Never Underestimate the Power of Prayer
As school ends today, I have been thinking of something that happened about 2 weeks ago. My Algebra class is a talkative bunch and has trouble staying on task. We had already had many lunch detentions that week. This day the class was entirely out of control ending with two students sitting in the office so I didn’t have to hear them talk anymore. After classs, I literally wanted to lay my head down on my desk and cry. I felt like quitting. I racked my brain to think what I could do to make tomorrow’s class go better.
The next morning I found myself prompted to pray for this class. Here is part of my prayer…
“God, Help me to bring order to my classroom. Right now I want to quit. I long for heaven and even the work there where we don’t struggle against the sin of this world. God-come into my classroom. Chase away the devil and his demons who want to disrupt my students and keep them from learning. Bind them. Help my students to think clearly. God give me wisdom..”
That day I went to my class with God beside me and also a plan of rewarding those who were on task. Prepared to do battle again, I was surprised to find my students attentive and on task the whole period. I did have to redirect a couple of times but this was not the class of yesterday. All I can say is only God. Only God could bring these results. It is not that I didn’t think that God didn’t hear my prayer or would not answer. I was just willing to settle for something less and God gave much more. It reminds me that each day we are in a battle and God wants us to bring him all our problems big and small. He wants us to bring him our daily activities. It was also important for me to remember that there is a battle for my students’ minds and who is going to pray for them if I don’t. Satan wants them to not think clearly and reason. He doesn’t want them to see the truth. Prayer is what is needed.
The next day all but three of my students were able to go up on the roof and work on their review outside. Two days ago this group took their final and did well. Even though I will be glad to give them to the new Geometry teacher next year, I will miss them just a little bit.
Dear God,
Thank you that you hear our prayer. Forgive us when we underestimate what you can do. Forgive us when we forget you are all powerful and that you care for these ones more than we do. Continue to work in my students’ lives. May they clearly hear the truth. May you give them focus as they go into the summer. In Your Son’s name, Amen