Retirement prayers and blessings

This prayer was originally written by Pastor Ed at Salisbury Vineyard church and read out as a christian blessing over the dad’s present and as an acknowledgement of the important role of fatherhood in the lives of our children.

Fathers Day Prayer & Blessing

O God,
We thank you for these men
Men who have taken on the impossible task of following in Your footsteps
We thank you for their courage and strength

And our prayer is that as they learn what it means to be a father

That You would Father them, and apprentice them
We pray that you would teach them how to be good fathers
no matter how old or young their children are.

Give them hearts like your heart

That they may become known for
Compassion, tenderness, and mercy.
May they live lives full of love and grace.
May they not be afraid to discipline
And may they lead their families with great wisdom and gentleness

Anoint them to be warriors in Your kingdom

To wage war for their families in prayer
To be defenders and guardians of all that is true and good
Make them aware of the spiritual battle that You call them to engage in

Today, God our Father, we ask your blessing on all fathers

For new fathers, coming to terms with new responsibility;
For those who are trying to balance the demands of work, marriage and children;
For those who have to struggle to be a part of their child’s life;
For those who are unable to feed their children due to poverty;
For those whose children have physical, mental or emotional disabilities;
For those whose child has been placed for adoption;
For those whose love and support has offered healing;
For those that have adopted a child into their family;
For those who have lost a child;
For those who care for the children of others;
For those whose children have left home.

Bless all fathers, that they may be able to commit themselves selflessly

as mentor, protector and provider, shaping the direction
of their child’s character by giving love, care and guidance.

Bless all fathers, that they may lead their children to know and do what is good,

living not for themselves alone, but for God and for others.
Amen.

Blessings For Fathers

“Dear God, I give thanks for fathers.
I recognize the dedication and patience
it takes to be a source
of compassion and
understanding when helping
to shape a young life.
Bless all fathers,
especially those who are new
in this sacred role. I pray they feel
Your presence with them.
May they know that Your strength
and wisdom are within them,
providing all they need
to guide and support
their children with kindness and love.”

Father’s Day Prayer

Let us praise those fathers who have striven to balance the demands of work, marriage, and children with an honest awareness of both joy and sacrifice. Let us praise those fathers who, lacking a good model for a father, have worked to become a good father.

Let us praise those fathers who by their own account were not always there for their children, but who continue to offer those children, now grown, their love and support. Let us pray for those fathers who have been wounded by the neglect and hostility of their children.

Let us praise those fathers who, despite divorce, have remained in their children’s lives. Let us praise those fathers whose children are adopted, and whose love and support has offered healing.

Let us praise those fathers who, as stepfathers, freely choose the obligation of fatherhood and earned their step children’s love and respect. Let us praise those fathers who have lost a child to death, and continue to hold the child in their heart.

Let us praise those men who have no children, but cherish the next generation as if they were their own.

Let us praise those men who have “fathered” us in their role as mentors and guides.

Let us praise those men who are about to become fathers; may they openly delight in their children.

And let us praise those fathers who have died, but live on in our memory and whose love continues to nurture us.

~ Kirk Loadman

Fathers

We honour you in your God given duty
May you walk free from the lies of the world
That say a father is not important

For we say that you are important

You are to be a light in darkness
A living example of God Himself

We bless you to be strong and courageous

To wear the full armour of God
To resist the devil, and to stand
Stand firm for your wives and children
Stand firm for the body of Christ

We bless you to go out and do great deeds for the kingdom of God

To become oaks of righteousness
To rise to the fullness of Christ
And to run hard the race that has been marked for you

We claim this blessing for you

That you would be counted righteous in this life
That by the grace of God you would be blameless
And that in so doing your children would be blessed

What you do in life echoes in eternity.

O God bless these men
And may their echoes be loud and full and pleasing in Your sight
throughout all ages.

As I recall, there was barely a dry eye in the house and all of the dads stood as this was read and they were blessed.  They were then presented with gifts of chocolate as a tangible thank you for the wonderful job that they do!

What Makes a Dad

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle’s flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family in need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it … Dad

More Fathers Day Prayers

God, bless all the fathers in the world.
Guide them to be good role models
and loving to all their children
Help them to be a father like You are
Give them grace and patience
to handle situations in a loving way.
Amen!

