Last weekend I attended a conference where the song “Grace Alone” was sung. I probably had heard the song somewhere before and, truthfully, it’s not the style of song I normally immediately resonate with. However, the sweet young couple leading worship with guitar and vocals – with genuine hearts and pure worship – brought a new life to this 25-year-old song. Honestly, though, it was the lyrics that caught me. Everything we do is only by God’s grace. No promise, prayer, step of faith, difference we make, hope, blessing, or action we do to be Salt and Light in the world can happen without God’s grace upon us. Today as we pray for all those graduating this year, let us pray God’s grace over them.
“Grace Alone” by Scott Wesley Brown and Jeff Nelson
Every promise we can make
Every prayer and step of faith
Every difference we can make
Is only by His grace
Every mountain we will climb
Every ray of hope we shine
Every blessing left behind
Is only by His grace
Grace alone
Which God supplies
Strength unknown
He will provide
Christ in us
Our cornerstone
We will go forth in grace alone
Every soul we long to reach
Every heart we hope to teach
Everywhere we share His peace
Is only by His grace
Every loving word we say
Every tear we wipe away
Every sorrow turned to praise
Is only by His grace
Grace alone
Which God supplies
Strength unknown
He will provide
Christ in us
Our cornerstone
We will go forth in grace alone
God,
As students of all ages and stages prepare to graduate from one educational level and step into the next calling of life, we pray your grace to walk with them. Out of your glorious riches, strengthen them with power through your Spirit in their inner beings, so that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith. May they be rooted and established in love and grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. May they be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. May they boast not in their own accomplishments but in the hope of the glory of God. May they know suffering that produces perseverance that produces character that produces hope. Pour into their hearts your love through Holy Spirit, help them to hold fast to your teachings, encourage their hearts and strengthen them as they walk forward in faith. And may your love abound within them as they seek you for deeper insight. May they be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hopedoes not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:1-5 NIV)
“So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” (2 Thessalonians 2:15-17 NIV)
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:9-11 NIV)
“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:14-21 NIV)