Tennessee Weekend of Prayer--August 1st and 2nd

As our students head back to school, Governor Haslam has declared the first weekend in August to be Weekend of Prayer Over Students. I have organized a Facebook page, Weekend of Prayer for our county schools. Please join us no matter where your school is and pray this weekend.

For those that will be prayer walking, I have used several sources to create a list of things to pray for as well as a prayer that you can use. I'm not very good with inserting documents so I think the easiest way will be to either read it from your mobile device or copy and paste it into a Word document and print. If you need, I can email it to you, just comment below with your email address. You can also find it on the Facebook page here Weekend of Prayer.


Thank you for putting our schools first this weekend. Of course these are great ideas to pray everyday for our schools.

Suggested Prayers:

For Students:

*Their Faith--That every student will come to know Christ, early and deeply and discover his/her value in Christ, his/her particular function in the body of Chris and most of all, develop a passionate love for the Lord and others.

*John 13:34

*Their Worth--That our students know they are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works. Ephesians 2:10

*Students will be respectful, kind and courteous to teachers, staff and peers.

*A desire to learn and disciplined in preparation (be on time, homework completed, etc.)

*Godly wisdom

*Spiritual guidance and direction of each student. 

*Purity

*Friendships and connections

*Hedge of protection from:

*peer pressure

*bullying, fighting, unrest

*drugs, alcohol, smoking, sex, pornography

*media

*insecurity

*gossip and misunderstandings

*injuries

*sickness

*emotional issues

For Teachers and Administration:

*Unity within the staff.

*Confidence in teaching, knowledge, leadership skills and wisdom.

*Godly wisdom and humility. 

*Passion to light the path of their class.  “Show me your ways, O Lord, Teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me for you are God, my Savior.” Psalm 25:4-5

*A heart of prayer for their students.

*A hedge of protection for health and faith, for their marriage and family.

*Relief from excessive stress and patience. 

For Families:

*Families in this neighborhood.

*Employment

*Financial wisdom

*Peace and joy in parenting

*Parent involvement at school.

*Family time with God.

Prayer for Our School

Lord God, we thank you for the opportunity to begin the 2015-2016 school year, and we ask that you bless the faculty, the students and families of __________ (your school). We pray that you will guide us in all ways and that we will seek your will in everyting that we do.

As we walk around the grounds of __________school, Lord, may you bless the land and put a hedge of protection around it. Bless this school and all who pass through its halls of learning. May its teachers be filled with love and skilled in imparting true knowledge. May its students be open-minded and their learning full of joy and eagerness. May this school always be a safe, fun, loving place for these children. A school of wisdom, truth and good will toward all, helping to build up our community and your kindom of justice, love and peace. 

Lord, bless and protect the children of _____________school. Thank you for the gift of our children. They are precious in Your sight, for You were once a child. You know the many temptations and peer pressures that come to our young people everyday. Shield them O Lord and guide them. Help them find godly friends who will support, encourage and uphold them to Christian faith. 

Bless our teachers with true wisdom and may they teach not only academic instructions, but proper morals and love of God and higher authority. As they open their mouths to relay knowledge and wisdom, may their words be filled with inspiration and encouragement, that our students will be strenghtened to use their knowledge in developing their talents and abiliteis to make a difference for the betterment of this world. 

Show us parents, teachers and students a special measure of Your grace, lead us in the right paths. Help us not to lean in our own undestanding, but in all our ways, may we acknowledge You. Give us all true wisdom which finds it joy in You. Dear Lord, as our Teacher, help us to remember that you are the beginning of wisdom. May there be more prayerful parents, teachers and students who will stand up for You. May we cling to the truth and may our lights shine so brightly that the world of learning may be reminded that knowledge is fleeting, but Godly wisdom is eternal.

Thank you, O Lord of wisdom, our Sovereign and Mighty God, who shows us the Way, The Truth and the Life through Jesus Christ, Our Savior. Continue to teach us our ways, bless our growth in grace and give us deeper understanding of Your good and gracious will. To the Greatest Teacher who ever lived, Our Savior and Friend Jesus, may Your will be done according to your promises. Amen.

