[Please join me on Thursdays to pray for children, families, and our future.]
“Be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded.” (2 Chronicles 15:7 NLT)
This morning I heard a story that caught my attention because it seemed so sad. The story was of a young teacher – less than ten years in the profession – who is totally burned out and only staying in her third grade position another two years because that will meet a goal for retirement pension. Most people don’t go into teaching (or any other career, for that matter) with the expectation of burning out within a handful of years. Most people who desire to teach want to help young people grow, impact their young lives with goodness, truth, and beauty, and help form the next generation’s leaders. (Or, at least, I hope that today’s teachers have positive, idealistic, and (dare I say it?) Christ-centered goals.). This particular teacher had crazy pressures from the system she works in, including parents of students blaming her for things their children did wrong. She was just done, done, done. I don’t blame her.
Our society needs people to pass on the skills, ideas, values, and hope of the past to prepare for the future. Teachers, coaches, mentors, youth pastors, and others help parents in those areas. And for all of us – no matter what vocation – burnout can be real. Today, let’s pray for those who are tired and need God to help them finish strong.
God,
You are the Everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth, and you do not grow tired or weary. We come to you today grateful for the amazing people that you put into places of influence over the next generation. We thank you for godly teachers, coaches, mentors, youth pastors and so many more who help parents to raise up this generation of young lives. Thank you for their dedication, expertise, and talents that invest into our future. We pray that each of them would know you as Savior and Lord and allow Holy Spirit to guide their lives. God, at this end of the school year many teachers in every educational setting are tired from the past school year. I pray that they would finish this year strong and help their young people to finish well. We also pray for those who are more than just end-of-year-tired. For those who are burned out because of the pressures from the administration, students, parents, other teachers, or their own internal pressures, we pray that you would give rest to the weary. Help them to sort out what is truth to hold onto and what is untruth to let go of. We pray you would give them a fresh wind of your Spirit to help them not only finish this year strong, but to continue to follow the callings you have for each of them. Instruct them and teach them in the way they should go; counsel and heal them with your love, grace, and kindness. Give them strength and courage, knowing that in you their work to raise up a new generation will be rewarded. Give them guidance and wisdom when they encounter tough students, parents, or administrators. Give them your heart and words for every situation – to take what is godly counsel and, otherwise, to spiritually and emotionally wipe the dust from their feet. You are their savior and hope, so give them your hope, renewal, and strength so they can run and not grow weary. Bless them and keep them, make your face shine upon them, be gracious to them, turn your face toward them, and grant them your deep and abiding Peace that passes understanding, we pray in Jesus’s name. Amen.
“Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” (Psalm 25:5 NIV)
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” (Psalm 32:8 NIV)
“Does he who teaches mankind lack knowledge?” (Psalm 94:10 NIV)
“The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:28-31 NIV)
“We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up.” (Hebrews 12:1 GW)
“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14 NLT)
“And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” (Mark 6:11 NIV)
“The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26 NIV)