Utensils

If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use.  Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.  2 Timothy 2:21

Mount Trashmore rises above the treeline near I-285, and the air is tainted with the stench of decomposition.

We live in such a disposable society that we not only have landfills, but we are building mountains with our discarded waste.

More and more, though, I prefer single-use items: cups, paper towels & plates, napkins, grocery sacks, bottles & cans, forks & spoons ... the list could go on.  

Partly for the convenience of portability,

partly because I'm lazy about washing, 

partly because it's just become a habit --  

Use it once and toss it.  

It can't be sanitized and re-used.

Growing up, we always used our stainless utensils (& on celebratory occasions, sterling), china plates and glassware for meals, and we took the trash bag out once or twice a week.  Now, it seems we fill a bag nearly every day or two. 

In a Nutshell
Our habits may have changed, but God hasn't changed.  I'm grateful that He doesn't see me as  a disposable, convenient plastic fork or paper plate, nor that He sees me as sterling silver to bless only on special occasions.

Father, I praise Your holy name.  You are my Master, ready to use me for every good work.  I have failed to keep myself pure, to live a clean life in obedience to You.  Forgive me for my failure, and cleanse my heart. Thank you for washing me clean instead of throwing me out with the garbage. Use me as Your special utensil to do good work as You pour out Your blessings on others.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Ambassadors

So we are Christ's ambassadors. God is making his appeal through us. 2 Corinthians 5:20

Neatly tucked shirts emblazoned with our school logo, khaki pants, a belt, no caps, no frayed edges, no facial hair, no earrings on the boys, and haircuts above the collar, above the eyes & ears: our Blazer dress code sets our students apart from others.  This is "the look" required of a Blazer-- a student who represents BCCS. 

They are ambassadors for our school and are expected to dress and to behave in ways becoming of a Blazer. 

Our students, whether they intend to or not, will draw new people in, or we will turn them off.  They are Blazers: what they do, what they say, how they dress matters because they project an image of a collective whole.

In much the same way, we are ambassadors for Christ.  We will draw others to Him, or we will turn them away from Him by our words and actions. 

Anne Graham Lotz poses some powerful questions for self-reflection:

• Who has rejected God because of my behavior or conversation?
• Am I driving people away from Him or drawing them to Him by my behavior and attitude?
• Does the Light in my life shine so that others look at my character and my conduct and give genuine praise and thanks to the One who lives within me?
• Or is the Light so dim that they don't even notice any difference between myself and them?
• If all the churches in this nation were like me, would they be strong, vibrant Lighthouses pointing people to safety ...
• Or would they be to blame for the spiritual and moral darkness that has swept across our land?

In a Nutshell
Am I living so that God can use me to bring others to Him? 

Almighty Father, thank you for role models, for ambassadors, both in scripture and in our present lives.  So many times, Father, my words and actions have pushed people away from You. Forgive me.  Use me as Your ambassador to make Your appeal through me that my co-workers  and students might come to know You.  Amen.

Attractive Conversation

Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. Colossians 4:6

Social media has a way drawing out the worst in some of us.  The latest comment or meme or news story can draw ire and outrage from dozens of people in a moment.  Before we even have time to think, we jump into the fray.

But they are words, and once published, just like words once said, they don't go away.  We can hit the delete button, but that doesn't take them away any more than words said verbally will go away.  The damage is done.

As fleeting as our thoughts and words may be to us, they are not fleeting to others. Other people remember what we say far better than we ourselves remember, and that's how their perspective of us is formed.

In a Nutshell
Our witness for Jesus is furthered or hindered by our words and actions.

Heavenly Father, Your Word is gracious and attractive. Thank you for Your gift of scripture that I might learn to know You better through Your Word.  Forgive me for having conversation that is ungodly. Lead me, Father, to think before I speak or write, that every word may be gracious and attractive, and that I might have a right response for everyone today. In the holy name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Customer Service

If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself.  You are not that important.  Galatians 6:3

Busy, and frustrated, I dropped the phone in its cradle, and noise of  "Don't Bother Me" resounded in my office.

Not exactly the Blazer Spirit I wish to exemplify.

Chic-Fil-A may the best local example of what customer service can be.  CFA employees speak with an upbeat tone when they welcome you to their register, and as they hand you your order, they invite you back tomorrow.

As a school, we, too, are in the customer service business.

