Last year, the middle school in the district in which I am employed expanded to sixth grade. So after many years of teaching that grade level in an elementary building, it was time to move. As much as I enjoyed my time at the elementary level, the change has been a true blessing from God. The administration and staff have been so welcoming to all of us newcomers and the atmosphere is very positive. It is nice to reunite with many experienced teachers and administrators I have known over the years and also get to know ones I have never met before.
The biggest blessing, so far however, has been the prayer group that one of the speech therapists and I started last school year. The two of us started meeting every Tuesday morning before school in my classroom to pray for a wide variety of topics along with whatever God laid on our hearts. Shortly after we started, other staff members began to join us. Now we are up to 10 on any given Tuesday with more teachers saying they plan on joining us. It is so encouraging to see more and more teachers showing an interest. God is so good.
With this past Thursday being National Day of Prayer, we met in my room to pray that day on top of our normal Tuesdays. One of the underlying themes I keep hearing over and over from our group is how much they enjoy going before the Lord corporately before the start of our busy day. They said they felt stronger spiritually and closer to God. We leave the group with huge smiles on our faces, ready to take on whatever obstacles are thrown our way that day. It is an encouraging reminder that when we bow down to worship Him, we leave changed. That is true for all of us, wherever we are and whenever we seek His Face. It is not relegated to just Tuesdays, but everyday and every time we enter The Throne Room.
In an excerpt from his book Effective Prayer Life, Chuck Smith said, “Actually, I am the one often changed by prayer. Many times as I am praying, God will speak to me. He will show me His way and His plan, which is always so much better than what I had in mind. While in prayer, God deals with me and shows me the folly of certain things that I have been insisting, and practically demanding, from Him. I respond, ‘Thank you, Lord, for not answering me during the last five years.’ He knew what was best for me all the time! At this point in my life, as I look back, I am as thankful for the prayers He did not answer as those He did.”
“God is looking for people whose hearts are in tune with His desires. Thus, the greatest prayer is ‘Lord, bring me into harmony with Your will.’ You can’t improve on that. But it has to be more than just lip service. It must come from the heart.”
Let that be the cry of our hearts, to have our will line up with His will.
Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths
That is how we will change. That is how this world will change. Let us walk in that truth today!
Wayne Errig