These are my focus verses for the week! As all the children return back to school, it’s imperative that we keep them covered in prayer.
Today on the first day of school for most of my nieces and nephews. A brand new year to study, learn, make new friends and continue to grow into the world changing future leaders they will be.
And on this very first day of school, almost right after the school bell rang to begin their studies for this school year, one of my nieces’ school was placed on lock down due to someone with a mental illness leaving a hospital and being in the general vicinity of the school. Although officials did not feel that there was imminent danger for the staff or children, they did increase police presence as a precautionary measure.
I was thinking about those teachers who were so full of excitement as they starred into the many little faces that were just as excited with big smiles and some maybe even had some nervous jitters to get this new year started, all of a sudden needing to cover emergency procedures should this incident escalate. Then I started to pray.. for those teachers and staff, the students, the parents, the community, our world.
I can recall one time when I was in middle school where there was some type of “lock down”, in current times, it’s far more frequent.
Right around the corner from my job an 11 year old boy was hit by a car this morning while walking to school with his parents , again from excitement to terror.
The 4 teen girls killed in Indiana Saturday night while pushing a broken down SUV have weighed heavy on my heart as well. My heart weeps for all the parents, family and friends.
As my Senior Pastor prayed yesterday, we have to simply ask for the full armor of God to prevail as protection for all the children, big and small and we ask for the Peace of God to abide in us all as we send them out to get educated and new experiences.
Let’s meditate on these verses together.
(KJV) 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.