Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV
As teachers, we have SO many things on our daily to-do lists. Because we are the ones “in charge” of so many tasks and decisions, it can be easy to quickly feel burdened and overwhelmed by our inability to juggle it all.
But as Christians, we aren’t meant to do it alone! God cares deeply about the minutiae of our lives, and He doesn’t want us to do it in our own strength; He wants us to cry out to Him and rely on Him for help!
So how do we tap into Christ’s power? We have to ask Him for it! We have the immeasurable privilege of a 24/7 direct line to the Creator of the Universe and He WANTS to hear from us!
To exercise this privilege of prayer, I make a habit of praying every morning on my commute to work, and then again in the school parking lot once I arrive. When I walk the halls and see the students and staff who are desperately in need of Christ, the ones who are obviously hurting, and the ones who hide it well, I pray for them. It also helps me to feel less defensive about our conflicting values and more compassionate toward those who are lost. Public schools today are certainly more of a mission field than ever; you may be the only person in that building who is praying for the folks inside. Remember: God is able.
Heavenly Father, thank you for placing me in this place at this time. I know that You have a purpose in all things. Please strengthen me to do the things I need to do today. Please fill me with Your spirit, so that I might reflect Your light to those around me. Please help me be a good testimony to Your Name today and to honor You in all of my words and actions. Lord, please touch every person inside this school building today; touch their hearts with Your love and soften them toward You so that they might know the Truth and be set free in Your love. In Jesus’ precious name, I pray, Amen.
Copyright Rhapsody Jordan-Parisi.
Rhapsody is a member and high school English teacher from North Carolina. She is passionate about helping struggling teachers strike a balance between success and sanity at her blog, tightropeteaching.com.
One Response
This is clear vision of the spiritual reality in our schools. I love how when we ask, the Lord transforms our view of those with “conflicting values” into targets of His love and grace! Thank you Rhapsody.