08/29/12 - Lamentations 3 - 5

S - Lamentations 3: 22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;  23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  24 " The Lord is my portion." says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."  25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.  26 It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.  27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.  28 Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him;

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . I love you!  I have always loved you and I will never stop loving you.  I want you to totally trust in me.  I want you to call on me when you are struggling and I want you to believe that I will answer you and that I know what is best for you.  I want to take care of you.

A - I will always trust in the Lord.  I will continue to meet with him on a daily basis.  I will tell him my struggles and I will trust in him to take care of me.  I believe that he loves me and wants the very best for me.  I believe that he will answer any prayer that I may have.  

P - Heavenly Father, I love you and i want to put my total trust in you.  I believe that you will take care of me.  I trust that you have my best interests in mind when you answer by prayers.  Thank you for all fo the blessing that you have provided already.  Thank you for always being their for me.  

08/28/12 - Lamentations 1 - 2

S - Scripture that spoke to me (Out of the reading for the day)

O - Observation (God speaking to me)

A - Application (How will my life be different because of this?)

P - Prayer (Me speaking to God)

S - Lamentations 1: 20  "Look, O Lord, for I am in distress; my stomach churns; my heart is wrung within me, because I have been very rebellious.  In the street the sword bereaves; in the house it is like death.  

21 "They heard my groaning, yet there is no one to comfort me.  All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that you have done it.  You have brought the day you announced; now let them be as I am.

22 "Let all their evildoing come before you, and deal with them as you have dealt with me because of my transgressions; for my groans are many and my heart is faint."

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . I will take care of you.  I know that you have sinned.  I know that your shame gets the best of you sometimes.  I know that you are concerned that I will not care for you because of these sins.  Do not worry about a thing.  As long as you have confessed and repented of your sins I will forgive you.  And don't worry about anyone else but you.  If others sin against you, that is for me to take care of.  If others are ridiculing you, laughing at you, that is for me to take care of.  You serve me and just take care of yourself.  I will handle everyone else.  As long as you are serving me and loving me and following my commands, then you aer right where you should be, in my good graces.

A - So, I just need to worry about me.  I want to serve God and I want to be his disciple.  I must do my best to follow his commands that he has given me in his word and not worry about anyone else.  When others laugh at me or ridicule me for following him, I must just let it go and God will take care of it.  And he will take care of me and that is all that is important.

P -  Heavenly Father, thank you for watching over me.  Thank you for protecting me.  Help me to have the courage to follow your commands and serve you, even when others are questioning me about it.  Help me to have the strength to be your disciple, no matter what the cost.

08/27/12 - Jeremiah 51 - 52

S - Jeremiah 51: 15 "It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.  16 When he utters his voice there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth.  He makes lightning for the rain, and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.  17 Every man is stupid and without knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, for his images are false, and there is no breath in them.  18 They are worthless, a work of delusion; at the time of their punishment they shall perish.  19 Not like these is he who is the portion of Jacob, for he is the one who formed all things, and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance; the Lord of hosts is his name.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . you are now my inheritance.  I have made heavens and earth, for your pleasure.  I want you to enjoy the earth while you are here.  I want you to spend time taking care of my creation.  And while you do, I want you to worship me.  Celebrate my handiwork as you spend time walking through your garden.  Worship me while you look at the beautiful roses in your front yard.  I long for the times when we can walk and talk together.  Let's do it more often.

A - The Lord is all powerful.  He has made the heavens and the earth.  He can strike down cities and nations if he wants to.  But he wants to spend time with me!  I can only acknowledge the fact that he has created the beautiful roses that I am growing.  I can only marvel at the mountains in the distance with their snow capped peaks.  And the one who crated all of this wants to talk to me, and listen to me. Can I do anything but agree to spend time worshipping him.  I will spend more time with him every day.

P - Heavenly Father, thank you for your creation.  And thank you for wanting to spend time with me.  I love you and want to talk to you and hear from you.  Speak to me daily while I am sitting at your feet.

08/26/12 - Jeremiah 49 - 50

S - Jeremiah 50: 4 "In those days and in that time, declares the Lord, the people of Israel and the people of Judah shall come together, weeping as they come, and they shall seek the Lord their God.  5 They shall ask the way to Zion, with faces turned toward it, saying, 'Come, let us join ourselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten.'  6 "My people have been lost sheep.  Their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains.  From mountain to hill they have gone.  They have forgotten their fold.  7 All who found them have devoured them, and their enemies have said, 'We are not guilty, for they have sinned against the Lord, their habitation of righteousness, the Lord, the hope of their fathers.'  8 "Flee from the midst of Babylon, and go out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as male goats before the flock.  9 For behold, I am stirring up and bringing against Babylon a gathering of nations, from the north country.  And they shall array themselves against her.  From there she shall be taken.  Their arrows are like a skilled warrior who does not return empty-handed.  10  Chaldea shall be plundered; all who plunder her shall be sated, declares the Lord.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . the time is coming, and is now here, when my people will be deserting me.  They will be joining with the world and acting as if they never knew me.  They will forget all of the blessings that I have given them and will look for pleasure in places and things of this world.  Not only will you not be with these people, but you must be one to go bring them back into the fold.  I am sending you in amongst the wolves to bring my sheep back to me.  You know how to talk to them because you were once among them, but now you are back with me.

