How to Pray for My School - a Guide for ParentsSample

Devotion

In Romans 11:33-36, Paul draws on the writings of Isaiah and Job. He shows that God is transcendent, meaning He is greater than all created things in size, glory, magnitude, and power. He shows that God is without a counselor; He lacks no wisdom. “None can stay His hand or say to Him, ‘what have You done?’” (Daniel 4:35). Paul continues by adding that no living being – whether in the heavens above or on the earth below – has given God a gift that He does not already possess.

In his book Providence, John Piper clearly shows that God is, at all times and in all situations the Benefactor, and never the beneficiary. We are the ones who need wisdom, guidance, and counsel, the ones whose minds are known by God. That is why Paul ends this beautiful portion with, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory for eternity! Amen.” God is the Creator and sustainer of all things. He needs nothing. He gives what all creation needs. His Being sustains our being.

You might be wondering, “Why would we start here?” And I am glad you asked because I get to explain that which has changed my “thinking and going," especially with regards to my engagement with everyday life. Paul ends with the words, “To Him be glory for eternity! Amen." I want you to ask yourself what the word ‘glory’ means, as in, to “glorify God," especially in connection with “To Him be the glory."

I always thought that when I “give God glory," I elevate Him to a higher position. And in my ignorance, it made total sense, but it was precisely that, ignorance. The Greek word for glory is doxa, a word many of us are familiar with. It is defined as “honor, praise, worship, and acknowledgment." So, when Paul writes “to Him be the glory," he is not suggesting that we give God something (glory) He does not already have, but rather Paul is suggesting that we are merely acknowledging, praising, worshipping, and honoring God for who He already is!

As Christians we are called to live a holy life of dedication, to be God's ambassadors here on earth, and to proclaim the gospel that is Good News to all! With times changing and the next generation believing truth to be relative, it is becoming increasingly more challenging to instill God’s mission in the hearts of our children. I say this not with a pessimistic attitude, for I know that God’s Word does not return to Him void, nor does it return to Him without first accomplishing everything for which He ordained it. We have that hope and confidence, but the change in times asks of us to be even more dependent upon God for wisdom. That is a very good thing.

As Christians we are a new creation. We are spiritually reborn, and we are aware that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual principalities and dominions. We have one answer to this “predicament” –– prayer.

In the next five days, we will equip each other with biblical truth. And using God's truth, we will petition Him for the next generation, knowing He calls us to prayer and encourages us to ask in the name of Jesus all that we desire. And we desire this: that our children and their schools be raised in light of the glory of the Resurrected Son of God.

We ask that you take the time with your family each morning and pray through the SWEEP acronym (SWEEP stands for SHINE, WORSHIP, EXPRESS, EVICT and POSESS. Each of the following days of this plan will be working through one of these.) But for today we ask that you pray for a deeper understanding of “To Him be glory for eternity."