Tag: God is Loving

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

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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

Thank God for Fellow Believers

Featured Joy Bennett

Dear Lord, we praise You for the people You have placed in our path, past and present, who are believers and servants of Christ. In this, we give You glory for Your design of the Body of Christ, and the spiritual blessings You have lavished on every individual. John F. Kennedy once said, “A rising tide lifts all boats,” and we are also lifted up through the actions and encouragement of the saints.

Those who served before our time even build us up in Christ. We praise You God for those who wrote poetry, music, devotions, diaries, apologetics, fiction, governing documents, and commentaries. Each of these things contributes to our well-being today.

Praise You for our contemporaries who expound on the word of God through preaching, teaching, and book-writing, and for those believers everywhere who pray for things we don’t even think to pray for. Our hearts are filled with gratitude for those who serve by running errands, cooking meals, cleaning, gardening, shoveling snow, repairing or decorating facilities, planning improvements, working with technology, playing music, providing security, designing Bible studies, counseling, organizing missions, visiting the sick, providing frontline communication, caring for children, providing for the poor, speaking words of encouragement, extending hospitality and listening to those with burdens.

We pray for the saints who are isolated from a body of believers: let them have fellowship in Christ first, for their total satisfaction, and give them fellowship with others somehow, even if only through technology.

Father, You have called us to serve one another in love, and Your design is beautiful. Let us give You glory and cause others to desire a relationship with You because we are faithful. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Rom 12:10; Gal 5:13, 6:10; Eph 4:2; 1 Thess 4:18; Heb 10:24

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).

Your Perfect, Delicate Love

Featured Joy Bennett

Lord, as You have loved me with

This everlasting and perfect love,

How could I ever doubt

Your goodness on my behalf? In

Your holy perfection,

Before one thought was created,

You loved me.

You brought me into being,

Loving me all the while,

Protecting me,

Planning our fellowship, and

Your revelations to me.

You had already set aside

Gifts to give me,

Faith to fill me,

Joy to grace my soul, yes,

Deep, unsearchable

Joy as I learn

Your facets, as

You illuminate each one, as

You open them slowly

Before my eyes.

As a flower opens to the

Morning sun,

Almost imperceptible in its

Delicate movement, so

Your revelations are to me, so

Your way with me, so

Your impression upon me, so

Your life in me.

(Eph 1:4-6)

Keep Your Joy in Teaching

Featured Joy Bennett

Dear LORD, as Christian teachers, we are susceptible to losing our joy for many reasons: problems with our work-life blend; interactions with difficult people (staff, students, parents, family, or friends), challenges at home, health issues, time constraints, unrealistic expectations from supervisors, frequent challenges and changes in systems, or sins and misjudgments in our own lives. But, Lord, we praise You for Your sacrificial love on our behalf. There is none like You. By Your sacrifice, Lord, we can have Your Spirit and the fruit of Your Spirit including joy (Gal 5:22). 

Lord, please renew our souls and sustain our joy as we work in our schools each day. Let us be filled with the hope that You promise to act in every circumstance to bring about good for those who love You and who are called according to Your purpose (Rom 8:28). As we expect good outcomes in every situation, because of Your all-knowing faithfulness and goodness, cause joy to spring up within us.

Lord, we desire that You will work through us for Your glory in our students and we trust that You shine the light of Your presence and love through us each day, whether we feel strong or weak. We praise You for this promise and the joy that it brings. Let us live in the knowledge of Your work in us and walk in God-glorifying joy because of it.

Lord, we recognize that You are the only source of true joy and this comes from our awareness of Your grace and favor – You lean toward us in all Your goodness. We praise You that this joy opposes sorrow and is a result of faith. It is a result of our blessedness as we are seated in heavenly places (Eph 2:1-10). For this reason, all of Your blessings are upon us. Let us be radiant with cheerfulness and calm delight.

We especially praise You that Your work on the cross, on our behalf, is coupled with Your gift of the Holy Spirit as our helper in every moment. Your endless gifts in our moment of salvation result in rest, freedom, and spiritual healing. What joy! You give us a sense of acceptance with God, communion with You, and stillness before You as we recognize Your all-bright and beautiful character. Indeed, we have clear consciences and a quiet peace within our hearts as we trust You. 

Lord, we also experience joy when You are the object of our worship and the reason for our work. Because You have brought us spiritual health, we may work as the body of Christ which brings gladness. Keep our eyes on You, the light of our eternal hope, and our deep, abiding joy.

Our gifts through Your work on the cross include even more. Lord, we praise You for the joy that You remove the fears before us, and our inner strife. In You, we can be free from the conflict between our consciences and our inclinations. In You, we can walk in power over our will and our passions. In You, we can experience the joy of the Lord as we become free from the sins that tear our hearts down and make sorrow and agitation. In You, our sense of sin is removed and our angry, stinging consciences are healed. 