I often have to stop and check myself: am I welcoming my students and their families as eagerly as CFA welcomes their customers?  Am I inviting them to return day after day?  The answer is no.  I get so caught up in my busy-ness that sometimes my frustration shows when I deal with other people.

I want our students and their parents to want to come to our school, to feel welcome and appreciated, all the time, not just when it's convenient for me.

In a Nutshell
My tone and my response send a clear message to others.

Father, You are never too busy or too frustrated to hear my pleas.  I thank you for being on-call for me 24/7.  You are never more than a whisper away.  Forgive me for acting as if I am too busy or too frustrated to do the same for others.  Thank you for reminding me in Your Word that I am not too important to help others.  Amen.

The Roots are Holy

... For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.  Romans 11:16

What a privilege it is to work under the leadership of a godly person, one who prays for her people and for her organization!  

This isn't something new.

As I reflect on this portion of scripture, I am reminded of an essay on leadership I wrote during graduate school at Liberty University, words which continue to hold true:

This writer has been fortunate to observe a school Administrator demonstrate leadership characteristics similar to those of Nehemiah.  From envisioning a better community with a local school, garnering the support of local and state officials, and gathering supplies (including facilities), to casting the vision for parents, students and teachers, organizing them to accomplish the vision, and enveloping the entire operation in prayer, the Administrator of Baconton Community Charter School has set an example of godly leadership and continues to develop leadership characteristics in her followers.

In a Nutshell
We are deeply rooted, and for that I am grateful.

Gracious Father, You are the root of all that is good.  What a privilege you have granted us to work under the leadership of an anointed Administrator, one whose faith is deeply rooted in You!  Thank you for her example; thank you for her willingness to cover us in prayer.  Thank you for her vision and her stamina to carry out that vision.  Forgive me, Father, for not having been a holy branch, for falling short because of my own stubbornness. Help me to become a holy branch on this tree that you have planted in our community.  Show me your way that I might be a light to others.  In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.

Come to Him

So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion.  For the Lord is a faithful God.  Blessed are those who wait for his help. . . . He will be gracious if you ask for help.  He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.  Isaiah 30: 18-19

I was struggling with classroom management.  My class seemed out of control.  They talked incessantly.  Some appeared to sit upside down in their desk more than right side up.  It was the stuff teacher nightmares are made of.  And it was all too real for me.

I tried every discipline measure I knew at the time: fuss at them, write their names on the board, sit them in time out, force them to write paragraphs of "I will behave better."

Nothing worked.  I was miserable, growing grumpier day after day.

When I began opening my classroom mornings with prayer over my students, silently calling their names to the Lord one by one and asking for His help, I began to see a difference.  In myself and in my students.  He turned my cries for help into songs of praises.

We may not have public prayer in public schools, but we do have prayer in public school.  By turning our moment of silence into a moment of silent prayer, I can offer Him thanksgiving and request His help with the challenges I face each day.

In a Nutshell
Our Lord is waiting for us to come to him with our challenges so he can help us.

Father, You are gracious to respond to our cries for help.  You are waiting to show us Your love and compassion. You are a faithful God.  I thank you and praise you! Forgive me for times when I've tried to go it alone, when I've not sought your help.  Your Word tells me you are waiting to hear from me because You want to show me your love and compassion.  Thank You, Father, for this promise.  Hear my pleas for my students and my co-workers today.  In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Masterpiece

For we are God’s masterpiece.  He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.  Ephesians 2:10

On my desk sit two pieces of pottery my daughter made during her high school art classes.   They're really simple pieces -- coiled clay painted green and fired in the kiln.

Every time I grab a paper clip or a pen from these vessels, I am reminded of my precious girl.

I treat this pottery like a masterpiece.  I am protective of them; when cleaning my desk, I take special care not to bump them for fear of breaking one.

They are special because her hands prepared them, and her heart gave them to me.

In a Nutshell

I am grateful that God sees me as His masterpiece.            

Father, You are the Master Sculptor.  I praise You for creating me anew in Your son, Jesus Christ.  I thank you that you shed fresh mercy on me each morning.  Forgive me for my sins and cleanse my heart, so that through You, I can do the good things that You planned for me long ago.  I am grateful that You have planted me here at this school in this season.  Open my eyes and my heart to the tasks you’ve set before me.  Let me be an instrument of Your goodness that others may be blessed today.  In Christ’s name, Amen.