A-  In this time of people wandering away from the Lord, I must remain strong.  I have done my wandering and have decided that I like it best when I am walking along with the Lord at my side, doing the things that he wants me to do.  I will listen to him and obey his commands.  I must be strong and live my life according to his word as an example to others.

P - Heavenly Father, thank you for finding me while I was wandering away from you.  Thank you for forgiving me of my sins.  Help me to be strong now and to live for you in the way that I know I should.  Give me the courage to speak out against the world.  Help me to remember, always, that you are my strength and my shield.  Go before me and lead me where you would have me go.

08/25/12 - Jeremiah 46 - 48

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S - Jeremiah 46: 1  The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.

3 "Prepare buckler and shield, and advance for battle!  4 Harness the horses; mount, O horsemen!  Take your stations with your helmets, polish your spears, put on your armor!  5 Why have I seen it?  They are dismayed and have turned backward.  Their warriors are beaten down and have fled in haste; they look not back - terror on every side! declares the Lord.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . prepare for battle.  As you begin to spread my word, as you begin to make it known that you want to pray for your school, as you actually do pray for the school with other teachers, there will be opposition to what you are tying to do.  There are those that will come against you.  Be bold, hold your ground.  Do not go into battle without your armor on.  Remember, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes, the readiness that comes from   the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, to extinguish the fiery arrows of the evil one, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, my word.  And by all means, don't forget to pray on all occasions.   Now, when you are ready for battle, just call on my name and I will be there for you.  

A - As I begin a new prayer group on the campus of Sanger High School, I will definitely be sure to put on my spiritual armor each day before going into the classroom.  I know that there are some who would rather not see this happen on our campus but I, for one, know that it is time to rally the troops and call on the name of the Lord our God.  We can take over this campus for him if we will just drop to our knees and let him do the fighting for us.

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for not doing this long time ago.  Forgive me for the spirit of timidity.  Give me strength as we go forward and do battle on our campus in your name.  I pray that you will send the teachers that you would have going into this battle with me.  I pray for boldness, courage and daring for all of us as we gather in your name to call on you to save our school.  Thank you for the awesome response that I have had to the call for prayer that I put out.  Thank you for the challenge that I received at the Daniel Leadership Institute this summer.  I pray for your mercies on those of us who will gather on Wednesday.

08/24/12 - Jeremiah 41 - 45

S - Jeremiah 42: 1 Then all the commanders of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest, came near  2 and said to Jeremiah the prophet, "Let our plea for mercy come before you, and pray to the Lord your God for us,  for all this remnant - because we are left with but a few, as your eyes see us -  3 that the Lord Your God may show us the way we should go and the thing that we should do."  4 Jeremiah the prophet said to them, "I have heard you.  Behold I will pray to the Lord your God according to your request, and what ever the Lord answer you I will tell you.  I will keep nothing back from you."  5 Then they said to Jeremiah, "May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act according to all the word with which the Lord your God sends you to us.  6 Whether it is good or bad, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God."  7 At the end of ten days the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah.  8 Then he summoned Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces who were with him, and all the people from the least to the greatest,  9 and he said to them, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your plea for mercy before him;  10 If you will remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down; I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I relent of the disaster that I did to you.

19 The Lord has said to you, O remnant of Judah, 'Do not go to Egypt.'  Know for a certainty that I have warned you this day  20 that you have gone astray at the cost of your lives.  For you sent me to the Lord your God, saying, 'Pray for us to the Lord our God, and what ever the Lord our God says declare to us and we will do it.'  21 And I have this day declared it to you, but you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God in anything that he sent me to tell you.  

43: 1 When Jeremiah finished speaking to all the people all these words of the Lord their God, with which the Lord their God has sent to them,  2  Azariah the son of Hoshaiah and Johanan the son of Kareah and all the insolent men said to Jeremiah, "You are telling a lie,  The Lord our God did not send you to say, 'Do not go to Egypt to live there,'

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . I have sent you messages.  I have spoken to you.  When I speak, I expect that people will listen and obey.  These people did not obey me, and then when they asked for me to send them a message, and I did, they called my messenger a liar.  As my messenger, I am sure that there are those people who will call you a liar and will not listen to you.  Be prepared for this.  When that happens, all you have to do is deliver the message.  If they do not believe you, then I will take care of things from there.  You are my servant, my disciple, and I love you.  You are serving me and I will take care of you.

A - As a servant of the living God, I am supposed to deliver his message to the people, those who are at my school.  I must be certain to deliver the true message of God, that he loves them and wants them to be his children also.  I must make sure that the message lines up with what the scriptures say.  I must make sure that I do not add or subtract anything from it.  I must continually remind myself that all I have to do is plant the seed, God will handle the rest.

P - Heavenly Father,  thank you for the honor of serving you.  Thank you for allowing me to deliver your message to the people in Sanger.  I pray that you will give me strength to accept the people who call me, or you, a liar.  Give me the courage to deliver your message with clarity and focus.  I pray that you will give me the words to say when the time comes.  Forgive me for my timidity and fear.  Help me to have a spirit of confidence.

