Last Updated on October 19, 2023 by Emma
Been asked to pray at a flag-raising ceremony? Wondering what to pray before or after a group raises a flag?
These five sincere prayers can help you pray before or after a flag-raising ceremony at your school or in the community.
Whether you’ve been asked to pray at a ceremony to raise a flag at your school, or at an event in your community, it’s important to maintain the proper focus and understand the context for praying.
This isn’t the same situation as praying in your church or in private. You will be in public and representing the organization or the community as a whole. Thus the prayers will be more generalized. You can, of course, insert a specific reference to the school you are at, or the city in which you live as you pray.
The Psalmist reminds us,
“But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner
to be unfurled against the bow” (Psalm 60.4, NIV).
This is an easy way to acknowledge that raising a flag is a serious occasion and your prayer should be in that same context. Typically a flag-raising ceremony will be for the nation’s flag. Your prayer will need to include all citizens of the nation, not just one group.
Public prayer in the community really isn’t a time to show favoritism for one political party or another. Nor is it really appropriate to name-call anyone or be negative in any way. Public prayer at an event like the raising of a flag is more about the honor and remembrance and the fullness of the event.
You have been asked to perform a solemn duty in praying a public prayer. Let your presence there be a unifying presence. Let your prayer be one of peace and pride in community, over partisanship. May these prayers below be of help to you as you prepare and practice.
A Short Prayer For a Flag-Raising Ceremony
Dear God, I need to find someone to pray for our ceremony next week. The first person I ask had to back out due to sickness. I have a list of a few people to contact and I pray that one of them will accept this responsibility. It’s important to our organization that there be prayer be a part of the flag-raising event. Help me find the right person quickly. And may they prepare well after they agree to do this. I ask this in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Prayer Before a Flag-Raising Ceremony
Lord Jesus, I’ve been asked by the city council to pray at the flag-raising ceremony later this week for Veteran’s Day (or insert whatever special day). I said yes because I didn’t really think I could turn down the invitation. I’m honored to be asked but I’m also a little anxious.
This is going to be in public at the town square and I’m used to praying in church where I know everyone. The crowd at the event will be made up of a lot of different people. There may be followers of Jesus Christ and people who don’t even think you exist, God. Help me find the words to say that honor you, and honor the ceremony.
Lord, I put my trust in you to get me through this experience. I ask that as I write out this prayer and practice it repeatedly, that you enable my mind to be at peace in the moment. I ask that I speak the words clearly and confidently. I don’t want the focus to be on me, Lord, but on the solemness of the event. Help me prepare well in the next few days.
May my words bring glory to you as I pray. I pray for anyone who doesn’t know you to feel a special peace as I pray. I ask for your Holy Spirit to surround the moment in a special way. In the name of Jesus Christ, I ask all of this, Amen.
Prayer to Open a Flag-Raising Ceremony
Dear God above, we are gathered here today, at (place of ceremony) to honor (group). We gather from different places in our community, each with a role to play in making our society a better place. We have parents, business people, elected leaders, students, teachers, babies and retirees, and people who follow you and people who aren’t sure you are real.
But today, in these moments, we set aside all of our differences to be here and raise this flag, under which we all live and work and play and love. Today, we give honor. Today, we honor the sacrifice this flag represents to all of us.
And so, as we go through this ceremony, may you bless the words and actions of us all, for your glory, and for the good of our community. I make this prayer in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Prayer to Close a Flag-Raising Ceremony
Dear God, as we close our time together this morning, I pray a prayer of thanks for each person who participated. We are grateful for everyone who gave of their time to attend this flag-raising ceremony to honor (name the group or situation).
We remember all that it took for us to have this flag flying proudly on a flagpole. We honor them and may our lives give you honor and glory this day, and each day forward. May the pride we feel in this moment extend to how we treat others as we go about our day and week and year ahead. I pray all of this in the name of God, Amen.
Prayer After a Flag-Raising Ceremony
Dear Lord, I give you so much thanks and praise for helping me pray a prayer today at the flag-raising ceremony downtown. I was so nervous prior to stepping up to the microphone, but your Spirit calmed my heart.
Thank you for helping me to speak clearly and with confidence. I trust the prayer glorified you and honored the event as well. I hope that the words I spoke in the prayer reached people’s hearts as they departed. Thank you Lord, in the name of Jesus I give gratitude, Amen.
Final Thoughts
It can be tempting to want to mix religion and civic pride, but if you are asked to pray in a public setting, it is a polite thing to remember that not everyone at the public event, like a flag-raising ceremony, may believe as you do, or believe at all.
You are a representative of religion, or the spirituality of the community, or simply as a Christian. Prayer has been included in the program of the ceremony for a reason, so you can relax in that regard. That said, you are being asked to pray, not preach a sermon disguised as a prayer. You are praying on behalf of everyone gathered there at the event. You may want to pray this simple prayer of wisdom as you prepare yourself:
“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19.14, NIV).
Do you really want the attention of the crowd to be on you, or the raising of the flag itself, and all of the honor associated with the flag? Let your prayer be a moment for everyone present to be reminded that there is a higher power in the universe. Let your prayer be a moment for each person to hear words of scripture, words of truth, words of hope.
You don’t have to worry about convincing anyone through your prayer. You can be at peace that the Holy Spirit will be at work in the words of your prayer. You can pray with confidence, knowing that God will translate your words as needed to reach people’s hearts and minds with his grace and peace.
Prepare well for what you will say. Practice several times so you aren’t stumbling over the words as you pray. Be sure to be succinct. When praying out loud or publicly, you don’t need to go on and on in order to be effective.
Use the prayers above and change what you need to in order to make them work for you. You are here on this page for a reason, so let the gift of these prayers be a help to you. The fact that you found a website that has prayers for such a special situation as a flag-raising ceremony should give you peace that you will be okay as you pray.
You may have prayer requests of your own. We invite you to share your requests in the comment section below, so you can know you are being prayed for as well. We also invite you to explore this site for other prayers you can use for most any situation you face.