Ministry in the Classroom

As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God.  For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ.  And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you.  Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words! 2 Corinthians 9:13-15

In the weeks leading up to the opening of our school, I fielded phone calls from nearly every parent in my class.  All were anxious about the new school.  I listened as parent after parent detailed her child’s shortcomings, special needs, and family dynamics. 

I was overwhelmed by the many needs that would be facing me in that first year: birth defects, learning disabilities, attention deficits and hyperactivity, incarcerated parent, the list went on and on.  I recognized early in those conversations that my job would involve far more than presenting learning opportunities to these third graders.

They were seeking an alternative to their current educational setting because they had unmet needs. These children, and their parents, needed to be ministered to.  They needed someone who cared about them beyond the report card. 

In a Nutshell

Ministry is not a separate calling; it is through the calling that we minister.

Father, I praise your holy name for the gift of Jesus Christ and the salvation You have given me. You are worthy of my praise. I confess my disobedience; forgive me of my sins.  Thank you for your overflowing grace.  Your gift is too wonderful for words! You have planted me for ministry at this school. Through my obedience to Your Word and generosity toward others, make me a witness of Your Good News. This morning, I lift up my co-workers to you: pour out your blessings on them today.  In Christ’s name, Amen.

Ready to Heal

Lord, your discipline is good, for it leads to life and health.  You restore my health and allow me to live!  Yes, this anguish was good for me, for you have rescued me from death and forgiven all my sins. . . . Only the living can praise you as I do today. Each generation tells of your faithfulness to the next.  Think of it -- the Lord is ready to heal me! I will sing his praises with instruments every day of my life in the Temple of the Lord.  Isaiah 38: 16-17, 19-20

As I read these verses this morning, thoughts of friends who've recently battled significant illnesses washed over me.  God is so good, and this scripture reminds me of his goodness.

Too often, in our humanness, we grow complacent in our relationship with God. We begin to trust more in ourselves and this world than we do in our God.

And then something terrible happens.  A disease, an injury, a death of a loved one, a broken marriage: something that shows us we cannot live this life alone, that we need God's presence in our lives every day in a real and constant way.

When turmoil invades our lives, will we be able say, "Lord, your discipline is good ... this anguish was good for me?"

I rejoice in sharing victory with these friends who've overcome adversity, with those who can say, "for you have rescued me from death," because "only the living can praise you as I do today."

I am claiming this scriptural promise: "the Lord is ready to heal me!" And I am singing his praises, telling others of his faithfulness.

In a Nutshell
Our God is ready to heal us, ready to restore us.  Praise him for all he has done and all he will do.

Almighty Father, our Great Physician, You know my needs before I speak them.  You know my failings and shortcomings.  Forgive me for letting worldliness get in the way of my relationship with You.  You are the God of mercy and forgiveness, the God of healing, the God of every good thing.  I thank you, Father, for Your acts of healing that I've witnessed in my friends; I thank you for restoring their health, for mending their brokenness.  For those who are facing new adversities, I ask that You restore them, also, because Your Word tells me You are ready to heal.  Father, restore our health and let us live, so that we might praise You and share Your faithfulness with others.  In Your holy and precious name I pray, Amen.

A Calling

Lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Ephesians 4:1

From my earliest childhood recollections, I have been teaching.  I taught my dolls, my friends and my cousins.  That’s how I played.  Teaching is what I did for fun!  With a chalkboard and my own ditto machine (remember that purple ink smell?), workbooks from Roses and Kmart, and leftover worksheets from my teachers, I had all the tools I needed to teach language arts and math. 

As an undergraduate, however, I opted out of education and chose to focus on a journalism career.  That was short-lived.  My first “real” job was as a high school English teacher.  Ten years later, questioning my choice as a teacher, I opted out of education again. That, too, was brief. 

I felt a spiritual calling to join with the founders of BCCS as we opened the charter school.  From time to time, I again question whether I’m in the place I’m supposed to be.  Teaching is demanding work; it is so much more than a job.  Teaching is a calling with huge responsibility.

In a Nutshell

The assurance that God has placed a vocational calling on your life makes the job so much more than a job.

Father, I confess I have not lived up to Your standard.  I have failed miserably.  Forgive me, and set me on path to live a life worthy of the calling you have placed on my life, for I believe You have called me to this place and time, to serve the students You have placed in my care and to serve my co-workers, as well.  Help me to live a life worthy of the calling you have placed on me so that others may be blessed.  In Christ’s name, Amen.