08/23/12 - Habakkuk

S - Habakkuk 3: 2  O Lord, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O Lord, do I fear.  In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.  3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran.  4 His brightness was like the light; rays flashed from his hand; and there he veiled his power.  5 Before him went pestilence, and plague followed at his heels.  6 He stood and measured the earth; he looked and shook the nations; then the eternal mountains were scattered; the everlasting hills sank low.  His were the everlasting ways.

17  Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,  18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in ht God of my salvation.  19 God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . that power is mine.  I will destroy what I want to destroy.  You I want to lift up and glorify.  You I want to bless.  If you will but follow my commands, I will answer your prayers and I will make you my servant to the people around you.  You are my child and I love you very much.  In fact, so much that I would die for you.  Now, what are you willing to do for me?

A - In the midst of everything going on in today's world.  With all of the turmoil relating to politics, education, wars, drought, famine, etc.  I will praise the Lord where I am.  I can do nothing about much of that, except pray.  God says that if we pray, he will answer the prayers of the righteous.  I want to be righteous so I can be confident when I pray, that he will hear me and will answer me.  I must obey the commands that he has given me in his word.  I must continue to seek him out daily.  I must continue to spend time with him, in prayer and in the Bible, his letter to me.

P - Heavenly Father, your name is Holy. You are awesome.  You have created the earth and all that is in it.  Yet you chose to love me.  Help me to continue to recognize that fact and continue to come to you in prayer and to continue to read your word.  I love you and I want to glorify your name in all that I do.  Help me to be the man, the father, the husband, the teacher, the person, that you want me to be.  Help me to live for you in all that I do.  I praise your name for you are mighty.   Thank you for all of the blessings that you have given me.  Thank you for loving me, even when I didn't (don't) deserve it.

08/22/12 - 2 Kings 24 - 25; 2 Chronicles 36

S - 2 Chronicles 36: 11  Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.  12 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God.  He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the Lord.  13 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God.  He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord, the God of Israel.  14 All the officers of the priests and the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful,  following all the abominations of the nations.  And they polluted the house of the Lord that he had made holy in Jerusalem.  15 The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.  16 But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . you are one of my prophets.  I am sending you to your school to speak to the people.  The people are doing what is evil in my sight, like they did in the days of Zedekiah.  I want you to bring my message to the people of Sanger High School.  You are speaking for me on that campus.  Do not fear and do not worry about what to say.  I will be with you at all times.  Just believe in me and speak my words to everyone who will listen.  I know that there are those already who are scoffing the prayer group.  But this is a great thing.  And what is more, by gathering my faithful, you have more strength, for I will be with you all.  Call on my name and I will descend on your campus.

A - What a great calling and what a humbling assignment.  I must speak God's name to everyone who will listen on my campus.  I must not be ashamed to speak up at all times.  It is my duty as a Christian, as a child of the one true God, to deliver the message of salvation to the teachers and students on the Sanger High School Campus.

P - Heavenly Father, give me strength to do the things that you are asking me to do.  I want to be your disciple on my campus.  I want to be your prophet.  But I am only one man.  Please bring these others along side of me and give me words to speak to them so that they will work with me to evangelize to the people of Sanger, students, teachers, and parents.  Thank you for the promises in your word that you will always be with me.  Bless me and enlarge my territory so that I might serve you to the best of my ability.

08/21/12 - Jeremiah 38 - 40, Psalm 74, 79

Psalm 79: 5  How long, O Lord?  Will you be angry forever?  How long will your jealousy burn like fire?  6  Pour our your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name;  7 for they have devoured Jacob and destroyed his homeland.  8 Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers, may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need.  9 Help us, O God our Savior for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your names sake.  10 Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?"  Before our eyes make known among the nations that you avenge the outpoured blood of our servants.  11 May the groans of eh prisoners come before you; by the strength of your arm preserve those condemned to die.  12 Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times the reproach hey have hurled at you, O Lord.  13 Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . I will make myself known to those around you. As you gather to pray with other teachers be strong today and I will be glorified.  Speak up for me and I will give you the words to say and the courage to say them.  The people will no longer be saying, "Where is your God?"  I will be there with you and I will move in a mighty way on your campus.

A - I must gather the teachers to pray for my school and for our community.  We must make the name of God a normal everyday word on the Sanger High School campus, and not as a name taken in vain but as the name of our Father who is watching and waiting for someone to call on him so he can make himself known to the nations.  We must be bold, courageous and daring in our stand for our God and our Saviour.

P - Heavenly Father, thank you for your word which is such an encouragement to me.  Thank you for the promises that we have in your word that you will move in mighty ways when we come before you. Forgive me for the times when I have been timid or afraid to speak your name boldly.  As I go before a group of teachers today that wants to lift up your name on our campus, I pray that you will give me the boldness, courage, and daring of Daniel.  I pray that you will give me the words to speak and I pray that you will make yourself known on my campus and in our community.

08/20/12 - Jeremiah 35 - 37

S - Jeremiah 35: 12  Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:  13 "Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel:  Go and say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will you not receive instruction and listen to my words?  declares the Lord.  14 The Command that Jonadab the son of Rechab gave to his sons, to drink no wine, has been kept and they have obeyed their father's command,  I have spoken to you persistently, but you have not listened to me.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . so, there are some people in the world who will listen to their father and obey him.  But I give commands people do not listen to me.  Will you listen to me?  If your father gave you directions, would you listen to him, right?  But do you listen to me?  If you, as a father, give instructions to your children, you expect them to be carried out, right?  I am your father!  Will you carry out my instructions?  You have an entire manual given to you with commands that I have given you.  And if you obey my commands, your life will be blessed.  Will you listen to me?