God, our Father
Bless these men,
that they may find strength as fathers.
Let the example of their faith and love shine forth.
Grant that we, their sons and daughters,
may honor them always
with a spirit of profound respect.
Amen!

God our Father,
in your wisdom and love you made all things.
Bless these men,
that they may be strengthened as Christian fathers.
Let the example of their faith and love shine forth.
Grant that we, their sons and daughters,
may honor them always
with a spirit of profound respect.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
Amen

Christian Prayer for Fathers Day

Loving God,
We thank you for the gift of good dads,
and everything that they do for us.
Help them to have
patience when we’re difficult,
wisdom when we can’t see the way,
strength when we need comforting,
and love at all times,
so that, though them,
we get a little glimpse of how you feel about us,
our heavenly Father
Amen.

Father, it is Your Commandment that we should honor our fathers;
Hear the prayers we offer You for them.
Grant them many years on earth and keep them in health of mind and body.
Bless their word and all they do.
Give them back a hundred-fold whatever they have done for us.
Inspire them with Your love and help them to fulfill Your holy law.
One day, may we be their comfort and support,
So that having enjoyed their affection on earth
We may have the joy of being with them forever in Your home in Heaven.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

May God bless you and thanks for visiting father’s day prayer & blessing.

Parenting Book

Wow Dad!- written by a dad to give parents, both mothers and fathers, simple, fun things they can do with their children anytime and anywhere. Find out more about being a great and happy parent now!

Fathers Day Resources, Other Great Sites for Fathers

All About Fathers – Learn the history of Father’s Day, find just the right gift for your Father and get information on all things Dads like to do.

Visit Special Moments for great ideas for Father’s Day 2019.

Gift Baskets

High quality gift baskets suitable for all those special occasions – weddings, birthdays, Mother’s Day, Fathers Day, etc. Free ground shipping throughout US mainland.

father’s day prayer & blessing

poem4today.com

When it comes to expressing your heartfelt thanks and wishing your pastor a happy retirement, there’s nothing like the written word. Pastor retirement congratulations message ideas, a line or two of pastor retirement scriptures or poems, or a simple, heartfelt message, you can choose whatever moves you and best suits .

The examples below would be perfect farewell messages to send blessing for a retiring pastor who has given their careers in service to God. You could also pen these pastor retirement messages, quotes, scriptures and notes in a card to go with a gift, or even engrave in a beautiful Pastor Retirement Plaque to wish your retiring pastor all the best starting new chapter of the life.

www.diyawards.com

A  prayer or blessing can be religious or non-religious. Some couples invite a family member or friend to say a prayer or blessing.

Prayers and Blessings 1

Let us pray.  God, we ask for your blessings upon this man and woman, as we celebrate this momentous occasion in their lives.

Grant them happiness and contentment as they establish their new home, create a new family and explore the depths of their love for one another and for you.

Bless their families and friends and the relationships, which have supported, strengthened and sustained them throughout their lives.

Bless their home as a place of love and of peace.

And if times grow hard and tempers grow short, help them to look into their hearts and remember the love that brought them here today

Amen.

Prayers and Blessings 2

God, as you join us today, we ask for your blessings upon this couple as they unite in marriage.

Let all their days together be happy and all their words to each other be sweet.

Though their paths are intertwined, let them be aware of each other’s separateness. Bless their home and allow it to be a place of joy and serenity.

Remind them to nurture each other’s body with mutual love, honor and respect.  Let their spirits dwell within.

As they learn from one another, may they grow stronger as individuals and closer as a couple.

And as their wedded life begins today with prayer, so may they continue it, praying for and with each other.

Amen.

Prayers and Blessings 3

In acknowledgment of this holy purpose, and of the power of this occasion, let us pray.

Dear God, One who gives us the longing for love and the capability of loving, we give thanks to You for BRIDE and GROOM, for their open hearts and willing spirits, and for the love that they embody here in our presence.

Be with them on this joyous occasion as two become one, and be with us, their witnesses, as we rejoice in what is said and witnessed here.