Every Good Thing

I said to the Lord, “You are my Master! Every good thing I have comes from you.”  Psalm 16: 2

The stench overwhelmed me. She reeked of cigarette smoke. Her clothes, her hair, that leather jacket she wore on cool mornings. Oh, that leather jacket.

Though I, too, had grown up with a cigarette smoking mother, I had never smelled the smoke in my home, on my clothes, or on my body. Maybe others did.

This child's presence in my classroom left me gasping for fresh air. I desperately wanted to keep my distance, keep the fan spinning on high, open the door and windows -- anything to dissipate the odor.

But it wasn't her fault. She wasn't the smoker.

I imagined her home was filled with a cloudy smog continually fed by two chain smoking parents oblivious to the stench that stuck to their child, and I wondered how she could live in such a place.

She had no choice. That was her home. Those were her parents.

And she was my student.

Not only was it my responsibility to teach her, but also it was my opportunity to love her and to provide her eight hours of fresh air to breathe easily.

In a Nutshell
Find the opportunity to serve, and be grateful for what you have and for what you have to offer others.

Father, You are my master and my provider.  Every good thing I have comes from you.  Forgive me for my ungratefulness.  Thank you, Lord, for my job, for the opportunity to teach children, for co-workers who love You, for setting this school on holy ground.  I am grateful for Your foresight in laying out the path of my life that it would cross paths with this school.  You have placed me here for a reason: help me fulfill Your plan.  In Christ’s name, Amen.

Being An Example

You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.  Psalm 16:11

My high school headmaster held regular assemblies.  Most of those assemblies could be categorized as character education.  Sometimes it was a film, using one of those reel to reel projectors, before the age of videotapes, CDs, DVDs and YouTube; sometimes it was a guest speaker; and sometimes it was a lecture, directly from his heart. 

He would point out “a couple or three things” that we needed to do better.  I credit this man with helping to develop my character, with teaching me the way I should behave, with holding me to a high standard of behavior.  No doubt, he showed me the way with both his words and his actions.

I often wonder if students who’ve passed through my classes have felt their lives were better because of having been with me for a year.

In a Nutshell

The example of our lives may be the best opportunity students have to be shown the way of life.

Father, you are the Great Navigator.  You have patiently shown me the way time and time again.  Forgive me for having strayed from Your path.  Thank you for granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you.  Father, I ask that the joy You have poured into my heart will be evident in my interactions with others today.  May they see in me the pleasures of righteous living in You. In Christ’s name, Amen.

Scattering Seeds

Still other seed fell on fertile soil.  This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!  …   The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy.  But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation.  The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life.  And so they never grow into maturity. And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.  Luke 8:8, 13-15

                 

Watermelons everywhere:  the stools, tables, bulletin board.  She had decorated her classroom top to bottom in pink, green and black. 

But it was the seeds that mattered.  She had taken a positive approach to classroom management, recognizing students for good behavior.  They were collecting watermelon seeds for their successful efforts at behaving.

She planted seeds in the fertile soil of children who wanted to please her, and she watered those seeds throughout the year with encouragement, lots of hugs, and genuine love for her students.  She harvested a year of joy in that classroom, and she continues to reap the blessings of students who were made to feel special in her room.

In a Nutshell

As educators, we are planting seeds that will have long term effects on children.

Father, You have scattered seeds across our campus.  Let our campus be fertile soil, so that through our work You can produce a huge harvest.  Forgive me for having been rocky soil, and preventing Your seeds from taking deep root; I have believed for a while, but through temptation I have fallen away.  Forgive me for having been a thorn and quickly crowding out Your message in favor of the cares and riches and pleasures of this life.  Again, Lord, I commit this new school year to you.  Help me to be fertile soil: let me hear Your Word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest for Your kingdom.  In Christ’s name, Amen.

Forgiving

Luke 7:47

“I tell you, her sins – and they are many – have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love.  But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.”  Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” 

I caught her. 

It was so obvious.  I had no doubt.

Instead of using the SRA answer cards for self-checking, she was using them to write the answers. 

I was offended. My feelings were hurt. Why would she do this to me?

It was my first serious discipline issue: cheating.  And it meant I had to contact her parents to explain the situation before I could administer the consequence.  Yes, that consequence, the one with a paddle.

My heart pounded as I gathered the courage to share with her mother the terrible crime her child had committed. Jesus, take the wheel. Likely, the first tactful words ever came from my mouth: Cheating is a form of lying, and I know that you don’t want your daughter to develop a habit of being untruthful . . . .