Day 2--- A Different Kind of Wednesday

Wednesday is always my favorite day. We got to eat supper, sing praises in choir and go to GA's. School was good. My locker is nice and much cleaner than my room. Today I got some new clothes. Then there was the stink bug that crawled up my leg. One of the boys squished it in a kleenex and gave it to the teacher. 

Mattie

Wow, the child who never stops talking didn't even have a paragraph to say. My middle school experience is usually as exciting as hers. Today I went to school a red head, as opposed to yesterday's  blonde/brown who needs a salon visit soon. I washed it out 4 times and it's still really red. I knew there would be many comments. Middle schoolers don't mind to tell you what they think. I once had a student ask to go to her locker during class. She returned with a business card for her hair stylist. She thought I might want to call her.  I knew then I would never be able to wear my hair the way I wanted and get away with it. 

There were quiet a few comments. Even questioning, which I love.

"Mrs. Johnson, did you color your hair?'" 

"Mrs. Johnson, who did your hair? I don't want to go there."

"Mrs. Johnson, I love your hair. It looks like my moms."

And my favorite was the statement, "Mrs. Johnson, you COLORED your hair." Like I didn't know. 

Apparently it's "my color", at least according to most of my friends. I know they wouldn't just tell me that to keep from telling me how awful it really looks. 

Yesterday, furlough came to our house. He isn't welcomed, although, I'm trying to see it as a blessing. Mikie will be able to work on the farmhouse and we might get to move sooner than expected. I don't welcome him because while we will be okay, others won't. Mikie is  a little lost in his routine. 

As the day closes we pray and weep with the families of those involved in a horrible wreck on the interstate today. Our Pastor's opened the doors of the church for anyone who needed help, counseling, food, anything. They were at the scene, they counseled, they interviewed with the local news, they loved just as Jesus would. 

Last night I processed my five dollar hair color and yelled at Iron Man 3 at ten o'clock. Tonight is different. I only know the wife of the Pastor of the church the bus involved in the wreck was from, but I feel like I lost something today. My heart aches for those in the accident, those who rescued and counseled. Those that witnessed the accident and the love of Jesus Christ. 

While my hair will grow out or change color soon, the lives of many changed in an instant. Middle schoolers I don't even know have lost grandparents. Please remember them in your prayers tonight and in the days ahead. 

Please, Please, Please Pray for Jordan

I'm being very selfish right now. I'm asking that you stop whatever you are doing and pray for this special young man. This is my dear friend, Jordan. He is 23 years old. His sweet wife of 9 months and his family are sitting by his beside in ICU waiting for God to show them and the doctors what they need to know.

 I took him at the age of 13 to see Chicken Run and he kept asking me what was so funny, I just kept saying I'll tell you when you're older, I still feel a little guilty for the possible corruption of his adolescent brain.

Jordan is a wonderful, Christian guy, who answered the call to ministry many years ago. He knows that his life belongs to the Lord. Jordan's health is failing and he, his family and doctors need all the prayers they can get right now.

So I'm begging you to stop and pray that the Lord's will be done in Jordan's life.

Father God,
I come before you begging, pleading that you will wrap your arms around Jordan and heal him. Lord, I know it's a selfish prayer and that I should truly ask that Your will be done. Lord you know every little detail, you know the why. Lord, I don't need any details or an answer to my why. I just want to plead and beg you to heal Jordan, my kids "Gordon Franken". Lord, be with Audrey, Trina and Scott, Josh and his Audrey and the kids, be with their entire family. Give the doctors the knowledge they need to help him. And Lord just help him to know you are there. Thank you Lord for Jordan and what he means to our family.

In Jesus Name I Pray,
Amen

Lord God, Help Us Choose Your Child

Father God,

Thank you for your love, for the many things you have blessed me with. Thank you for a loving, Christian husband, four wonderful, Christian children, a roof over our heads, a place to lay our weary bodies, food to fill our bellies and clean water to drink.

