opening prayer
Ceremony's first words
An opening prayer is a prayer delivered at the start of a gathering, ceremony, or meeting—often called an invocation.
Religious services typically begin with one, but secular events like legislative sessions, graduations, and banquets may include them too: The chaplain gave the opening prayer before Congress convened.
The practice establishes a tone of solemnity or shared purpose.
- invocationCalling upon higher authority
- blessingPrayer seeking divine favor
- worshipReligious reverence and praise
- church serviceOrganized Christian worship gathering
- congregationAssembled group of worshippers
sermon · hymn · altar · pastor · minister · reverence · devotion · supplication · grace · daily bread · folded hands · moment of silence · silence · sacred · solemn · gathering · ceremony · scripture
- Christian prayerOur Father, amen, intercession, supplication, supplications
- church servicehymnal, prelude, sermon, postlude, readings
- invocationssummoning, calling, call, calling upon, conjuration
- prayerintercession, supplication, novenas, novena, intercessor
- sacred speechsermon, psalm, amen, litany, hallelujah
- worship elementssermon, homily, hymn singing, scripture reading, communion
opening prayerclosing prayer
Prayer ending a service
benediction · final blessing · dismissal · valediction · doxology
opening prayerclosing remarks
Final statements concluding presentation
farewell · dismissal · sending · postlude · valediction
opening, prayer, open, pray, opened, opens, opener, openers, openly