Despite the discomfort of the consequence, the next part was the most important:  Even though I have to punish you for doing wrong, I still love you.  I want you to learn from this mistake.

In a Nutshell

We need to forgive students for their mistakes; their mistakes are not indictments of us.

O, merciful God.  I praise you! You have shown me mercy by forgiving all of my sins.  Every morning when I come to you, you are gracious to forgive me, again, for my sinfulness.  Thank you.  Lord, help me to forgive others as you have forgiven me.  Let me not hold grudges that would prevent me from receiving your forgiveness and loving you with my whole heart.  In Christ’s name, Amen.

Newbie Mistake

And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them.  I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart, so they will obey my decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God.  Ezekiel  11:19

I was a brand new teacher, struggling to manage a group of high schoolers who were but a few years younger than I.  In the middle of a literature lesson, I noticed a student writing and folding a note.  I assumed she was merely seconds from passing the note across to another student.  Desperate to be “in charge” in the room, I asked her to hand over the note.

As I reached to take hold of the note, “No,” she retorted. 

My fingers gripped the folded paper and a tug-of-war ensued.

“Give me the paper,” I demanded. She refused to let go.  She and I pulled back and forth on the paper, both of us standing our ground, neither willing to let go.

Whispers of “Be the adult. Let go. You’re making a mess of this” cycled through my brain until finally my stubbornness gave way. 

The ugliness of this incident still haunts me.  Why couldn’t I have just quietly asked her to put it away?  It wasn’t mine; I didn’t need to see it.

In a Nutshell

Sometimes our stubbornness gets in the way of the good we are trying to do. 

Father, You are the God of love and mercy.  Forgive me for having a stony, stubborn heart, for not being tender and responsive in the past.  As I develop relationships with my new students, I ask You to put a spirit of love in my heart that they may feel Your love flowing through me.  I want to be obedient to You; help me, Father, to follow your ways.  In Christ’s name, Amen.

A New Song

He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God.  Many will see what he has done and be amazed.  They will put their trust in the Lord.  Psalm 40: 3

                Eighteen years ago we walked through the front doors of an old brick school building eagerly anticipating new friendships, new teachers, new students and a new place to call our own.  What memories we have made! 

Playing in the shade of the two oak trees on School Street is just one of the memories our students share of their days at BCCS. Through the years we have experienced the building of school traditions.  We have learned, and taught, countless lessons both in the classroom and on the athletic fields, lessons that have shaped our character and the character of our students.

A gift to all Blazers from the first graduating class, the BCCS Alma Mater has become etched in our memories and has helped create in all of us a sense of fondness of our BCCS days. It is our school song.

Because we are a school deeply rooted in tradition, the original Alma Mater of Baconton High School was included in the last stanza.  The friendships we have formed over the years are definitely a strong bond.

In a Nutshell

Appreciate both the roots of tradition and the newness of a fresh start.

Thank you, Father, for a new song to sing.  I praise you for this new school year and for these new students you have placed in my care.  Father, forgive me for not having fully committed my work to you in the past.  As I commit this new school year to You, I believe that many people will see the marvelous work You are doing among our faculty and students, and they will be amazed.  Through the example of my faith this year, I pray others will put their trust in You.  May our strong bond be not only between our students and co-workers, but also with You.  In Christ’s name, Amen.

The First Day of School

For I am about to do something new.  See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?  I will make a pathway through the wilderness.  I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.  Isaiah 43:19

This was the day I had waited for.  Something new.  It was supposed to be exciting and fun.

But there I sat.  Nervous. Alone. In a room of strangers.

And then, he appeared at the door. He and his mother.  Holding hands.

At last: familiar faces.

Relief swept over me.  Anxiety subsided. 

It was the first day of first grade.  1973.

We had been playmates since birth six years earlier when we were delivered just two days apart.  As I celebrate our 50^th birthday, I can still visualize the two of them standing in the doorway of Miss Heinemann’s classroom.

He met me with that big grin and hearty laugh, traits he kept throughout his lifetime. To have him there in that classroom on that first day was comforting. I was no longer alone.  No longer nervous.  His familiar presence put me at ease.

In a Nutshell

Our presence can be a comfort to someone today.

