5 Powerful Prayers to Strengthen the Hearts of Our StudentsSýnishorn

Thankfulness

On July 30, 1967, tragedy struck the Erickson household. 18-year-old Joni dove into the Chesapeake Bay but misjudged the depth of the water. She suffered a fracture between the fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae and instantly became a quadriplegic. This successful student felt as if her life was over, suffering through the dark weeks and months following her accident.

One moment she was an active teenager, riding horses, hiking, playing tennis, and swimming with friends. The next moment, she was imprisoned; paralyzed for life.

Learning to paint with a brush between her teeth, she began the long road to wholeness-spiritually and emotionally. Today, Joni’s life exudes joy and gratitude. Her choice to allow God to heal the anger and bitterness in her heart produced an attitude of thankfulness, out of which was birthed a ministry called Joni and Friends. Its mission: “…a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ.”

Whether their handicaps are visible or invisible, we pray that each student in our school community will make small, daily choices of gratitude that pave the way for a lifetime of peace, hope, and joy.

Today as we conclude five powerful prayers to strengthen the hearts of our students, we look to the Lord to continue His significant work of drawing kids to Himself and developing within them thankful hearts which will transform our nation.

Praise Our Thankful God

“Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves.” Matthew 14:19

Jesus, we are grateful for Your heart of gratitude so beautifully revealed in Your interactions with Your Father. You are perfect in all of Your ways. We give You praise.

Pray for Thankful Hearts

We read in Psalm 28:7 “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Therefore, my heart exults, and with my song, I shall thank Him.”

God, thanks for Your work in our school communities. We see and experience great needs but we are grateful for Your deeds in the physical and the spiritual realms. May You be the strength, shield, and helper of each student in our school, producing hearts overflowing with joy.

Pray for Hearts to Express Thankfulness with Others

“Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.” Psalm 95:2

God, we call out for a powerful move of Your Spirit, drawing students to gather to worship You with thankful hearts. May gatherings of prayer, repentance, and singing on a grassroots level spread like wildfire on campuses across our nation. We declare that sparks of revival would turn around what the enemy meant for evil. We trust You in every school community for peace experienced, hope restored, and lives changed. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

We adapted this plan from our Weekly Prayer Focuses. Connect with Keep Watch at Keep Watch.