A - Okay, so let me get this straight, God is my father, and he has given me a simple set of instructions; live according to his commands.  I suppose that if my earthly father had given me the same set of instructions I would continue to live by them.  God is my heavenly father.  He cares about m even more than my earthly father did.  He is watching over me at all times.  He has more power than anyone can imagine, to take care of me. So, am I going to follow his instructions?  I guess it is up to me to continue to read God's word and continue to apply it to my life, not just in an effort to please my father, but so that his name will be praised by those around me who see that I am a living example of my father!

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times when I disappoint you.  Forgive me for the times when I want to do things my own way, when I think I know better than you, as if that could even be possible.  Help me to continue to model my life after your son's life while he was here on earth.  I pray that by my life, your name would be glorified as I strive to be a living example to those around me of what a Christ -centered life should look like.  Forgive me for those times when I will go off course and help me to catch myself when that happens so I can beg for your forgiveness and get straightened out.

08/19/12 - Jeremiah 32 - 34

S - Jeremiah 32: 17  'Ah, Lord God!  It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm!  Nothing is too hard for you.  18 You show steadfast love to thousands, but repay the guilt of the fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is Lord of hosts,  19 great in counsel and mighty indeed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds.

26 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:  27 "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh.  Is anything too hard for me?

33: 2  "Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it - the Lord is his name:  3 Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . I am the Lord!  And I can do all things!  I know that there are things that you are worried about right now.  Do not worry about anything.  I will take care of you.  If I can do all of the things that you red about in my word, don't you think I can handle your small problems. Just call on my name in faith and trust that I have your interests at heart and I will take care of you.  So call to me and I will answer you.

A - Wow, how often I forget that I have the creator of the universe on "speed-dial."  I can call on him any time and he will answer me.  I need to remember that when I have a issue that seems large to me, it is nothing to him to take care of it.  I need to remember that he loves me and only wants what is best for me.  All I have to do is ask him and he will care for me.

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times when I forget that all I have to do is call on your name and you will take care of me.  forgive me also for thinking of you as a "get out of trouble free" card.  Help me to remember that not only do you want to help me and take care of me, but you want to have a personal relationship with me also.  Continue to watch over me and guide and protect me, and help me to remember to come to you when things are going well also, since it is because of you that they are going so well.  Thank you for all of the blessings that you have given me.  Help me to remember that they are all from you.

08/18/12 - Jeremiah 30 -31

S - Jeremiah 31: 1 "At that time, declares the Lord, I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be my people."  2 Thus says the Lord: "The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; when Israel sought for rest,  3 the Lord appeared to him from far away.  I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.  4 Again I will build you, and you shall be built, O virgin Israel!  Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers.  5 Again you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant and shall enjoy the fruit.  6 For there shall be a day when watchmen will call in the hill country of Ephraim: 'Arise, let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God.'"  7 For thus says the Lord: "Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, 'O Lord, save your people, the remnant of Israel.'  8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, the pregnant woman and she who is in labor, together; a great company, they shall return here.  9 With weeping they shall come, and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back, I will make them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble, for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . you, also, are my child.  And I want you also to walk by brooks of water.  I want you to come to me, shouting and singing.  I want you to celebrate as you come to me in worship, dancing with tambourines.  I want you to feel like it is an honor to go to Zion.  If you will come to me, I will be your father and you will be an heir to the kingdom.  

A - I AM A CHILD OF THE KING!!   I should be living like I have the ear of the king.  If I am in need, I can go to him and he will wrap his arms around me and love me.  If I am down, he will support me and lift me up.  If I am hurting, he is the great healer and he wants to heal me.  Praise God for his love and his sacrifice that allows me to have access to the throne room of heaven any time I want.

P - Heavenly Father, thank you for the sacrifice of your son that allows me to approach you with any request that I have.  Thank you for loving me and blessing me beyond anything that I would have ever imagined.  Guide me as I continue to strive to live my life in a way that is pleasing to you.  Continue to watch over me as I walk in your ways on my campus and in my classroom.

08/17/12 - Jeremiah 26 - 29

S - Jeremiah 29: 11 - 14  For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.  12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.  13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.  14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . I do have plans for you.  They are plans to prosper you.  If you will continue to live for me and glorify my name in all that you do, I will take care of you.  If you call on me in prayer and seek me with all your heart, I will hear you and I will answer your prayers and you will find me where you are.  Continue to live your life in such a way as to please me and you will not be disappointed.  

A - I must trust that the Lord has my best interest in mind in all things.  When I get students in my class that concern me, I must trust that the Lord has put them there for a reason.  I must see them as image bearers of God and treat them as God's children, which they are.  When I get put into troubling situations, I have to trust that the Lord knows what is going on and that he will see me through the situations and continue to watch over me.

P - Heavenly Father, thank you for the promises that I find in your word, that you will continue to watch over me and take care of me.  Thank you for the promise that you have a plan for me and that you will prosper me, if I continue to seek you in prayer and lift up your name.  Guide me as I enter a new school year.  Give me the love for my students that only you can provide.  Give me the strength and the courage to lift up your name in my classroom on a daily basis.