Prayers and Blessings 4

To open the ceremony we will begin with an invocation in the form of an ancient prayer or mantra.

The meaning of “mantra” is “that which protects.”

This mantra asks for protection, good fortune, strength, wisdom, and peace.

Mantras begin with “OM”, which is not a word or a name; it is the vibration of love heard from within the heart when the mind is at peace, the vibration of love from which creation emerged.

BRIDE and GROOM, take hold of your hands and look into each other’s eyes, and repeat after me:

Om
May we be protected together
May we enjoy the fruits of our actions together.
May we achieve strength together.
May our knowledge be full of light
May there never be discord between us
Om shantih, shantih, shantihi
Om. Peace, peace, peace.

Prayers and Blessings 5

Let us Pray: Dear God, thank you for this joyous day.

Thank you for Your Light that has entered Bride and Groom’s life.

Thank you for all the miracles and blessings.

Please bless this union.

Help Bride and Groom find the perfect place in this world for their love to flourish.

Let the radiant light of their love shine on all those around them.

May all their future creations be blessed.

God, bless them with the inner gifts of trust, compassion, forgiveness and truth that they may live and grow together in love and peace.

Amen.

Prayers and Blessings 6

Father of mankind, whose nature is love, look with favor upon this woman and this man who desire to make their vows before you.

We are grateful for the providence that has led to this union.

Grant this to be more than an outward union, but also the blending of hearts and spirits and purposes.

Bless each with the inward qualities of integrity, trust, cooperation and forgiveness, that they may live together in love and peace.

Amen.

Prayers and Blessings 7

Adapted from Illuminata by Marianne Williamson

Dear God, Please make of this relationship a great and holy adventure.

May their joining be a sacred space. May the two of them find rest here, a haven for their souls.

Remove from them any temptation to judge themselves or each other or to direct each other.

May they surrender to You their conflicts and their burdens.

We know You are their Answer and their rock.

Help them not forget.

Bring them together in heart and mind as well as body and guide them in the ways of holiness.

May this relationship be a burst of light.

May it be a fount of love and wisdom for them, for their family, for their community, and for their world.

May this bond be a channel for Your love and healing, a vehicle of Your grace and power.

As lessons come and challenges grow, let them not be tempted to forsake each other.

Let them always remember that in each other they have the most beautiful woman, the most beautiful man, the strongest one, the sacred one in whose arms we are repaired.

May they remain young in this relationship.

May they grow wise in this relationship.

Bring them what You desire for them.

And show them how you would have them be.

Thank You, dear God.

Prayers and Blessings 8

The Lords’ Prayer
Our Father who art in Heaven, hallow be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.)

Amen

Prayers and Blessings 9

Gracious God, spirit of life and love, we ask all blessings upon Groom and Bride in their life together.

May they be blessed with patience, to see them through times of tensions or conflict.

May they be blessed with kindness, to enable them to nurture and care for one another in times of pain or sorrow.

May they be blessed with a spirit of play and joyfulness, that they may participate fully in the beauties and pleasures of creation.

May they be blessed, finally, with a knowledge of the ever-flowing presence of love in the world, that they may be channels of this love to one another and to all whom they meet in their life’s journey.

Amen.

Prayers and Blessings 10

Blessed are the man and the woman who have grown beyond themselves and have seen through their separations.

They delight in the way things are and keep their hearts open, day and night.

They are like trees planted near flowing rivers, which bear fruit when they are ready.

Their leaves will not fall or wither.

Everything they do will succeed.

Blessed is one who comes in the name of Love.

Opening

Marriage is a gift from God, a miracle.

After speaking to you both, it is obvious that you already know some of the great blessings marriage has to offer.

It is an opportunity to feel the joy of taking care of someone who takes care of you, to be challenged towards growth yet gently nurtured, to love deeply and receive it in return.

It is about trust, friendship and having a partner to share all life has to offer.

It is a commitment to participate in a process of mutual evolution, understanding and forgiveness.

It is indeed a sacred union to be treated with reverence.

Marriage is not a place to hide from the world.

It is a safe place to grow and become wiser.

It is a place to evolve into better people; so that you can go out in the world and make a difference by spreading the joy and wisdom that you have found with each other.

