Tag: God is Gracious

Worthy of Praise

Featured Joy Bennett

Praise the Lord

Lord, we exalt You for Your forgiveness and that You do not hold Your anger forever but delight in mercy.  We also rejoice in Your lovingkindness toward Your people. Thank You that You are great beyond anything we can imagine, gracious in Your compassionate gifts, and always good in Your actions.

Prayer for Teachers

We humbly ask You, Lord, to keep our eyes on the truth of Who You Are for Your people as we go about our daily tasks. Many of our students have struggles that affect us and we need to cultivate genuine hearts of praise toward You Who alone are all that is good and worthy of glory. Guide us to remember, especially in our worst moments, that we are forgiven by You. Give us a firm grasp of Your everlasting love for us and how You draw us to Yourself with lovingkindness. Open our eyes to how You are at work in love even during difficulties. Let us rehearse Your greatness as we take one step at a time through complex decisions and experience the effects of sinful people. We know that we will have peace that passes all understanding when we consider all that is praiseworthy in Your character. Help us to seek You in good times and bad, recalling Your lavish gifts of grace to us as Your beloved children. May we never doubt Your goodness and plans for our benefit throughout our challenges.

Deut 3:24; Ps 31:19; 116:5; Is 30:18; Jer 31:3; Micah 7:18-19; Phil 4:8

Read more about reasons to praise God here

Peace in God Who is Worthy of Praise

Featured Joy Bennett

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” ~ Ps 34:8

Praise God

Lord, in You alone are riches, honor, glory, goodness, light, joy, and peace. You are loving in all Your actions. Indeed, we praise You for the entirety of Your character.

Prayer

We step into Your peace when we focus on Your undeniable goodness, Father. Lead us to the refreshing waters of Your truth so we can enjoy the serenity that comes from meditating on Your praiseworthiness. Because You know our lives and the sin that is in the world, You have provided renewal for our souls. We exalt You, for no matter the stresses we have at school, with our health, in relationships, with finances, or in any other area, We see that You are working for our good.

Move Your Word to the front of our minds so we focus on Your goodness, forgiveness, and love. Your nature is to desire the highest good for Your creation. You have generously forgiven all of our sins, and Your unfailing love is displayed in all you have done, and continue to do. Thank You for loving us with an everlasting love, and drawing us to Yourself. Even now we can be calm in our circumstances with this knowledge.

For Your glory, guide our thoughts so that we elevate Your greatness. You are beyond comparison to anything we can imagine or measure. Show us how great Your power is on our behalf, regardless of our situations, and bring us peace. You are always working mightily on behalf of Your people, and in ways we cannot comprehend. Oh Lord, may we rest in the knowledge of this.

With these many gifts, Your heart of grace is magnified. You are gracious, righteous, and compassionate, waiting for opportunities to show this compassion to Your people. It is in Your justice that You bless those who long for You, even raising us to the heavenly places in Christ Jesus so that You can bless us with Your kindness all the more. Lord, keep us in this mindset, trusting You, resting in You, and confident of Your love because of our position as Your beloved children. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Ps 31:19; 73:23-26; 104:1; 106, 116:5; 118; Is 30:18; Jer 31:3; Mic 7:18-19; Eph 1:4; 2:6-7

This I Know, God is for Me

Featured Joy Bennett

Dear Lord, we pray that You especially minister to Your people at work in schools everywhere today. For those who need Your grace as they’re treated poorly, Lord be gracious to them, reminding them that, when they are afraid, they can put their trust in You. Remind them to rehearse Your Word saying, “In God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” As they speak these words, remind them that You are perfectly loving and merciful in all that You allow, even when they are tormented and weighed down. Especially in these times, fill them with assurance that You are at work in their lives for good. Let them say, “This I know, that God is for me.”

When Your people are focused on accomplishing Your will in their schools, when they are working hard to honor Your name with all of their choices, they often deal with people who try to intercept their efforts. They find that others rise up against them with evil thoughts, stirring up strife and examining their every step. Lord, this is such a distraction and frustration as we often feel that our enemies are the people around us rather than the spiritual forces of darkness. Give us comfort in knowing that You keep count of our struggles and You gather our tears because they are important to You.

For each one, Lord I pray that You renew their hope in You. Let them have rest as they meditate on the counsel of Your Word. Let them see that You promise to have victory over their enemies, beginning at the moment they call out to You. Let them say, “In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise, in God I shall trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Renew their strength to work for Your glory. Let them praise You for the work You are doing, even if they cannot see it yet. Let them experience deep joy in their souls and deliverance from the feelings of death the enemy sends. Give them assurance that, regardless of how things may look right now, You keep their feet from falling so they may walk before You in the light of life. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen. (Psalm 56).

The Solution for Pride

Featured Joy Bennett

Praise to God for His Gift of Grace

Dear Lord, we praise You for giving us the gift of salvation and no part of it comes from us (Eph 2:8-9). You work through the foolish and weak things of the world so that we cannot boast before You (1 Cor 1:27-28). Thank You for Your gracious, all-powerful character at work on our behalf.

Prayer Against Pride in Teachers

Lord, we thank You for giving us the gift of teaching. Let us humbly remember that every good and perfect gift is from You and not from ourselves (Jas 1:17). We struggle with humility, as all humans do, so we ask for Your grace to abound in our lives, helping us rehearse Your power at work and that none of our progress is achieved without Your gracious hand upon our work (Jas 4:6; Ps 34:2). Lord, especially as we work with students and others, let us remember that we can make mistakes — allow us to humbly make corrections. Similarly, let us give this grace to our students (Rom 12:10) who, also, are in the process of learning. Help us to work humbly with our peers, recognizing You allow us all to have different strengths and weaknesses (1 Cor 12:21-22).

Prayer Against Pride in Students

Gracious Lord, we come before You on behalf of our students as well. Open their eyes to the truth that strife comes because of pride (Pv 13:10). Let them turn away from their pride and be strengthened by grace (Heb 13:9). By this grace let them love You with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12: 30), and not themselves. For those who stubbornly continue in their pride, Lord we ask that You allow them to see that they are being deceived as Eve was in the garden (Gen 3:4-6) and that pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before stumbling (Prov 16:18). If they are stuck in their sin, we pray that, while the stakes are low, You allow them to learn their need for You by whatever means possible. Let the literary lessons and voices of others help them see the truth about our humble condition before You. Also, let them see Your endlessly giving character and desire to be part of Your family because of it. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

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