“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6 NIV)
Many of our churches have held “Back-to-School Fairs,” orchestrated drive-thru events to giveaway book bags, notebooks, pens, and pencils, and other churches have made monetary contributions to ”Back-To-School” events held on a larger scale and organized by a bigger sponsor. For all those efforts, either as the primary event sponsor or a supporter at any level, may God smile on you. Praise God for all who are helping children be equipped with supplies for school.
I have seen some of the requests for supplies and I have also scanned over some of the school supply lists provided to families that attend various public schools. On all the lists there was a missing item. I don’t think it was an oversight. It was probably just omitted because we are no longer living in the days when you could include such an item, officially, in our schools; the time where you could pray daily, starting class by saying, “Our Father…” What is the missing item? The missing item is a prayer for our students. Wouldn’t that have been nice to add a prayer that students could refer to before the semester begins; a prayer that they could read it daily, throughout the school year; a prayer that they could read that has them asking that they be helped to live in such a manner that they would model good morals, respect authority in the classrooms, regard the school administrators with respect, and refrain from surrendering to any peer pressure that would put them on the opposite side of “right?” Yes, you got it! The opposite side of “right” is “wrong.” Wouldn’t it be nice if that missing item, a prayer, could mention about how blessed are the peacemakers a to encourage each student that reads the prayer regularly to be a peacemaker? The Pledge of Allegiance is nice, but that does not compare to prayer. The recitation of the school’s motto is good, but again that cannot replace prayer. Repeating commitment statements led by their peers over the school’s in-house broadcasting system is great. However, once again, that is not something that compares to prayer.
Well, I have some good news for you! It is not to late to make sure the missing item is provided for your child, your grandchildren, children in your neighborhood or township, or just all children in general from coast to coast. While it cannot be a tangible item, it can come in an intangible form, a form that reaches the ear of our all-intelligent God. It can come in the form of earnest prayer. You can pray it with the children in your home and, if there are no children in your home, just pray daily, starting now, for returning students at all levels. Don’t forget to specifically petition for their safety for sure; safety from rebellious children and safety from the resistant virus that remains a threat to the health and well-being of our children. By the way, prayer works.
If the missing item is still missing after you read this, then where who will be at fault? Pray now! The semester starts soon! Pray in such a way that at the end of the school year, our young people will be able to say, “Somebody prayed for me!” Just a couple of more things for you. Also pray for our teachers who have dedicated their lives to help shape and mold the lives of our children. And pray for the school administrators, office staff, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, substitutes, school crossing guards, and any other school personnel I have failed to mention specifically! Why am I writing this? The answer is simple. This is what the Lord put on my heart this morning! Pray! Pray! Pray! Don’t wait until the fall break or semester break! Pray now! Be blessed!
“Somebody prayed for me, had me on their mind, they took the time and prayed for me. I’m so glad they prayed
I’m so glad they prayed for me.” (Dorothy Norwood, The Georgia Mass Choir)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King