08/16/12 - Jeremiah 23 - 25

S - Jeremiah 23: 21  "I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied.  22 But if they had stood in my council, then they would have proclaimed my words to my people, and they would have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their deeds.  23 Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away?  24 Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord.  Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.  25 I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, "I have dreamed, I have dreamed!"  26 How long shall there be lies in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart,  27 who think to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, even as their fathers forgot my name for Baal?  28 Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully.  What has straw in common with wheat? declares the Lord.  29 Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?  30 Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, declares the Lord, who steal my words from on another.  31 Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, declares the Lord, and who tell them and lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or charge them.  So they do not profit this people at all, declares the Lord.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . do not attempt to prophesy at all.  Do not tell your dreams as if they have come from me and are meant for someone else.  When I speak to you, I will have something to say to you, not to anyone else.  Anything that you speak to anyone else must be something straight from my word.  I have given you a charge, to spread my word where you are.  That is all that you need to do.  You do not need to prophesy or add anything to my word.  If you will speak my word to people, I will take care of the rest.

A - I guess it is pretty clear that I am not to do anything more than speak the word of God to people where I am, on my campus.  I am not to prophesy or tell dreams that could lead people away from the Lord.  I have a very strict ans simple command, tell people about Jesus on my campus.  If I do that, plant the seed, he will take care of the watering and everything else.

P - Heavenly Father, thank you for your word, which so plainly tells us that we are to spread your word amongst the people where we live.  Thank you for the training that you have provided for me to be a modern day Daniel.  Give me the boldness, courage and daring to be like Daniel.  Help me to live out my faith on my campus in such a way that it proclaims your word to everyone whom I come in contact with.

08/15/12 - Jeremiah 18 - 22

S - Jeremiah 20: 11 - 13  But the LORD is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.  They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonor will never be forgotten.  12 O LORD Almighty, you who examine the righteous and probe the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you I have committed my cause.  13 Sing to the LORD!  Give praise to the LORD!  He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . I will take vengeance upon who I will take vengeance.  It is not for you to call down.  But, be assured that your persecutors will not prevail.  I am just and fair and I will take care of you.  All I ask of you is that you serve me joyfully.  There are those that will laugh at you.  There are those that will not agree with you.  There are even some who will call you names or ridicule you.  Don't worry about them.  You are seeking those who want to know more about me.  All you are doing in your work is spreading seed.  You will tell people about me and cause them to begin to think.  That is enough.  Let me take it from there.

A - In my line of work I must be careful what I say, but I want to take every opportunity to speak the name of Jesus Christ in my classroom.  I want to let people know that happiness and true joy can only be found through a personal relationship with him.  If there are some who laugh or disagree, I will not worry about them.  But I must not let them discourage me.  I must continue to live my life for Jesus out loud as much as I am able to every day!

P - Heavenly Father, give me the boldness, courage, and daring to live my life in such a way that it glorifies your name in all that I do in my classroom and on the campus, in front of students and in front of my peers.  Thank you for the joy and the peace that you have put in my heart.  Help me to want to spread that to any who would ask about it.  I pray that this year would be a time that you would be able to use me more than ever at my school to spread the good news and change my classroom with your love and truth.

08/14/12 - Jeremiah 14 - 17

S - Jeremiah 15: 19 Therefore this is what the LORD says:  "If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman.  Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them.  20 I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not over come you, for I am with you to rescue and save you," declares the LORD.  21 "I will save you from the hands of the wicked and redeem you from the grasp of the cruel."

17: 5  This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength ans whose heart turns away from the LORD.  6 He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes.  He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.  7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.  8 He will be like a tree planted by the water, that sends out its roots by the stream, it does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green, it has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . repent and trust in me.  That is what life is all about.  If you do, then I will be sure to take care of you.  And I want you to be my spokesman.  Let the people come to you.  Point them in my direction and let me take care of the rest.  Put your trust in me; be like the tree planted by the water, not the bush in the wasteland.  Send your roots out by the stream to get some of that living water that only I can provide for you.  Then you will have no worries when that time of drought comes.  Rest assured that then you will be sure to bear fruit.

A - Well, I certainly want to be like the tree planted by the water.  I want to put my trust fully in the Lord.  I want to be his spokesman.  I will repent of the times when I have not put my trust fully in him, but  relied on man (or myself) for my strength.  I will rely on him to water the seeds that I have planted and tend to his garden so that the seeds sprout and bear their own fruit someday.

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times when I have put my trust in other men and have not trusted solely in you for my strength.  forgive me for not speaking up for you when I knew that I should have.  Give me the strength the be your spokesman on my campus.  Give me the strength to rely on you all the time.  Help me be like that tree planted by the water, with my roots firmly seated in the ground seeking that living water that you provide.  Help me to soak in you so that during those drought times, I can rely on the water that I have already gotten from you.

08/13/12 - Jeremiah 10 - 13

S - Jeremiah 12: 1 - You are always righteous, O LORD, when I bring a case before you.  Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does he way of the wicked prosper?  Why do all the faithless live at ease?  2 You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit.  You are always on their lips but far from their  hearts.  3 Yet you know me, O LORD; you see me and test my thoughts about you.  Drag them off like sheep to be butchered!  Set them apart for the day of slaughter!  4 How long will the land lie parched and the grass in every field be withered?  Because those who live in it are wicked, the animals and birds have perished.  Moreover, the people are saying "He will not see what happens to us."

