love and peace.
Give us the courage to let our light shine brightly in our schools, on our sports teams, and in our homes. Don’t let us hide it because we are afraid of what others might think. Use our lives to draw people out of darkness and into Your wonderful light, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
As followers of Christ, we have a purpose to illuminate the world around us. We are not meant to blend in, but to stand out for Him. Jesus gives us this powerful mission in Matthew 5:16: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Your turn to pray
Asked to pray out loud? Choose the occasion and how much time you have, then read one of these three.
Prefer to use your own words? Lesson 1 of Praying Out Loud shows how, free.
Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Grant, O Lord, that by thy holy Word which shall be read and preached in this place, and by thy Holy Spirit grafting it inwardly in the heart, the hearers thereof may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and may have power and strength to fulfil the same. Amen.
Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who hast committed to thy holy Church the care and nurture of thy children; Enlighten with thy wisdom those who teach and those who learn, that, rejoicing in the knowledge of thy truth, they may worship thee and serve thee from generation to generation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Prefer to use your own words? Lesson 1 of Praying Out Loud shows how, free.
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