A student who is about to graduate from college or university may feel a range of different emotions. Indeed, they feel happy since graduating and earning a degree are achievements. After so many years of hard work when it comes to studying, writing papers, and doing a bunch of academic work, they are now at the finish line and getting their hard-earned degree. A new graduate may also feel sad or sentimental at the same time. After all, they have made lots of memories, whether good or bad ones, during their studies. They may feel sentimental as they leave their university, bringing along memories of laughing with their classmates, the teachings that their professors offered them, the fun activities they participated in, and more. It is sad not just because the season of experiencing student life is about to end but also because they probably won’t see their college or university friends as they did before. If they do, it’s probably going to be after a very long time. Besides celebrating their achievement and being sentimental, new graduates can also feel worried or anxious because they are just about to embark on the real world. They are now entering a season where they are not just studying an industry, but they are now literally in it and part of that industry.
Father in heaven, I thank You for all the grace You have given me and that strengthened and sustained me throughout my years in college/university. All glory in this achievement is not mine but Yours. I wouldn’t be able to achieve this if not for You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
A Comforting Prayer for a New Graduate
What do you say in a graduation prayer?
A prayer of thanksgiving and blessing is a common prayer that Christians pray for someone who just graduated. After all, God deserves all the glory, worship, thanks, and adoration because it is all because of His grace that the new graduate was able to achieve what they achieved. However, a prayer of comfort is also something that we can pray for someone who is newly graduated, which is the focus of this article.
As mentioned before, new graduates are now about to face the real world. They are about to become professionals themselves. It is not just a matter of learning and applying that knowledge by passing a test. Instead, it is using it in work itself. It is the real deal. Though being an intern could have already given them enough exposure to the real world or the professional world, some new graduates may still feel worried or anxious as they enter the new season of their lives. The real world is different from school. School, college, or university prepare you for the real world as much as possible because the real world is challenging. That is also perhaps why new graduates feel worried and anxious—they have been hearing from their professors and professionals they know that the real world is challenging. Besides the fact that the future is challenging, they’ll also be going outside of their comfort zone. It is like going into uncharted territories.
That is why one of the prayers that we can pray for new graduates is peace. We want to remind them of the truth, through prayer, that God gives them a “shalom” kind of peace through Christ. This means a whole or complete peace. In other words, no matter what tough times they go through, they can still be whole and complete when it comes to their well-being. That is a very comforting truth that we can pray for new graduates.
Isaiah 26:3
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 16:33
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Ephesians 2:14
For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Philippians 4:6-7
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
You can pray this prayer with the new graduate:
Father in heaven, I thank You because Christ has given us His peace. Thank You because He is our peace. The peace that we have in Christ is a kind of peace that keeps us whole and complete despite the tough challenges we face. We can take heart no matter what tribulations we face because Christ has overcome the world. I can have peace from God because Christ has brought peace between God and me. May the peace of Christ rule in our hearts and minds as we pray to You in our worries. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
A Comforting Prayer for a New Graduate
Another prayer that you can pray for a new graduate who may be feeling worried or anxious knowing that they are about to enter the real world is a prayer that reminds them to always run to God. You may also include the character of God toward us, which is always caring for us.
Psalm 23:4
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Psalm 91:1-2
1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
1 Peter 5:6-7
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Heavenly Father, as [name of new graduate] is about to enter a new season in his/her life, I pray that he/she will always run to You and have You as his/her dwelling place and that You shall always be his/her refuge and fortress in whom his/her heart trusts. I pray that he/she shall never face this new season of being a working professional alone, but he/she shall always abide in You. Thank You, because You care for us and the anxieties that we have; that we can cast them to You and make supplications and prayers to You. Whether he/she encounters tough times or great times in his/her career, You will never leave him/her nor forsake him/her. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
How do you pray for strength and comfort?
As Christians, we ought to be the salt and light in the world. The ultimate way of doing that in the professional world is by preaching Christ to those who have not yet repented and believed the Good News. At the same time, we should reflect on the Gospel that we preach and witness Christ to the lost through our very lives. That means we should live a holy and righteous life and live above reproach. That also includes being excellent and faithful in our work as a professional. We want to be excellent not just because we desire to be a good example to others but also because we want to glorify God in the work that we are about to do. That is something you can pray for a new graduate as he/she enters the workforce.
Matthew 5:13-16
13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 28:19
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
1 Corinthians 10:31
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Colossians 3:23-24
23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
Father in heaven, I pray for [name of the new graduate], that You would give him/her the grace to be the salt and light in his/her future workplace by preaching Christ to the lost. I also pray that he/she will set a good example to his/her fellow workers by being excellent in the work that he/she will be doing. Remind him/her that as he/she works, he/she is working for You. May he/she always glorify You at work. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
A Comforting Prayer for a New Graduate
Being a Christian in the workplace is not easy. You have to continuously fight and strive to live a life above reproach and be excellent in your work. That is also the will of God, for us to be faithful at work and witness Christ to the unbelievers. We need to endure and persevere as Christians. The good thing is that God gives us strength through Christ.
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Father in heaven, I thank You because even if it is challenging to always be excellent and faithful at work and be a good example to others throughout our lives, we can do it through Christ Who strengthens us. I pray that [name of new graduate] shall always rely on Christ Who strengthens him/her and enables him/her to be an excellent professional and a faithful witness of Christ. No matter what challenges he/she may face, he/she can do what honors You through Christ, Who strengthens him/her. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
You can also pray for comfort for the new graduate that you know who is feeling worried and anxious. In Christ, God comforts us; not just in a single moment but throughout our lives as we go through trials and hardships. That is the confidence that we have, that in Christ, no matter what challenges we may go through, God shall always be there and He always comforts us.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Father, I thank You because as [name of the new graduate] advances in faithfulness toward You in the workplace, You will always be there for him/her to comfort him/her whenever he/she goes through affliction. Thank You because you are a God of mercy and comfort. You will never leave him/her nor forsake him/her. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
A Comforting Prayer for a New Graduate
What is a good Bible verse for graduation?
The verses that we have given above, along with the prayers that you can pray, are good Bible verses that you can share to encourage someone who is a new graduate and is feeling anxious or worried as he or she faces the professional world. Besides those verses, you can also share Psalm 23:6 where it is written:
[Psalm 23:6]
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
You can encourage the new graduate that no matter where he or she may find himself/herself as she enters a new season of his/her life, the goodness and mercy of God shall always follow him/her. Even if they feel that they are walking in the valley of the shadow of death, they don’t have to fear because Christ is their good shepherd. They are not alone.
Some other verses that also address anxiety are from Matthew 6:27 and Matthew 6:34:
Matthew 6:27
Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
Matthew 6:34
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
If the new graduate is not a Christian, then the most important prayer you can pray for him/her is for him/her to repent and believe the Gospel. That also means that you should preach the Gospel to that person. The peace, comfort, and all the other things that we receive from God, as mentioned above, are all privileges available only to those in Christ. We receive those things from God because only in Christ are we adopted as God’s children. Also, a person will not desire to live a faithful life toward God in the workplace and have the strength to keep on doing it if, in the first place, he/she is not a Christian. In other words, for a new graduate who is not a Christian and is anxious as he/she faces the new season of being a working professional, Christ is the only and greatest comfort you can give to the person.