The most important aspect of understanding
the 16-9 Movement (please read the first
post for more information) is being prayerful. It’s great to know the first
16 words of the First Amendment and wonderful to display the Fruit of the
Spirit in our classrooms (love, joy,
peace, goodness, kindness, gentleness, patience, self-control and faithfulness),
but without prayer, we are running on our own power. Have you ever taken on a
big project without praying about it first?
Typically, the work becomes larger, heavier and more cumbersome than it
needs to be. Prayerfully dependent work is worship. Going to God to ask for His
wisdom, guidance and inspiration is supernatural. We are not naturally wired to seek Him first
in all things, but to be our own boss. How’s that working for you? If
you have not considered praying about lesson plans, daily routines with your
students and for the way you speak to them, I want to encourage you to begin.
He is the Lord over all our lives and all our possessions and He gave you the
gift of being in education. Do you think
He would leave you alone to figure it all out?
Of all professions, we need to be the most prayerfully dependent.
For example, before I even write this blog or
my “tuesdayswithKaren”
newsletter/blog, I ask for His help for ideas, flow and wisdom. I listen to Alistair Begg
by podcast very regularly and both he and Dr. Barry
Black, our US Senate chaplain taught me an old Anglican prayer: “Lord, may I think myself empty, write myself
clear and pray myself hot!” Before I write anything I ask God’s help and
more often, than not, I add that little prayer. What would it do for your
classroom environment if you asked God to help you write lesson plans? The designing of plans can be arduous, but if
you look at it as a gift of creativity from the Lord and asked for His
intervention, there is no doubt that your plans would be engaging, focused and
purposeful. He created you to be creative. You are His image-bearer. You’ll
never look at lesson planning the same way again if you first ask for His
help. In fact, I am sure that you will
look back at some of your plans later and think, “Wow, I can’t believe I came
up with that cool idea.” (That’s because
you didn’t!)
Have you ever prayed before your students
even entered your room? It’s powerful. What if you made it a daily practice to
sit in the seat of a different student each day and prayed specifically for
that child by name and need? If you are
a secondary teacher, it is going to take a much longer time to get to all your
students, but it’s a worthwhile goal.
What impact might prayerful requests make in the lives of your students?
You may never know, but prayer is the key to opening all our needs in the
classroom.
Let’s raise up prayerfully dependent
educators across our nation who understand that trying to teach alone is the
greatest reason so many teachers are burning out. With the regulations and
burdens of the teaching profession today, most teachers feel powerless. We are!
Luke 18:27 - Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with
God.” God has given you the power of creativity even when it seems that you
don’t have the option or ability. He
will help you see more engaging activities and ways to add interest to your
lessons. He will take your burden and make it light. This is one of His
greatest promises. Matt. 11:30 – “For my yoke is easy and my
burden is light.” Finally, don’t try to go it alone. Find
another Christian on your campus and share this idea with them. Ask them to
help you commit to being prayerfully dependent in all things and ask them to
join you or at least be an accountability partner who will hold you to your
commitment. It is my prayer for you (since
you read this far!) that God will supernaturally lift the burden of
teaching to the joy of teaching.
Note: I prayed for you right now (in the style of my friend Richard) and
asked God to help you really become prayerfully dependent. I know I don’t know
who you are, but He does.
Prayerfully yours,
K