Together in this marriage, you shall contribute more fully, for you both shall be more full.

Bride, Groom is a gift to you from God, but he is not a gift for you alone.

It is God’s will that in your love, this man might find within himself a greater sense of who he is meant to be.

You are asked to see the good in this man, to accept him for who he is and who he shall be.

In this way, God’s purpose shall be accomplished in this relationship.

May this man find the kingdom of heaven through the love you share.

And so it is with you also Groom, that although Bride is God’s gift to you, she is not a gift intended for you alone.

You are asked by God to so love this woman, that in your love she might find herself as God has created her, so beautiful and strong and brave and true, that the entire world might be blessed by the presence of a woman who shines so.

May she relax in your arms as she has never relaxed before. May she know, from now on, that there is one on whose love she can depend on forever.

Prayers and Blessings 12

Marriage is the beginning of a new life, a chance at fulfilling long-held dreams, and an opportunity for great personal and spiritual growth.

Marriage endures through the ages of trends and fads. Marriage thrives, and continues to live as a promise of a beautiful dream come true.

As long as individuals are drawn together by God, marriage will be a natural unfolding of that relationship.

Feelings come alive at a wedding.

Great happiness. Some sadness.

Apprehension.

And sometimes pure relief!.

There is an acute awareness that something special, something that goes to the very heart of life, is about to happen.

Something is gone forever, and something is born, brand-new and tender.

Something to be nurtured and cared for, protected and cherished, challenged and strengthened–your never-before-created marriage.

Each of you brings gifts to the other today.

Gifts of hope and laughter, focus and seriousness of purpose.

Sensitivity and recognition of the beautiful and the profound.

Since childhood, you have searched for and dreamed about that special someone who would embody and express the gifts you now stand ready to give and to receive.

But these gifts are not to be yours alone.

A strong and resilient marriage is not an escape from the world but a contribution to it.

Bride and Groom, may you now combine and strengthen your gifts, to be offered as a distinct and beautiful gift to the world.

For the world is in need of the beautiful, the good and the holy and nothing is better suited to evoke that than a good marriage.

And now you stand before this loving community of family and friends, ready to acknowledge to God and to the world: this is my beloved, the one with whom I choose to create the rest of my life.

May you both create, with God, a piece of heaven on earth.

Prayers and Blessings 13

Marriage is a supreme sharing, perhaps the greatest and most challenging adventure in the most intimate of human relationships.

It is the joyful uniting of a man and a woman whose care and affection and understanding have flowered into a deep and abiding love.

Those who take its sacred vows have their lives blended together into one, as the waters of two rivers are joined when they come together to form an even greater one.

A true spiritual marriage is an act of metamorphosis, a profound mystery of creation and rebirth, as two become one.

It is not a giving up or loss of oneself, but rather a giving over of oneself to something greater-a transformation of self in which each one can say, “I am no longer only I but also we.”

It is a process in which each can be challenged to discover new possibilities in themselves and each other.

In such a marriage, the wedding ceremony is the gateway into this mystery.

For the lives the two of you have lived up until this moment are, in some sense, now truly completed and over.

Together you now live within the creation of something wholly new and transcendent, something which has never existed before-your miraculous marriage-an expression that is at once public and private, precious, sacred, and truly unique to the two of you.

In this act, you open yourselves to a fuller experience and expression of the great, vast miracle of love.

No ceremony can create your marriage.

Only you can do that-through love, patience, dedication, perseverance-through talking and listening and trying to understand-through helping and supporting and believing in each other-through learning to forgive, learning to respect and appreciate your differences, and learning to make the important things matter and to let go of the rest.

What this ceremony can do is to witness and affirm the choice you have made to begin a new life today as husband and wife.

Prayers and Blessings 14

Divine Spirit (Father, Lord), we know Your presence is with all of us here this special day of BRIDE and GROOM’s wedding and we give thanks.

We ask Your blessing and love be with us during this ceremony and to especially fill the hearts of BRIDE and GROOM as they pledge their love to one another.

May the wisdom and spirit of all-giving and all-understanding Love pervade all the words spoken and all the love given here today, that these vows offered will remain strong and true and abiding in the presence of love all the days of their lives.