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . you are my child and I am going to take care of you.  You do not need to worry about anything else.  If I want to allow someone who is "evil" to be successful and powerful, what concern is that of yours.  Are you concerning yourself with the things of my world or the things of THE world.  If someone is making more money than you but does not love me, don't worry about it.  Your main issue is to live for me during the time that you have on earth.  You never know, some of those people may end up coming to know me and becoming one of my big supporters (remember Zacchaeus?).  So you worry about you serving me and let me worry about everything else!

A - What am I worrying about when I see others who are more "successful" than me.  Am I not one of the richest men in the world already.  I have a family that loves me.  I have a job that I enjoy.  I have a beautiful home that the Lord has graciously allowed me to live in.  My wife has a wonderful job that she enjoys (most of the time), and she is good at it.  I have more than most people in the world right now.  And what's more, I am going to live forever with Him in heaven!  Could I ask for more?  So, the next time I see someone who is successful by the standards of the world, or someone who is making more money than me (even at my own job), I will thank my God for all of the blessings that He has already given me, and for all of the blessings that He will be giving me in the future.

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for my sin of envy and greed.  Forgive me for looking outward at the things of the world and not looking inward at the blessings that you have given me.  Thank you for all  of the things that you have provided for me, a beautiful home, a great job, enough cars for me to even loan one out from time to time, a loving family.  WOW, how could I ever look at anyone else and wish that I had what they have?  I love you and praise your name for everything that you have done for me.  Help me to be continually thankful for all that you do for me.  Help me to be able to recognize that nothing that I have is because of me but it is all because of you. 

08/12/12 - Jeremiah 7 - 9

S - Jeremiah 9: 23-24 - Thus says the Lord: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,  24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth.  For in these things I delight, declares the Lord."

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . boast often!  Boast loudly!  Boast anytime you are struggling with an issue at school or at home.  Boast when you feel like you have been cheated.  Boast when you feel like you cannot go on.  Boast when you are down.  Boast as much as you want because you have the one thing that is worth boasting about.  You are a child of mine and I love you and want to take care of you.  You can also boast when good things happen or when you are happy.  Again, you have something worth boasting about, I will bring you blessing and joy.  So, go ahead, BOAST!

A - OK, so I have the one thing that is worth boasting about.  I have Jesus Christ in my life and he will continue to bless me and take care of me.  I must always remember, when I am struggling or feeling down, it is not because He has left me but because I have left Him.  In those times I must get myself back under his protective covering.  So, I will continue to boast in the Lord and in all of the blessing that he has given me, even when I am struggling and I feel like he is not with me.  Actually, those are the most important times of all to boast in him, if only for my own good.

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times when I do not boast in you.  Forgive me for my selfishness.  Help me to remember at all times that anything that happens to me, you are in control of it. Help me to continue to boast in you.  Give me the grace to boast in you even when it seems that you are not around.  Help me to remember that those are the most important times for me to look to you and refresh my joy.

08/11/12 - Jeremiah 4 - 6

S - Jeremiah 4: 1 - 4  "If you return, O Israel, declares the Lord, to me you should return.  If you remove your detestable things from my presence, and do not waver,  2 and if you swear, 'As the Lord lives,' in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory."  3 For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: "Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.  4 Circumcise yourselves to the Lord; remove the foreskin of your hearts, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it. because of the evil of your deeds."

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . remove your detestable things from my presence.  All of those things that cause you to not totally trust in me need to be done away with.  That attitude of "I can't", that feeling of "I am better than . . .", those impure thoughts, the times when you do not trust in me enough to call on me for help in making a decision or getting out of a tough spot.  All of these things are not of me, they are put in your mind to take it off of me.  Get rid of this stuff and put your total trust in me and my ability to carry you through all of the tough times that you will go through.  I want your total devotion!  I have so much that I want to do through you that you will never believe it. Just remember that I am doing it, not you.  As soon as you begin to take the glory for any of the things that happen, I can no longer use you.

A - I can't wait to see what kind of things the Lord is going to do through me this school year.  I want to put total trust in him and rely on his strength to guide me through the tough times.  I must humble myself before the Lord and say as Paul did, "This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God." (1 Corinthians 4:1)  I am just a servant of the one true, living God.  My goal in life is to serve him and work to grow his kingdom and increase the numbers in his family.

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times when my thoughts and actions do not glorify you.  Forgive me for the times when I take credit for the things that you are doing through me.  give me the strength of Samson, the courage, boldness, and daring of Daniel, and the humility of Paul.  Help me to turn all glory to you.  As I begin this school year, I pray that you will also give me the love that only you can give so I can love my students the way you do.

08/10/12 - Jeremiah 1 - 3

S - Jeremiah 1: 4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying,  5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,  before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."  6 "Ah, sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child."  7 But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.'  You must go to everyone I send you to and say what ever I command you.  8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.  9 Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put my words in your mouth.  10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . I have sent you, just as I sent Jeremiah in his time.  You will be my prophet on your campus.  I want you to transform your classroom with my love and truth.  You will bring my message to your classroom and will proclaim that I am love.  I have put my words in your mouth.  Do not be afraid of what you shall say or what you shall do.  I will guide you and speak through you.  I will be your protector.  Put your trust in me and do as I instruct you to do.