Lord, how we praise You for the joy we have in Christ Jesus. Let our joy overflow to everyone we work with. Let it energize our planning and grading, our counsel and instruction. Let Your joy be a light in our lives, attracting others to worship You as we celebrate Your presence and Your work within us. Let us be powerful witnesses for You as we live as Your holy servants, who enjoy the power of the Holy Spirit working through us, stamping out grief, and making the joy of the Lord our strength (Neh 8:10). We pray these things in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

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Refuge in Adversity

Featured Joy Bennett

Dear Lord, as Christian teachers we face adversity and trials in our personal lives, as well as our school lives. Yet, You are most certainly our place of security. You are the Most High, Almighty, LORD, God – what affirming reminders of Your sufficiency as our refuge! Let us abide in you, for then we are secure. Let us experience the immovable, unshakeable assurance that our fellowship with You, our enjoyment of You, our meditation upon You, our living, breathing, and resting in You, are immovable and will not even be paused in the moment of our transition from mortality to immortality, from time to eternity.

Lord, because You are our refuge, let us confidently commit ourselves and our concerns to You in trust. We desire to rest in Your perfect care regarding all natural and spiritual dangers. Lord, we know that in You we have all that we need or could ever desire. Help us fix our eyes upon You and know You rightly so that we may have firm trust in what You allow in our lives, recognizing that Your will is nothing to fear because You have promised us Your love and protection from now through eternity. Help us also to remember that You have promised to judge sin and You will faithfully handle all of the adversity that surrounds us. You have placed us under Your powerful protection now and forever and Your care abounds in fatherly love and fierce defense.

We pray also regarding our frequent fears, that You satisfy us with faith in You, with deep trust and tranquil confidence in Your promises. You remind us in Your Word that the world harbors many matters of evil: accidents, destructive forces, secret and blatant misconduct, spiritual forces of darkness and temptation, and invisible works of disease, death, and destruction. However, in Your all-sufficient refuge, we have a most comforting shield and a place of divine rest. 

Lord, for Christian teachers throughout the world we pray that You build our faith in Your blessed strength and presence on our behalf. Let us rest in You and may our witness as Your people be evident as we cling to You in the process. In Jesus’s Name, we pray. Amen. (Ps 91:1-5)

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Commitment to Serve Amidst Apathy

Joy Bennett

Dear Lord, You designed the earth and humanity to be fruitful and productive. We long for You to make things return to Your perfect design.  Meanwhile, many of our students struggle more and more with a lack of motivation to participate in educational efforts. Lord, we ask You to give them a sense of curiosity. Open their hearts to wisdom and let them learn from us. Let our students have softened hearts and let them gain knowledge so they will become active members of society. 

Meanwhile, Lord, do not let the apathy of our students reduce our commitment to serve You on this mission field. Let us extend Your love and thoughtful care to all students, especially those who are resistant. Please fill us with Your patience also, giving us the grace to wait as for rains upon crops, establishing our hearts in trust of Your perfect timing for each concern, keeping us steadfast, and allowing us to imitate Your compassion and mercy toward each student. In these things, we know our labor for Your glory is never in vain.

Finally, Lord, let us prepare thoughtful lessons, considering how to stir up one another to love and good works. Let us, by our example of a godly life, faithfully point their hearts to desire Your ways that they may have hearts of flesh and not hearts of stone, rightly prepared to receive the gospel when You determine the time.  Thank you, Lord, that You care deeply for all people.  Let us do the same and give You the honor You deserve. Amen. (Lk 8:18; Mt 5:48; Jas 5:7-11; 1 Cor 15:58; Eph 5:1; Heb 10:24; Ez 36:26).

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Prayers for Healing a Student

Joy Bennett

Dear LORD, today I pray for this child and family. Lord, You are the healer of our souls and bodies, and we cry out to You for Your perfect hand of healing on this child’s body. Lord, we pray for the right medication that will bring healing. Let this child’s body respond well to it and bring restoration. 

Lord, I pray for every need, even things the caregivers may be unaware of, and place these things in Your capable hands for care and restoration. Lord, I ask You to work in such a mighty way in this child’s life that You receive glory in the eyes of as many people as possible. 

Father, I pray for special comfort and the peace that passes all understanding for this child, the parents, and the rest of their family as they go through this difficult time. Bless their time as a family, provide for them financially, and give them peace regarding days missed at work and school. 

Lord God, You oversee all the hardships in our lives with a heart of mercy and love toward us, even though we cannot see what You are doing behind the scenes. But we praise You that You promise that You cause all things to work together for good to those who love You, to those who are called according to Your purpose, and we ask You for the grace to worship You and give You thanks for Your presence, Your power, Your wisdom, and Your love through even the most difficult times. 

Lord, let this family recognize Your loving hand at every turn through this time. Lord, we also pray that You speak directly to the hearts and minds of the doctors, giving them the wisdom You have for healing. Father, please also attend to things at home during travel, give rest to this family, and allow them to find comfort in Your Word even moment by moment. Thank You, Lord Jesus. In Your Name, Lord Jesus we pray, Amen. Rom 8:28-29; Mt 4:23; Mt 9:35; Phil 4:6-7; 1 Pet 5:7; Jer 31:3; Ps 91:1-16.

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