Forty Days of Prayer for Education: Day 28

Section 5: For Our Students

Join with us today and pray our prepared prayer on page 49 from the FORTY DAYS OF PRAYER FOR EDUCATION free eBook or pray independently from our focus scripture, Joel 2: 28 NKJV  and enjoy the accompanying song entitled, "Revival Fire Fall" by the Motor City Mass Choir. 

As you continue in prayer, lift up the children in your life who are being taught the Word of God. Ask the Lord to ignite their hearts with a passion for His presence. Pray that the power of the Holy Spirit anoint them to be as bold and courageous as Esther, dedicated to the Lord as the three Hebrew boys, as diligent and rewarded as Joseph and as influential as Daniel. Pray for their protection and strength as they carry the light of Jesus to their peers, family and teachers. 

BRING IT BACK

And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.

Joel 2:28 NKJV

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You for loving the world so much that You gave us Your only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ. We thank You for being the Way, the Truth and the Life. We thank You for wanting all to come to You. We thank You for the love and compassion in which You gaze upon the children all around the world.

May the children of this land be encouraged to worship You while at school. May prayer be released back into education. From the lips of infants and children, Lord, You have ordained praise to silence the foe and the avenger.

We declare in the Name of Jesus, a desire for the children of the land to call on You in spirit and in truth. Show them the great wonders of Your great love. May they in turn testify of Your goodness to others.

Strengthen those children You have already called to be bold and stouthearted for You. Lace their language with Your praises and their actions with Your love. Protect them from or strengthen them through persecution and let them not be conformed to this world, but choose to stand out and be a light for You. May those whom You have mandated to lead, be filled with the anointing as You did for Daniel, David, Joseph and Esther.

May the desire for worshiping You start in their home. Turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children and restore the foundation of family in this country. May the revival of prayer, one generation praising Your name to the next, be released today.

In Jesus’ name,

 - Amen

Imitations of Life

 Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]; and walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.

Ephesians 5: 1, 2

My mother was good for making my sister and I watch classic movies, musicals and plays (to broaden our horizons - she said).  One such theatrical delight was entitled, Imitation of Life (She made us watch both versions). My favorite version, the 1959 film, centered around the undying friendship between two women through the advancing career of one, the devotion of the others and the varied lifestyles of their daughters. The catch to this movie was that the two daughters, while both living together and looking Caucasian, were  from two different class systems and race. One daughter was white like her rich and famous mother, while the other daughter was biracial and her black mother worked as the maid for the other woman.

 The biracial daughter, Sarah Jane, grows to be a lovely but bitter woman who has spent most of her childhood trying to blend into her surroundings and pass for white. Her frustration at not being successful is poured out in poisonous words and bitter encounters with her mother who always seems to unconsciously blow her cover.   

In the end she   ...... well, I won't tell you, you'll just have to see the movie (with a box of Kleenex) to find out.

Anyway, have you ever acted like Sarah Jane?  Was there ever a time when you tried to blend into the crowd and not declare who you are in Christ?  "What does that look like", you asked?  It's listening to the gossip, joining in to derogatory and demeaning conversations and not removing yourself . It's not offering prayer as the solution for a coworker's anguish or concerns. It's even not praying over your food before you eat so as to not offend someone else.  However, Ephesians 5: 1 tells us to, " Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example],..." 

Now, I'm not saying that you need to holler out "He's risen!" in the middle of a staff meeting or put on the biggest pair of cross earrings or tie lapel you could find to wear at every PLC.  I'm talking about being an unafraid, unashamed imitator of Christ Jesus; walking, talking, living as He would and treating those around you with love.

Here are some things that Jesus did that we can imitate:

• treated the rejected people with kindness and made them feel significant
• praised God openly
• loved children
• healed others
• prayed for others
• taught with patience
• honored those in authority over Him regardless of His position

Back to the movie...

Sarah Jane's mother would search for her and try to get her to accept who she was by explaining how much she loved her and letting her know how beautiful she was just as she was.  The words hardly seemed to penetrate Sarah's ears at all as she stewed in self hatred of her race which she perceived had doomed her from receiving the best things in life even as a child.  

Sometimes we can think that becoming a "Jesus follower" can label us as a fanatic or religious nut in the eyes of others.  We act just enough like everyone around us so as not be perceived as a goody goody two shoes and labeled holier than thou. Jesus still pursues us, loves us and speaks words of affirmation through His holy promises in the bible.  But our problem here is this, "Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]..."  we sometimes forget how much we're loved by Jesus. You see, children who know they are loved by their Father need not be ashamed to have His name, wear His clothes or be seen with Him in public regardless of how outlandish it may make them seem.  

You do know He loves you right?  Here are a few reminders:

• He gave His only begotten Son that we may have everlasting life with Him
• He daily loads us with benefits
• He makes Himself available all of the time
• He intercedes on our behalf
• He protects us from dangers seen and unseen

So...since I can't tell you about the end of the movie, I'll just leave you with this thought right here: Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]; and walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you...

Here's my charge to you on being an educator of God; 

Don't be ashamed to know and love Jesus.  It is in Him, through Him and by Him that we live, move and have our being.  So let your being be like Him. Find the value in those around you.  Practice empathy and compassion this week.  Seek the best for others without any selfish gain on your part. Forgive and give as Jesus has done for you.  You will become the better educator for it.

Have a blessed work week. Please enjoy our weekly song, "Like You Jesus", by CeeCee Winans and remember to share this blog post with an educator friend or coworker.