You are the Creator of new beginnings.  I come to You this morning with a grateful heart, praising and thanking you for a new beginning, a fresh start.  Father, I commit this new school year to you.  I leave my past behind. I admit my failures: forgive me of my sins, merciful God. I am eager to follow You in doing something new.  I thank you for this opportunity to start fresh with a new group of students.  Thank You for reminding me how it feels to be new, nervous and alone.  Bring comfort to me in this newness today, and to my students as they face newness, also.  My heart is full of excitement and joy! In Christ’s name, Amen.

Praying Over Our Students

Father,

O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, listen to my prayer!

Forgive me for times when I have failed to be attentive to the needs of others.  Forgive me for being unkind, impatient, curt, selfish.

You have entrusted these children to my care this year, and I am eager to serve You by serving them because Your Word tells me “when you did it to one of the least of these, you were doing it to me!”

Empower me with a discerning spirit¹ to see into the heart of each child.  What are her needs? What is he lacking? How is she hurting?  What does he need from me?  Equip me to be Your hands and feet as I serve every child every day in this classroom, for even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others.

Let me recognize their talents and encourage them to pursue their dreams.  Let everything I say be good and helpful, so that my words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.  Because we will harvest what we plant, let us sow in this classroom seeds of kindness, truthfulness, compassion, and diligence.

Grant that I may love every child and care enough to discipline each one with grace and mercy so that, having been trained in this way, they will enjoy a peaceful harvest of right living.

Father, You are the light of the world.  Let your light shine for them to see.  Let me be a lamp that gives your light to everyone in this classroom because You have made this light shine in my heart so I could know Your glory. May every child in this classroom come to know You because of the light that shines here.

In the holy and precious name of Jesus, Amen.

1 Peter 5:2

Matthew 25:40

Mark 10:45

Galatians 6:7

Ephesians 4:29

Matthew 5:14-16

Isaiah 60:1

Proverbs 13:15

Hebrews 12:11

¹1 Corinthians 12:10

Praying Over Our Teachers

Almighty Father,

As we anticipate the start of a new school year, I lift up this teacher to you, believing that you will give her strength and bless her with peace.

Help this teacher to care for the flock that You have entrusted to her.  Help her to watch over it willingly, not grudgingly – not for what she will get out of it, but because she is eager to serve You.

Through Your Spirit renew her thoughts and attitudes. Take control of what she says, O Lord, and guard her lips, for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Let everything she says be good and helpful, so that her words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

Father, Your Word tells us we will always harvest what we plant. Guide this teacher as she plants the good seeds of righteousness, so that she will harvest a crop of love within her classroom and throughout our school. Help her not get tired of doing what is good, because at just the right time she will harvest a blessing.

Provide her with a spirit of discernment¹, that she may recognize the hurt, the anxiety, the needs, of the children in her care, and enable her to show mercy² and demonstrate love in action.

I pray this in the precious and holy name of Jesus. 

Amen.

On this day I have prayed for you:

1 Psalm 29:11 ~ Peter 5:2 ~ Ephesians 4:23

Psalm 141:3 ~ Matthew 12:34 ~ Ephesians 4:29

Galatians 7:10 ~ Hosea 10:12 ~ Galatians 6:7-10

¹1 Corinthians 12: 10

²Matthew 5:7

Praying Over Our Classrooms

Father,

Enter this classroom;

let it be a sanctuary for You,

that You may dwell among the ones

who will gather in this room

every day this school year. 

Your Word tells us in Isaiah 25:4,

“You are a tower of refuge to the poor, O Lord,

a tower of refuge to the needy in distress. 

You are a refuge from the storm

and a shelter from the heat.”

Let this classroom be a refuge for children:

a place of safety,

a place of calm,

a place of stability,

a place where needs are met,

where love is found,

and acceptance abounds.

Father, enrich this classroom with fertile soil,

that seeds of the fruit of Your Spirit –

love, joy, peace, patience,

kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness and self-control --

may take root and grow

in every child and teacher.

Let this classroom be a place where

the desire to learn meets the opportunity to learn,

where attitude and aptitude are equally celebrated.

Let this classroom be a place where

the teacher loves to teach

and students love to learn.

In the name of Jesus, the Master Teacher, I pray.  Amen.

Praying Over Our Co-Workers

Almighty God, You are all-knowing.  You know my words before I speak.  You know my thoughts before they are formed.  Nothing in all creation is hidden from You.  Everything is naked and exposed before Your eyes, and You are the one to whom we are accountable. 

