Have you ever stopped to consider the effect on our community of removing prayer from schools? Some of us are old enough to remember a time when there was at least a moment of silence.
When you take God out of anything there is a vacuum. What do you think fills it?
NOTHING good!
In April of 2001, a friend gave me a book about Jabez’s prayer.
And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.
1 Chronicles 4:9-10
Because of the book I had been reading, and because of this prayer, I began to pray for God to bless me and increase the number of folks that I was reaching through our website – Drew’s Animals.
To make a long story short, by the end of the year, Bob had a new job, and we were living in 2 states. Our homes were 5 hours apart. When I went to southern Maryland, I met plenty of new folks along the way to talk to about the website. New folks saw the signs in the windows of my van. Additionally, since I had no friends to get together with in Maryland, I had “new found” time on my hands to work on developing our young website. Although not exactly in the way that I had expected, God had answered my prayer.
What does all this have to do with prayer in schools?
We do not have to know or see a way to the solution in order to pray for something. We just have to ask for what God wants.
We know that we do not need to exclude God from any part of our lives. We know that when we do that we leave a void for other things to fill. We know that schools, discipline in schools, and the overall environment was better when we had Christian prayer in the classrooms.
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
1 Timothy 2:1-3
I’ve been asking you to pray for revival over these last few weeks. Let’s continue to do that, and also let’s pray for Christian prayer to return to schools, and pray for our leaders.
LIFE APPLICATION
Key Focal Verse:
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.
Psalms 66:18-20
Today’s challenge is to pray for God to reach down into our community and pour out a blessing of revival, and for Christian prayer to return to our schools. We need to pray for our current leaders, and we also need to pray for our future leaders. Let’s remember to praise God, and to thank Him for answered prayer.