PREPARE
August 5, 2019
Prayer: Dear Lord, we look to You to lead and guide this wonderful new school year. Amen.
Scripture: “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then Moses said to him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that You are pleased with me and with Your people unless You go with us?” Ex. 33: 14-16a NIV
The carpets smell of chemical cleaners and still seem a little damp; the bare floors shine; desks and classroom counters sit dust-free and empty; bulletin boards wait, chairs remain stacked, and books, stored. This lifeless room won’t stay this way for long. In just a few days your work will be visible: creative, colorful posters will fill the walls; desks will be arranged in orderly fashion, name tags on each one; books will line the shelves; cupboards will burst with paper, workbooks, pencils, desk supplies. Your classroom will be decorated, and you will be ready to begin.
But wait just one minute! Have you prepared your heart and your classroom for the presence of Christ? Have you considered inviting Him to stay with you and your students throughout every day of this new school year? Have you taken to Him your fears, your hopes, and your inadequacies? Have you invoked His blessing on your work and on each of your students? Have you searched the Scriptures for a verse that will inspire you to the best you can be for Christ this year?
In all your preparations, remember not only to prepare your classroom, but to prepare yourself as well. Christ alone knows what you will be facing in this new year. He alone can give you what is needed. Ask Him now to fill you by His Spirit, and make you into the teacher He intends so that you may be fully ready to do the work He has planned for you.
Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.*
*from the hymn, Praise to the Lord, the Almighty by Joachim Neander
Copyright Shirley Wilson. Email [email protected]
Thank you so much for these thoughts. I feel more prepared and excited when I know there is an army of Christian teachers relying on God’s presence to go before them into the classroom, our mission field.
Thank you so much for this daily devotion directed to teachers. My school has a small group that meets every day before work for devotions. Thank you for including scripture and a quote from a hymn. I plan to use these devotions this year to encourage and edify our small group. I had been prayerfully seeking guidance on a devotion to use when I found yours on the internet. May we all be worthy of our calling, that God will honor our desire to serve Him in our positions, and fulfill His purposes for our live and the lives of our students powerfully this school year. Thank you again for this service!
This is really good and true. Setting the spiritual tone, by allowing the Holy Spirit to lead, in our classrooms is key to having a successful day, week, month, and year.
Thank you for your much needed words of encouragement.
Praise the Lord!
Thank you for the reminder. Last yr I prayed all Sumner because I knew I was getting a few tough students. It made such a difference. However this yr I’ve been more focused on me and a surgery I’ll be having in Sept that will take me out of the class for about 8 weeks. Preparing myself mentally for thay I’ve forgotten to pray for my students and even the sub. I’ll definately be changing how I pray this next week as I’m in meetings and getting my class ready.
THANK YOU!
This is exactly what I needed to hear today.
Thank you so much for this beautiful reminder that God is with me and will go before me and prosper the work He has for me! I am so encouraged!
God is faithful and gives us what we need!
Thank you!
This is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! I am a brand new 7th grade ELA teacher! I will come back often to this devotion in particular; it is exactly what I need to meditate on right now! May God be with each and every one of us as we shape and mold the beautiful hearts and minds of God’s little ones that He has bestowed to us in our classrooms!