Tag: God is Sovereign

God is Blameless, Do Not Complain

Featured Joy Bennett

Without a word, without complaint

In His Hands,

Leave all the things you cannot

Understand

~K.R. Hagenbach

Dear Lord, You are Holy, Righteous, and Sovereign. Praise You for Your all-knowing, completely perfect character. Much more, we thank You for saving us, forgiving all of our sins, past, present, and future. Thank You for providing justification for us so that we can stand in Your presence and interact with You as Your children: loved, protected, and cared for with deep compassion.

We pray for teachers everywhere to let go of complaining because it sows the seeds of discontent in the speaker as well as the listener. Lord, especially for teachers who are in the Body of Christ, we pray for Your power to guide their thoughts and words so they trust You with each situation at hand. Working with people in any job can give opportunity for complaint. But, God, You have called us to a higher standard in which we rest in Your providence. Praise You Lord for how you provide for every moment and situation. You see to each need in our lives with a loving hand that promises to work all things together for good to those who love You and are called according to Your purpose.

You have placed us in schools to be Your lights in the world. With each new day, we encounter difficult students and parents, administrators, and fellow staff members. Others sin against us. We see better choices our students can make. But we glorify You by Christian cheerfulness. You have called us to act with charitable judgment toward others. In other words, You ask us to look for the good that others are trying to accomplish or incapable of at the moment.  Let us come alongside those who tempt us to complain, and pray for them. Give us hearts that extend love and compassion toward them, even when we don’t understand what is going on.

Lord, let Your servants rest in Your guiding hand, keeping their eyes on Your faithfulness rather than the situations in front of them, and focused on Your promised good so that they resist the temptation to complain. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Ex 16:8; Num 11:1-3; Job 1:21

Have Peace: Elevate God’s Honor

Featured Joy Bennett

Dear Lord, we pray for every teacher today, laying their needs at Your feet. The deep needs of students, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual, have the potential to overtake the well-being of teachers. It is easy to focus on the interactions before us rather than Who You Are within us. Our responses to these difficulties often lead to sinful thoughts if not actions and each of us needs Your grace. We pray for salvation in the souls of those teachers who do not know You, and we pray for grace and peace for all.

We pray especially for Christian teachers to focus on the truth of Your character: nothing is honorable in all existence but You. We praise You for Your glorious might and purity. You alone are worthy of our highest regard. We pray for Your servants to lay their teaching duties before You. The temptations to look to personal effort are ever before us. Help us remember Your sovereignty and receive peace because You rule the entire universe and Your perfect plans are always accomplished. Evil never overcomes Your will. Keep our minds on the blessing of Your longsuffering character. You are never rashly angry toward us but You patiently endure our sin, giving us every opportunity to turn toward You. Let us similarly reflect Your character to our students and parents. Teach us also to embrace Your anger at sin which is against Your moral perfection and therefore must be punished. We praise You, Jesus, for suffering God’s wrath on the cross when we were the ones who deserved it. As we work, instruct us in Your righteousness that we may hate sin as You do. You alone are worthy of our worship. Lord, You are rightly jealous for Your people and we need Your guidance to keep our hearts turned toward You. Thank You for loving us with a jealous love, drawing us to Your perfection, when nothing else compares.

We pray for the teachers You have placed in schools as Your representatives, set apart to do Your will. Move our busy and distracted minds to focus on You. Administrative tasks are added to our endless to-do lists, but You call us to live a life of peace in the middle of the chaos. When we grasp even a portion of Your perfection, we are impacted by reverence and awe. Keep us close. Let us fellowship with You throughout each day, enjoying Your lavish gifts including every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, and enjoying our position as Your children.

Lord, remind us to plan our lessons with the weight of Your glory in mind. Guide our words so that we are reverent and set an example of the fear of God. Let us work through every task and human interaction showing You reverence by living lives of grace-driven self-control. Let these things create peace as we work on mission for Christ in our schools. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.

Eph 1:3-10; Phil 4;5,7,9; 1 Tim 3:8; Titus 2:2; Rev 5:12

Prayers for Our Administrators

Joy Bennett

Dear Lord, we come to You because You are the Lord of Lords (1 Tim 6:15), ruling over every leader on earth. We also recognize that our leaders’ hearts are a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; You turn them wherever You will (Pv 21:1) and we praise You.

Lord, because You choose who will lead Your people in every generation, we pray that You will establish godly leaders within our schools (Acts 15:14; Rev 5:9). Lord, guide them so that their decisions are governed by wisdom, making them inclined to gain more wisdom and making them wise unto salvation (Prov 24:3; 2 Tim 3:15).

Lord, we know that You care about our health and You are willing to bring healing (Mat 9:22; Luk 9:11) and we ask You to bring good health to our leaders so that they may serve with energy, clarity of mind, and be free from the distraction of health problems. Let them lead with equity, free from overly strict standards, enacting justice beyond normal justice, fulfilling the spirit and not just the letter of the law (Phil 4:5; Tit 3:2). Lord, it is You who provides us with everything we need for life and godliness.  We pray that You would guide our leaders to support Your people who work in schools, recognizing the excellent work and trustworthiness of each one, and may our administrators ultimately see that the power of Christian servants is from You (2 Cor 4:7; 2 Pet 1:3) and deserving of Your praise.

Lord, for our administrators, I pray that You would protect their time so that they can accomplish their responsibilities. The world is a great thief of time and administrative jobs, as all jobs in education, can produce an endless to-do list. Let each person in these positions have the support from others and discernment within to create needed space for accomplishing their tasks and putting off what doesn’t need to be done at the time (Hab 3:19; 2 Sam 22:34; Ps 18:32). Also, political powers, school boards, headstrong teachers, and parents are often forces that can be intimidating.  We pray that they would not fear man (Pv 29:25) but be dedicated to righteousness, ultimately fearing God and seeking to do Your will. With this, Lord, we ask that You give them wisdom in facilities safety and employee oversight, politics and financial matters, and social and legal concerns (Pv 24:3-7; Luk 2:52; Eph 1:17). 

It is also important that our leaders’ eyes be open to the deceitfulness of mankind and recognize how they should lead in any given situation and ask You, Lord, to reveal these things to them for Your ultimate glory in righteousness (Rom 13:3). Similarly, we pray that their priorities will be in line, elevating students’ physical and academic needs and resisting the driving forces and personal agendas that rise so regularly.

Finally, Lord, we pray for their personal lives and ask for a healthy blend of work and personal time. We ask for the well-being of their loved ones and that You orchestrate an ever-increasing desire for a personal relationship with Christ in each one. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

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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.