Back to School- Back to Prayer
As our students go back to school –virtual, home school or classroom – we need to get back to prayer. It would be redundant for me to remind you of the unprecedented challenges they will face. In Luke 22, we see Jesus stepping aside from the intimate group to have a one on one with Peter. “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail…”. Satan’s goal is certainly to “sift” our kids away from every praise song; Bible verse and Biblical worldview they have known. But as Jesus prayed “that your faith might not fail,” so must we bend our knees and pour out our hearts.
I very often use excerpts from our previous blog, Letters to Our Sons, to pray a spiritual covering over my grandchildren, and I share these that they might encourage you as you pray.
Brent Crowe: “Don’t let a broken world break your spirit. Grow into a leader who refuses to compromise on issues such as racism, and who leads others to see the error of such unintelligent thinking… Realize that the toleration of evil in our culture reflects the tolerance of sin in our own lives. And we must never tolerate in our own lives the sin that Christ died for…Know that as long as God gives me a beating heart and breath in my lungs, I am praying for you. That you will be the kind of man who loves well and longs to see “justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” (Amos 5:24).
Jeff Wallace: “…Don’t ever compromise your integrity, perpetuate any negative stereotypes, or feed into the divisive propaganda. Be change agents and hope dealers….My prayer…is that you will lead, love, and do life with people who may not look like you, but have the same values, morals, ethics, and beliefs as you do. Unapologetically live a life where your faith screams loudly and you never settle for mediocrity. I believe with all my heart and soul, you will be a catalyst for change. I speak that over each of your lives…be willing to always see the best in people. Seek to be understood, not heard. Speak the truth in love.”
I also want to share the new Praying Girls Devotional written by my good friend, Sheila Walsh. When I read, “Praying girls are strong girls, brave girls who know that their worth lies in who God says they are, girls who trust him and know that he always comes through,” I ordered it for my 3 tween and teen grand-daughters immediately. “God is on the move! And He wants us to be part of what He’s up to. We can do just that through prayer. You are never alone. God is listening….” Preorder now! Releases on September 1st.
A bended knee and an earnest heart of prayer are truly the greatest gifts we can impart to this generation. Teaching the power of intimate prayer is the hope of winning the battle.