Praying Colossians Over Campuses

Reflection

It is astonishing to me that as we turn our calendars to August some of you live in districts where the new school year has already begun. School begins in my district this week, while others still have a few precious days or weeks to soak in this summertime schedule before the school bell and early morning alarm clocks ring.

While we are always praying for every person and part of Education in our nation, August is the month we shine a spotlight on praying into this significant sphere of influence that touches the present and future of everyone in America. For those who learn, teach, or work in schools the close connection is obvious. If you own a home or business, the value of these is greatly impacted by the success and safety of the nearby schools as families decide where to live, work, shop, and raise their children. The future of your community and country will be steered and stewarded by the students learning and living near you as well. The pastors, politicians, bankers and business leaders, decision-makers, employees, taxpayers, consumers, artist, authors, accountants, healthcare providers, and EVERY aspect of life in the future will be led and impacted by those being instructed, informed, and inspired on campuses today and so it is vital that we pray. If we stay silent darkness quickly dims the hallways and hearts on campus, but if we, “Lift Up the Word,” we light up learning from district-to-district and coast-to-coast!

We have chosen 7 sections of Scriptures from the book of Colossians to help launch this practice of praying Scripture over our schools. We have written out the first prayer to get you started and some prompts from the other Scriptures to get you started during these first days of school and the “…” ellipses are to encourage you to keep praying. Please remember our annual school year challenge to pray for education whenever you see a school bus and pray for a specific campus as you pass through their school zone.

Starting with the verses from Colossians 1:9-12 at the beginning of this article, we begin to lift up our prayers. Lord, please prompt us continually to pray for campuses from pre-school through college. May everyone who learns and labors in education be filled with the knowledge of You Lord, Your Word, wisdom, will and ways so that all would walk, worship, and work in a manner worthy of the Lord. Moment by moment may they increase in the knowledge of God, be fruitful in every good work You have prepared and please You. May joy and gratitude abound as they are strengthened by You. Keep them steadfast as You watch over them and let no distraction or darkness come near as they live in the light of Your love and Word. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen!

Col 3:12-14 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. (Lord we pray through purchases and pictures of new school clothes that everyone will have all they need. Thank You for clothing us in Your love, that we are wrapped in Your compassion, Kindness, humility, patience, and forgiveness each day. Help everyone on campus to be filled and overflowing with all of these and to walk them out in their personal character and compassion to others….)

Col. 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. (Lord God, our Prince of Peace and the One who never leaves or forsakes us, let You peace saturate the hearts and halls on campuses across our nation, for those we love in our family, as the family of God, and for those who do not know You or have even rebelled or rejected You we pray they would experience You in an undeniable way and draw nearer to You. In these days of such noted high anxiety and depression, Lord we pray Your peace over them, cause grace and gratitude to grow and unity, not division bind their hearts together to sharpen one another in You and Your Word. Fill them to be strong and courageous in You, let faith arise and cause fear to flee as they put their trust in You…)

Col. 3:20-21 Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart. (Heavenly Father, I pray first for the fatherless, for those who have been abandoned or do not know what it means to have a loving father on whom they can learn and rely. For those who have parents who exasperate them, who do not speak Your Word and words of love and encouragement to them. For the abused, those who do not feel safe or loved please let them know You are love and their refuge, that they can call on You when they are afraid and Your love is always and forever. Help them to learn, to live, and not lose heart…)

Col. 3:23-25 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality. (Lord who gave us life and all we need to live a godly, abundant life, let all we do be in gratitude and honor to You. Be our one desire, our Lord whom we seek to delight. Do not let popularity sway any generation, whether young or old, student or educator, grandparent, parent, child, coach, mentor, pastor or neighbor. I pray we would all seek Your face and favor, that You would be the One we serve as You pour out blessings we do not deserve. I pray that all who scheme and do wrong would be caught quickly and that in Your grace and the consequences of their actions they would be persuaded to fully follow You and know Your reward…)

Col 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; (Lord as we pray for campuses and all who are a part of education, we also pray that they would have devoted prayer lives knowing they can pray continually throughout their day and Your wisdom, protection, praise and provision is only a whisper away. May they not just rely on the prayers of others but come boldly to Your throne filled with the praise of Your glory, thankfulness of Your blessings, and confidence in the One who is our Help….)

Col. 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. (Lord Who spoke everything into existence, the Word Who became flesh and dwelt among us, we pray over the words spoken to our students that Truth would take root in their hearts and minds and that ignorance, nonsense, wickedness, and hurtfulness would be blown away from them by the breath of Your Spirit and only that which is God-breathed would take root in them and come forth from them. We pray Your wisdom and lovingkindness would fill their hearts and pour forth from them, that blessings not curses would overflow from them as You set a guard over their lips and refresh them with knowledge and understanding from Truth, dispelling and dismissing anything that comes against You, any trash that seeks to creep into them from school, media, friends or family that speaks that which is not of You and for You, would be exposed and expelled from their lives and leave only space for Your grace and goodness in their thoughts, words and deeds…)

Thank you for praying with us! We also invite you to continue praying with us for the government sphere in our 100 Days of Prayer for those who are currently serving and for those seeking to serve leading up to the 2024 election. Just text the word PRAYGOV to 833.259.8648 to receive Scripture and a prayer prompt for each day leading up to the election.

Serving Him with gladness,

Kathy Branzell

President