A - Wow, what a calling!  I guess I can't use my youth as an excuse (I'm almost 50).  But I can say that it is a little scary to be called to transform my classroom with God's love and truth.  I praise God for the training that I received at the Daniel Institute this summer.  I must go into my classroom and see each of my students as children of the living God, image bearers of God.  I must love them as he would if he were in the front of my classroom.

P - Heavenly Father, thank you for the calling that you have put on my life.  Thank you for the promises that you have given me in your word, that you will be with me at all times, that you will protect me, and that you will put words in my mouth to speak.  I call on you now to fulfill those promises as I get ready to begin a new school year.  Help me to see each of my students as your children.  Help me to love them as you would.  Give me words to speak, within the legal bounds that I have, to convey your message to each of those students.  Thank you for loving me enough to call me to serve you.  Thank you for the training that I received this summer.  Help me to recall that as I begin teaching again.

08/09/12 - Zephaniah 1 - 3

S - Zephaniah 1: 14 - "The great day of the LORD is near- near and coming quickly.  Listen!  The cry on the day of the LORD will be bitter, the shouting of the warrior there.  15 That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness,  16 a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers.  17 I will bring distress on the people and they will walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD.  Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like filth.  18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to same them on the day of the LORD's wrath.  In the fire of his jealousy the whole world will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live in the earth.

3: 8  "Therefore wait for me," declares the LORD, "for the day I will stand up to testify.  I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour our my wrath on them- all my fierce anger.  9 Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder.  10 From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers, my scattered people, will bring me offerings.  11 On that day your will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you have done to me, because I will remove from this city those who rejoice in their pride.  Never again will you be haughty on my holy hill.  12 But I will leave within you the meek and humble, who trust in the name of the LORD.  13 The remnant of Israel will do no wrong; they will speak on lies, now will deceit be found in their mouths.  They will eat and lie down an no one will make them afraid."

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . I have chosen you to be amongst the meek and humble.  I know that you do not want your friends to suffer what I have foretold for those who are not following my ways, those who "rejoice in their pride" and celebrate their unholiness.  I have placed you 

where you are for a reason. You are to be my spokesman on the school campus.  Keep yourself humble!  Remember, anything that happens is of me.  Just remember to glorify my name to others so they can see where your faith lies.

A - Wow!  I certainly want to be amongst the believers on the day that God returns and decimates the earth.  I will give glory to God for all things that happen to me, good or bad.  The LORD has placed me in the place where I am for a purpose.  I must seek out that purpose and live for Him in all situations.  

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for the sin of pride.  Forgive me for any time when I allow my pride to cause me to have sinful thoughts and attitudes.  Give me a meek and humble spirit.  Thank you for allowing me to be where I am, to teach what I teach and to have the students that you have placed in my classes.  Help me to see each one of them as someone who could potentially serve you in a mighty way someday.  If only I live my life in such a way as to be a witness for you in my classroom.

08/08/12 - 2 Kings 22 - 23; 2 Chronicles 34 - 35

S - Chronicles 34: 2  And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father; and he did not turn aside to the right hand of to the left.  3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of David, his father, and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, and the carved and the metal images.

19 And when the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes.  20 And the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying,  21 "Go, inquire of the Lord for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that was found.  For great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do according to all that is written in this book."

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . Josiah served me even before he knew the Law.  Then when he found "the Book" he realized the things that he was supposed to do.  Then he really got serious about serving me.  You have had "The Book" all along and are you reading it consistently?  Are you serving me the way it tells you to?  I want you to walk in my ways and not to turn to the right hand or the left.  I want you to seek after me.  Read my instruction manual on a regular basis and follow the commands that I have set forth for you.  

A - If a king who had never even read the Law of Moses can do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.  I should be able to do so even more: I have The Bible to guide me.  If when he did read the Law, he tore his clothes and sought God and brought the entire country along with him,  I should be able to seek the Lord and serve him on my campus.

P - Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us your word so we can read about people who followed you, even when they didn't have a guide to read.  Forgive me for not following your commands, even when I read them straight from "your letter to us."  Give me the strength to follow your commands and live for you on my campus.  I pray that my life will be a testimony to you every day.  

08/07/12 - Nahum 1 - 3

S - Nahum 1: 2 The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath.  The LORD takes vengeance on his foes and maintains he wrath against his enemies.  3 The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished.  His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet.  4 He rebukes the sea and dries it up; he makes all the rivers run dry. . .  5 The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away.  The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it. . .   7 The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble.  He cares for those who trust in him,  8 but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of Nineveh; he will pursue he foes into darkness. . .  15 Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace!

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you. . . you are the one who is bringing the good news.  I am a jealous God and many are turning away from me.  I am sending you to deliver the message of good news.  I want to be a refuge for you and any others who would call on my name in times of trouble.  Many are using my name in vain in the schools and elsewhere.  I will have my vengeance.  Yours are the feet of one who brings good news.  Tell them that I am a loving God and want to save all who will call on me.

