Tag: God is our Advocate

Back to School Preparations

Featured Joy Bennett
Back to School Teacher Prayer Prayers Back-to-School

Dear Lord,

We thank You that You are all-knowing, our Advocate, and our Shepherd. Thank You for a fresh start at the beginning of the school year, and for new students we have opportunities with. Thank You for the break we just came from, even if it was busy, because we need the change to renew our resolve and creativity.

As we start the year, Lord our to-do lists can feel overwhelming. Many things can only be accomplished in the few days we have before students walk in our doors. Therefore, Lord, we ask for wisdom because You promise in James 1:5, that “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”   We also encourage our hearts with the truth that You can “do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).

So, Lord, we pray for focused work time, organization, and complete awareness of what needs to be accomplished. We pray for the ability to set aside desires, even making a list of those things for later, and guidance to complete the important things first. Remind us to frequently give You praise as we go about our work since nothing good is planned or accomplished apart from You (Psalm 16:2). And, keep us mindful to pray for the students we will have this coming year.

Let us live in Your peace, comforting our hearts that You know our beliefs, thoughts, actions, and feelings, as well as the process before us. Encourage us to draw near to You our Advocate, and give us the grace to be led by You, our Shepherd. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

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

Find Peace in God’s Loveliness

Featured Joy Bennett

Praise God Who is Ever Present, Our Peace, Advocate, Healer and Provider

Dear Lord, we come to You with praise for Your loveliness. We are captivated by Your moral perfection, goodness, holiness, and unsearchable glory. You are worthy of our worship for countless reasons. Thank You Lord for blessing us by sharing Your character: Your constant presence (Ps 46:1) and Your peace (Rom 5:1). Our hearts are blessed because You are our Great High Priest and Advocate (Heb 4:14; Rom 8:26,34). And we give You glory for being the Healer of our souls and bodies (Deut 32:39; Is 53:5), and for being our Provider who has already foreseen our every need and graciously provided for them (Rom 8:32; 2 Cor 9:8).

Prayer for Our Minds to Focus on His Loveliness

We pray for teachers everywhere to have a fresh perspective of Your praiseworthy and delightful character. Let Your people be captivated by Your glory as by the unsearchable glow of flames in a late-night campfire.  Every day we have opportunities and challenges within our schools and we desire Your peace. Place Your Word in our hearts to remind us of Your peace which comes by delighting in Your beauty. You are worth everything to us. Help us be the teachers, mentors, colleagues, and servants You can use to show the world Who You Are. Lord, cause our hearts to rejoice in Your forgiveness, longsuffering, mercy, kindness, goodness, grace, and indwelling Holy Spirit.  You are lovely beyond compare.  What do we find attractive in this world but the good You have worked here: creation; the image of God in humanity, and Your Word? Flood our hearts with Your Truth for Your beauty never ceases to please our souls. In Jesus’s Name, we pray. Amen.

How lovely is your dwelling place,

O LORD of hosts!

My soul longs, yes, faints

for the courts of the LORD;

my heart and flesh sing for joy

to the living God.

Even the sparrow finds a home,

and the swallow a nest for herself,

where she may lay her young,

at your altars, O LORD of hosts,

my King and my God.

Blessed are those who dwell in your house,

ever singing your praise! Selah

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,

in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

As they go through the Valley of Baca

they make it a place of springs;

the early rain also covers it with pools.

They go from strength to strength;

each one appears before God in Zion.

O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;

give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah

Behold our shield, O God;

look on the face of your anointed!

For a day in your courts is better

than a thousand elsewhere.

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

For the LORD God is a sun and shield;

the LORD bestows favor and honor.

No good thing does he withhold

from those who walk uprightly.

O LORD of hosts,

blessed is the one who trusts in you! (Ps 84)

Prayers for the End of the Year

Featured Joy Bennett

Praise

Dear Lord, our shield, we exalt Your Name.  You are great and beyond measure. We turn to You in worship for Your holiness. In Your perfection, You are set apart from sin and provided salvation for Your people when nothing less would do.  We are humbled by Your eternal love and provision for us.

