How to Pray for My School - a Guide for ParentsSample

POSSESS

Devotion

When you read John 19:28 and 30 you will notice that the word “completed” (in my translation) appears twice. The Greek word for it is tetelestai. It appears in John 19:28 when John writes, “After this, Jesus, knowing that now at last everything was completed…” and again in verse 30 when Jesus said, “It is completed” (or it is finished). The word tetelestai leaves no room for debate. When something is completed, there is no space for things yet to be done because completed means completed. This is the truth in which we act and live: “It is completed."

Christ has done the work of forgiving sin and tearing the veil between God and man. We are called to share this truth. Keep this in mind when you read Colossians 1:9-23 again. This Scripture makes it quite clear. All things have been created by, for, and through Christ. He is the owner and possessor of all things!

This is the spiritual truth we proclaim when we intercede on behalf of our children and schools. All things belong to Christ, so whenever evil spiritual entities exert an influence in these areas, they are doing so illegally. They have no right to exert such influence. And after evicting them, we need to re-possess these grounds. We are not possessing new grounds (or breaking new grounds); we are merely stewarding what already belongs to Christ. I am not denying that there is a thief that came to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). I am emphasizing that the influence the evil one exerts is in opposition to and in conflict with God who already has the victory.

In Colossians 1:13 we see that God the Father has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the Kingdom of the Son He loves. We are now children of God, of whom Christ is the Firstborn, and we are called to declare this truth to those who have yet to discover it. That is the “taking possession of” I’m referring to. Christ is not concerned with possessing physical land, property, school buildings, etc. He is already the owner of all things in the created world. That’s what Genesis to Psalms to Revelations tell us. He can never lose the earth as property, for to whom will He lose it? Who is able to take it from Him? Who is able to “stay His hand and say to Him, "What have You done?"

Daniel 4:35 and Psalms 104 are clear about this. Christ’s command is that we proclaim the Gospel to all the nations.

As the last prayer for this plan, I would first remind you that our calling, mandate, and task as intercessors and workers of righteousness does not stop here. We need to continue praying for the lost within our community, and that Christ’s love and the truth will take possession of their hearts. We engage by offering them the gospel as the richest possession they could ever own until our Lord returns.

When you pray:

Pray that the Lord will open the hearts and minds of those still lost.

Pray that they would engage Him in a personal relationship, falling so deeply in love with His life-giving words that they are transformed to look more like Christ.

Pray that our schools become a conduit of Jesus' irresistible and sacrificial love.

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