A - It is up to me to spread the good news on my campus.  It is my responsibility to love my students and colleagues as God has loved me, unconditionally.  I must begin by having a prayer group to pray for our school and for the students and teachers that I come in contact with each day.  Each one of these people is a child of God and deserves to be loved as such.  If this is going to happen, it must begin with me.

P - Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me!  Thank you for being a refuge for me when times have gotten tough.  Thank you for guiding me through those tough times.  Forgive me for the times when I have not given you the credit that is due you.  Forgive me for not recognizing that it was you that was carrying me through.  Now as we start a new school year I pray for your continued guidance and support as I bring the good news onto my campus.  Give me the wisdom to know what things I can and cannot do as a teacher.  Help me to develop my classroom as a place where students feel safe to discuss you.

08/06/12 - 2 Chronicles 32 - 33

S - 2 Chronicles 33: 10  The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention.  11 So the LORD brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.  12  In his distress he sought the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.  13 And when he prayed to him, the LORD was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom.  Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . it is always better to listen to me the first time.  When I call you, I am serious.  When I ask you to do something for me, I mean it.  I really want you to serve me with all of your heart.  I will get your attention one way or the other.  On the other hand, if you cry out to me, I will hear you.  I long to answer your prayers, which is why I want you to listen to me in the first place.  I have jobs for you to do.  If you will simply humble yourself before me and listen to my calling, all will go well.  Listen to me, call  on me when you need help, and we will get along well together.  Remember, I love you and want only what is best for you.

A -  I will listen for the call of the Lord.  I will obey when he calls me.  At this point in time, I feel that I am right where he wants me to be, yet I am open to anything that he wants me to do.  I know that is very frightening, to be open to anything, but I really want to serve him with all my heart.

P -  Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times when I have not followed you.  Forgive me for not listening to you, for thinking that my plan was the right thing to do.  Lead me where you want me to go.  I love you and want, with all my heart, to serve you, where ever you want me to be.

08/05/12 - 2 Kings 20 - 21

S - 2 Kings 20: 2 - Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,  3"Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with whole hearted devotion and have done what is good in our eyes."  And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4 Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him:  5 "Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your father, David, says: I have heard our prayed and seen your tears; I will heal you.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . there will be days when you will struggle and have hard times. Just know that you can cry out to me and I will hear you.  I long to answer your prayers.  I long to help you out of the tough times.  I want to be the first one you turn to when the going gets a little tough, not your last resort.  Remember, I can be called on for any little thing that comes up.  Don't wait for just the really difficult times.  Call on me any time at all.

A - I must remember that God is there all the time, just waiting for me to call on him.  As the new school year begins, I know there will be some struggles.  I know that there will be some challenges.  I know that I will want to give up some days.  In those times, God is just waiting for me to call on him so he can give me the strength to go on.

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times when I have tried to get through the tough times on my own strength.  Forgive me for not having the faith to call  on you.  Help me to always remember that you want to help me through those times when I just feel like giving in.  As we begin a new school year, I ask for strength for all of my Daniel Leadership Institute friends.  Give us all the strength to go into our classrooms and love the students that you have given us.  Help us all to remember that each one of those children bears your image.  And, most of all, protect us all from the plans and the schemes of he evil one.  Help us to always remember to put on the armor that you have given us.  We love you and want to serve you always.

08/04/12 - Isaiah 64 - 66

S - Isaiah 65: 1 - I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me.  To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, "Here am I, here am I."  2 All day Long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations -  3 a people who continually provoke me to my very face . . .

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . I want to reveal myself on your campus, to the people who have turned away from me and rejected me.  I want to make myself known, through you and others on your campus.  All you have to do is be me to your students.  Love them with my love.  See them as image-bearers of me.

A - As I go back to school, I will look at each student as a child of God.  I will continually ask God to help me love them with his love because, left on my own, I could never love every student.  I will do my best, with God's help, to treat each student with the same respect that Jesus treated everyone with when He was on earth.

P - Heavenly Father, as the school year approaches, would you grant me the ability to love my students and respect them as you would if you were here in my place.  Forgive me for the times when I have not loved, when I have had negative attitudes, or when I have just not treated my students with respect.  Help me to see everyone on my campus as bearing your image.

08/03/12 - Isaiah 59 - 63

S - Scripture that spoke to me (Out of the reading for the day)

O - Observation (God speaking to me)

A - Application (How will my life be different because of this?)

P - Prayer (Me speaking to God)

S - Isaiah 60: 1 - "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.  2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.  3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.  4 Lift up your eyes and look about you:  All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar and your daughters are carried on the arm.  b Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches  of the nations will come.  

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . now that you have come out of the wilderness, it is time for you to arise.  I want you to go into your classroom and speak for me.  Though there is darkness over your school, you will be my light to them.  Many will be attracted to your light and my glory will shine through you.  When you look around and see what your are accomplishing and your heart begins to swell with joy, just remember to glorify my name.

A - I must be the light of God shining in the darkness of the world at my school.  I will do whatever I can, within the scope of the law, to spread the name of Jesus on my campus.

P - Heavenly Father, give me the boldness, courage, and daring to speak your name on my campus and in my classroom.  Forgive me for my timidity and shyness of the past.  Help me to glorify your name.  Allow students to see me as one who is willing to speak a prayer on their behalf.  Protect me from any schemes of the evil one as I boldly represent you, with my armor firmly in place.