Prayer

We pray for teachers who You established to accomplish Your work in the lives of others. Students, parents, and administrators often panic toward the end of the year when grades get posted and there is little time left for recovery. They often blame teachers for the problem when the responsibility belongs elsewhere. Lord, You know first-hand how difficult our lives become when others rise against us. And in Your compassion, You have provided for us.  Remind Your servants that You are a shield about them, their glory, the lifter of their head. Keep their minds on the truth that, when they cry to You, You answer from Your holy hill. Let each one rest in You during these times of stress.  Let them sleep and rest well, sustained by You and free from fear of those who oppose them.

Cause Your servants to know that You attend to their prayers, and You set examples in Scripture that we should call on You for salvation because You defend us completely. Salvation belongs to You, LORD. May Your blessings be on Your people. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Read Psalm 3

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).

Prayers for Homeless Students

Featured Joy Bennett

Dear Lord, our Creator (Ps 146:5-6), we praise You for creating mankind and each student we have the privilege of working with. We praise You that You are our advocate (Heb 4:14), a father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows (Psalms 68:5). Lord, let us do Your work on earth to care for our homeless students. We need Your help so that we can see which of our students are experiencing homelessness. Open our eyes and let us draw near to them and comfort them during this difficult time (Jas 1:27). Help us to help them and protect them from those who may want to take advantage of them during their time of weakness (Ex 22:22).

Dear Lord, for those who lack food and clothing, may we have opportunity and provision so that we can provide for them (Deut 10:18). You can bless the work of our hands and bring provision to these students and their families (Deut 14:29). Meanwhile, we also pray that You protect the physical safety of these children. You are their protector, God Almighty, keeping safe from sword those who have no father or power (Job 5:15). When these people are suffering, let us see their trouble and grief as You do, and may we act immediately and with diligence to help them as their needs require (Ps 10:14). And, Lord, for the homeless children who are not in schools and receiving support, let them come and receive Your love through Your people.

 As Christian teachers, may we, above others, defend the weak, the poor, and fatherless and maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed (Ps 82:3). Do not let us be so busy with our daily responsibilities that we become unaware of these needs in the lives of our children. Let us be merciful as You are merciful (Luk 6:36). Let us imitate Christ in reaching out to the sick, poor, and needy for the glory of God, acting without judgment, and showing abounding love and compassion. We can only do these things well by the power of Your Holy Spirit and so we ask You to accomplish Your work through us at each opportunity. We praise You Lord for Your loving work through us. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Read More About Praying for Students

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)

Read More About When Trials Serve God’s People

Discernment in Working with Parents

Joy Bennett

Dear Lord, as Christian teachers, we have many opportunities to set a godly example for the parents we work with. We praise You that You are our advocate, and we seek to imitate You by advocating for our students’ parents (Rom 8:26, 24b; Heb 4:14). We also look to You, our omniscient God who knows all we need at all times (Pv 5:21) and ask that You allow us to see and act on Your provision, for nothing good comes apart from You (Ps 16:2). In addition, we rejoice in You our mediator, Lord Jesus, and ask that You enable us to imitate you as we mediate for parents with their students (1 Tim 2:5-6; Heb 8:6, 9:15), helping their children to grow in wisdom, that they may be prepared to receive Your gospel by faith when You so choose.

Lord, when working with parents and their students, we need discernment. Praise You that the Spirit gives us discernment (John 14:17), using the word of God to enable us to stand firm by discriminating between good and evil, truth and lies (Heb 5:12-14; Eph 6:11,17; 1 John 2:20,26-27). As we go about each day, let us cling to You and walk in repentance and righteousness, held up with a willing spirit, so that we may help parents and their students see a godly example in our lives and crave this for themselves (Ps 51:10-13). Likewise, show us how we can empower parents to lead their children in righteousness. For those who are motivated only by worldly success, let us demonstrate the love and light of God that they desire to live according to Your ways (Mat 5:16; Rom 2:14; Mat 5:6). And, as we do this work, let us always remember that parenting is a difficult job and each child is different — parents need sympathy and empathy (Rom 12:16; Phil 2:1-8). Meanwhile, let their trials lead them to seek You with their whole hearts and find You as their Savior. (Mat 4:17; Eze 33:11; Acts 26:18; 1 Pet 3:8-12).