My heart is grateful for the work family you have given me. Thank you for colleagues who encourage each other and build each other up.  As Your Word says, I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love, so, too, let us cultivate this kind of love among our co-workers, because love covers a multitude of sins.

Father, forgive me for taking my colleagues for granted, for breaking the golden rule, for not treating others as I would like to be treated.  Cleanse my heart of any bitterness, conflict, hurtful criticism, and impure thoughts.

Allow us to make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends us.  Let us be clothed in love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. We know that among the things you detest are a lying tongue and a person who sows discord in a family.  Lord, convict our hearts that we may confess these sins and turn from this wickedness.  Forgive us. 

Help us to watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble our work family, corrupting many.  Help us be peacemakers who plant seeds of peace so that we may reap a harvest of righteousness.  Free us from the temptation to gossip so that we will not add grief and pain to those who are wounded.

Help us to be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another.  Grant that we should be of one mind, that we would sympathize with each other, and love each other as brothers and sisters.    Help us to be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.  Let us not repay evil for evil, nor retaliate with insults when people insult us.  Instead, help us to pay them back with a blessing because that is what You, Lord, have called us to do, and You will bless us for it.

In the precious and holy name of Jesus, Amen.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Colossians 2:2

1 Peter 4:8

Colossians 3:13-14

Proverbs 6:19

Hebrews 12:15

James 3:18

Psalm 69:26

Ephesians 4:32

1 Peter 3: 8-10

Praying Over Our Offices

Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.  How precious is your unfailing love, O God!

How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?  Cleanse me from these hidden faults.  

You have blessed our school office with people who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.  They are like trees planted along a riverbank with roots that reach deep into the water.  Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought.  Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.  Thank you that their lives are an example to many, because you have been their strength and protection.

Father, equip this office with all they need for doing Your will; produce in them, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to You.  May they keep on loving our colleagues as brothers and sisters, remembering to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!

Let them not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries.  Today’s trouble is enough for today.  Just as the Lord helps the fallen, and lifts those bent beneath their loads, they, too, reach out to help others. Strengthen them in their efforts to serve others.

Take control of what they say, O Lord, and guard their lips.  Let everything they say be good and helpful, so that their words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.  Father, in the past you have encouraged many people; you have strengthened those who were weak.  Your words have supported those who were falling; you encouraged those with shaky knees.  I ask that You bless those in this office with the ability to speak encouragement and reassurance into the lives of each person who passes through these doors.

In the precious and holy name of Jesus, Amen.

Psalm 36: 5-7

Psalm 19:12

Jeremiah 17:7-8

Psalm 71:7

Hebrews 13:21

Hebrews 13:1-2

Matthew 6:34

Psalm 145:14

Psalm 141:3

Ephesians 4:29

Job 4:3-4

Praying Over Our Campus

Lord, You are my fortress, protecting me from danger, so I have no need to tremble. When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.  Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident in You.  Father, Look down and see me praying for my school.

Merciful Father, You have declared that if Your people who are called by Your name will humble ourselves and pray and seek Your face and turn from our wicked ways, You will hear from heaven and will forgive us our sins.  I confess that I have sinned against You.  I have tarnished the image of this school and Your name with my words and actions.  I have been selfish, angry, haughty, begrudging, unforgiving. I have neglected opportunities to share your goodness with others. Forgive me. 

I believe You have chosen and set apart this school to be a beacon of hope and light in a desolate community.  I believe you set this campus on holy ground by filling it with Your presence.  This campus is Your temple, and You have told us Your eyes will be open and Your ears attentive to every prayer made in Your temple.  For you have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy – a place where Your name will be honored forever.  You will always watch over it, for it is dear to Your heart.  Father, may my words and actions honor Your name.

In the Old Testament, You directed Nehemiah to build a physical wall around the city of Jerusalem to defend against enemies. Since our school began, You have guarded us against evil forces.  You heard and answered the prayerful pleas of our founding families who encircled our campus in a Jericho March. 

Hear our prayer, again, Lord: strengthen the invisible wall of defense against forces that seek to destroy us, to mock us, to defame us, to undermine us, to distract us, to zap our energy and enthusiasm.  Extend your protection throughout our campus to every student, faculty and staff member.

I thank you, Father, for your constant presence on this campus and for wrapping each of us in your protective arms.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Psalm 27:1-3

Nehemiah 1: 5-6

2 Chronicles 7:15-16

Nehemiah 4