May all of us present feel the strength and depth of BRIDE and GROOM’s love and experience a rebirth of the power of love in our own lives.

We ask these things in the Name of the Divine Spirit and give thanks that it is so.

Prayers and Blessings 15

Excerpt from Greek prayer to Ayron and Hopi Hymn

I invoke Thee, Who art the greatest of all, Who created all, Who generated it from thyself, Who sees all and is never seen.

We ask Your blessing for BRIDE and GROOM’s tonight as they enter into this cherished covenant.

We ask You to bless this community of friends and family who pledge their love and support of BRIDE and GROOM’s marriage.

Infinite One, fly ahead of them
Open the way
Prepare the path
Spirity of the sun
Mother of the light
Come to them!
Amen.

Prayers and Blessings 16

Faithful God, we dare to invoke Your name in this glad moment, because we know you are the Creator of humanity in your image and in all our diversity.

You are the Author of love, the Source of passion, the Model of commitment.

You stand with us, through all of life’s experiences, worries, defeats, and victories.

So we pray for your presence now, confident that divine blessing comes to rest wherever hearts are woven together with fidelity and live.

Bless this hour for BRIDE and GROOM, and let Your peace uphold all who love them and who witness this sacred moment.

Amen.

Prayers and Blessings 17

Apache Blessing
Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be a shelter for the other.

Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other.

Now there will be no loneliness, for each of you will be a companion to the other.

Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you.

Go now to your dwelling place to enter the days of your togetherness.

May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all the years.

May happiness be your companion, and may your days together be good and long upon the earth.

Prayers and Blessings 18

May God bless you with Hope enough to keep sunshine in your love, and Fear enough to keep you holding hands in the dark;

May God bless you with Unity enough to keep your roots entwined, and Separation enough to keep you reaching for each other;

May God bless you with Harmony enough to keep romance in your song, and Discord enough to keep you tuning your love so it becomes sweet music to all who may hear it.

Prayers and Blessings 19

Oh Lord, our hearts are filled with joy on this wedding day, as GROOM and BRIDE come before You pledging their hearts and lives to one another.

Grant that they may ever be true and loving, living together in such a way as to never bring shame or heartbreak into their marriage.

Temper their hearts with kindness and understanding.

Rid them of all pretense and jealousy.

Help them to remember to be each other’s sweetheart, helpmate, best friend, and guide, so together they may meet the cares and problems of life more bravely.

May the home they are creating today truly be a place of love, peace, and harmony, where

Your Spirit is always present.

Bless this marriage we pray, and walk beside BRIDE and GROOM throughout their lives together.

We ask this in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

Prayers and Blessings 20

Cherokee Prayer
God in heaven above, please protect the ones we love.

We honor all You created as they pledge their hearts and lives together.

We honor mother-earth and ask for their marriage to be abundant and grow stronger through the seasons.

We honor fire and ask that our their union be warm and glowing with love in their  hearts.

We honor wind and ask that their sail through life safe and calm as in their Father’s arms.

We honor water to clean and soothe their relationship that it may never thirst for love.

With all the forces of the universe You created, we pray for harmony and true happiness as their forever grow young together.

Amen.

www.officianteric.com
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic Conference (USCC), it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic hierarchy (i.e., diocesan, coadjutor, and auxiliary bishops and the ordinary of the The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic Conference (USCC), it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic hierarchy (i.e., diocesan, coadjutor, and auxiliary bishops and the ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter) in the United States and the Territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands. In the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the bishops in the six dioceses form their own episcopal conference, the Puerto Rican Episcopal Conference (Spanish, Conferencia Episcopal Puertorriqueña). The bishops in U.S. insular areas in the Pacific Ocean – the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Territory of American Samoa, and the Territory of Guam – are members of the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific (Latin, Conferentia Episcopalis Pacifici).

The USCCB adopted its current name in July 2001. The organization is a registered corporation based in Washington, D.C. As with all bishops’ conferences, certain decisions and acts of the USCCB must receive the recognitio, or approval of the Roman dicasteries, which are subject to the immediate and absolute authority of the Pope.

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