Lord, As we search through the pictures of the hundreds of children who need to be sponsored through Compassion, open our eyes and hearts to the one you have chosen for us. Lord God, you know our financial needs and the everyday needs of each of those children. You know were the monthly commitment will come from. You have always provided for us and even more so when we use what you have blessed our family with to bless someone else.

It isn't easy for us to choose. We've looked through the pictures several times. We've searched by each child's birthday and each one has chosen an area of the world they would like to help. Lord, as we search one more time this weekend please let "our" child tug our hearts so we know he or she is the one.

Lord forgive me for not taking better care of your children all over the world and help us as we help your children.

Thank you again for your many blessings and guide us in our search.

In Jesus Precious Name I Pray,

Amen


My assignment as a Compassion blogger this week was to write a prayer. We have sponsored children in the past, but currently aren't. We have been searching to find the child that God wants us to sponsor. So I'm challenging you as we make our decision this weekend, to make yours. Will you sponsor a child? Use this link Compassion in purple to be taken to the website where you can search for children who need you. I'll let you know soon who we have "adopted" as our sponsored child.

Caring for the Children--Help Compassion

This month over at Compassion there is opportunity for you to open your heart and sponsor a child. As Compassion Bloggers we are working toward sponsorships and prayers for 3,108 children during the month of September.

Rosemary shares my birthday!

I know that you can sponsor anytime throughout the year, but this month is special. One because it's my birthday month and two because this is Blog Month at Compassion.

By sponsoring a child through Compassion you are providing food, clean water, medical care, schooling, life-skills training, but most importantly you provide an opportunity for that child to hear about Jesus Christ and develop a lifelong relationship with Him.

Your monthly sponsorship connects you with your child through photos, letters and their personal story. Your family can write letters and send pictures to your sponsoring child and don't forget about birthdays and Christmas.

Head on over to the Compassion page and search for a child for your family to sponsor. There are several ways to search for the perfect child for your family, by gender, by age, by birthday.

If you don't feel that you can sponsor a child right now, please pray. Go on over to the Compassion page and search for a child. You can click through and learn more about that child and then pray for them. Pray for sponsorship, for them to come to know Jesus Christ, and for protection.

Show your children and talk about how so many children all over the world don't have the luxuries that we have here in the United States. Help them to pray for a child with the same birthday as them.

Can you spare some time to care and pray for a child that you may never meet? You can make a difference in their lives.

After going to Compassion come back over here and comment below and let me know about the child you have decided to sponsor or pray for. I don't have to know which you are doing. Just let me know you visited the Compassion page.

Now for a little begging. I am a Compassion Blogger and since this is Blog Month there are some great prizes, from books, to money, to my favorite an all expense paid trip with Compassion. Please use one of the highlighted links in this post to visit the Compassion page and help me to earn entries.

But most importantly help Compassion help God's children!

Hermie--God Listens When I Pray--Giveaway

Young readers often have trouble understanding what they are reading. They also have trouble understanding how God works in their lives. Max Lucado's, Hermie: God Listens When I Pray  is a great book to help them understand how God listens when we pray.

As the Mom of 4, I often forget that they all aren't on the same playing field in their walk with God. While we pray every morning on the way to school, and now during summer break at breakfast, they all pray for different things and people. Depending on which child is praying determines what and who they are praying for. 

Mollie who is 5 always prays for the dogs, ours and the neighbors, which then leads to the neighbors being prayed for too. Mattie usually prays for each of us and our day. Maggie typically prays for friends, classmates, family and other needs she has heard of. Michael always prays for safety, particularly when it's dark and rainy. Mikie and I pray for them as we put them to bed. 

No matter which child is praying, God is always listening. This book helps children learn more about praying. Encourage your children to read and pray with this book.

Want one of your own? Leave a comment below and tell me about your prayer routine. It's okay if you don't have a routine, we have really just started ours the last few months. 

Don't forget to leave your comment by midnight, Thursday, May 31st. I will use random.org to choose a winner. 

Disclaimer: Thomas Nelson sent me this book to review and allows me to give one away.