On our mission with You in schools, Lord, let us do Your good work by showing love, compassion, and kindness to everyone (John 13:34, Luk 6:36; Ps 103:8; Eph 4:32). Students need us to love them best by showing we care, even when caring means we must provide appropriate consequences – let us not shrink back from difficult decisions that lead to the best outcome for each one (Ps 119:71). Lord, guide us to follow through with communication which includes constructive and encouraging solutions (Heb 10:24). In the process of our communications, let us provide loving, timely feedback that amounts to the greatest benefit for each child (Ecc 8:11), and guide us to have a heart for collaboration with each parent, planning incentives and consequences together for the benefit of their children and their households. As we work together, let us keep our minds on You, seeking Your wisdom and gaining knowledge (Ps 111:10; Pv 21:11b).

Lord, in all these things, cause Your wondrous works to be remembered and allow the parents we work with to recognize that You are gracious and merciful (Ps 111:4). Finally, let us rest, knowing that that battle is Yours, Lord, and You will see it through in the end (Deut 20:4; 2 Chron 20:15; Pv 21:31).

Read More About Teacher Energy and Purpose

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Prayers for Safety in Schools

Joy Bennett

Oh God Most High (Ps 7:17), our refuge and strength, our very present help in times of trouble, let us be strong in our confidence in You, regardless of the dangers on earth. We praise You, Lord Jesus, for Your saving work on the cross and Your overcoming power in Your Resurrection. We know that we are immortal until You are finished working in us on earth (2 Tim 1:10). You indwell Your people, making Your holy habitation with us and our salvation immovable. You are in our midst, always protecting us, and melting the most severe concerns. LORD of hosts, we praise You for such care. LORD, let us have eyes to see Your mighty works: how You control everything on earth, bringing wars to an end, and crushing the weapons of mankind. Let us also be still, and know that You are God, exalted among the nations, exalted in the earth. Our LORD of all armies and warfare, You are with us, holding us fast in Your ultimate security (Ps 46).

Lord, we ask for Your divine protection over our schools, students, staff, and families. We cry out to You as Your children, those who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, abiding in the shadow of the Almighty. Deliver us from all snares, plagues, and threats of destruction. Guard us in all our ways, let us walk in safety and protection. Remind us that, when we hold fast to You in love we are heard by You. You answer us when we call, You are with us in trouble, You rescue us and honor us, and with long life You will satisfy us, showing us Your salvation (Ps 91).

Thank You, Lord, that You go before us, causing us to dwell secure, at ease, and without dread of disaster (Prov 1:33). You are ever-present with Your people, keeping us secure on every side (Ps 139:5). Indeed we can think of no more secure a place than in the cover of Your majestic wings, just as the ark rested protected beneath the cherubim in the holy of holies (2 Chr 5:6-8). May You always be glorified as our protector and peace (Josh 24:17; Eph 2:14). In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Provision for Students’ Needs

Joy Bennett

Dear Lord, we are all in great need of You and Your grace (1 Sam 2:7-8), for nothing good comes apart from You (Ps 16:2). We humbly ask for Your powerful guidance as we proceed from day to day (Ps 143:10). 

Lord, open our eyes to see the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs of our students (2 Pet 1:3) and give us hearts to pray and serve them well, for it is You alone who have the power to meet these needs (Phil 4:19). Energize our minds to stay current with planning and grading and to provide feedback and accountability (Ps 3:3-5). As we work with our students each week, give us a passion for getting to know each one, finding the weak and strengthening them, providing for the sick, binding up the injured, and building relationships with those who stray (Ez 34:1-10). Make us mindful of resources we can provide to those in physical, mental, and emotional need. Even more, let us pray diligently for their spiritual need because Your eternal storehouses have full provision for our every need (Mat 14:13-21; Mat 15:29-39; Num 27:15-18). 

Lord, strengthen our faith and direct our thinking so that we show each of our students, and their families, Your love, compassion, mercy, and care, so that You may be glorified in the work we do as Christian teachers (Mat 5:16; Rom 4:20). Their private lives are often invisible to us and when we are intentional to reach out, we learn of their struggles and can serve them better (1 King 17:8-16). In all these things, Lord, let us seek to do Your work, by Your power, by meeting the needs of our students and even their families (Neh 9:5-6). Let Your power work consistently through us for the greatest kingdom outcomes. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, Amen.

Read More About Praying for Students

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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