Archive for September, 2013

Ways to Empower and Release Children to Pray

EMPOWER CHILDREN to PRAY

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During the first week of September articles have urged us to unite and daily pray for our children Prayer points for school children/teens, teachers, administrators and parents have been posted.See for example https://ladyofprayer.com/?p=1404

Let’s empower the children and teens to pray. Young people need to be nurtured in prayer at home. There are practical ways to train and equip children to pray. Start now teaching them to pray. As parents you should be modeling the life of parents for them. Kim Butts is the author of The Praying Family (Moody c 2002) provides very practical steps to teaching your child to pray.

Prayer Action-Teach and let the children pray.:
Prayer principles:
1. Kids prayers are as important as adults. Let children know and see that God has an important work for them to do in prayer. He wants their prayers.Let them know that they can pray anytime, anywhere and about anything.

2.Telling God the truth- Teach children the importance of confessing sin with repentant hearts so their prayers will not be hindered.

3. Worship and adore God- Teach children the delight of honoring God and wanting to be in God’s presence.

4. God is faithful and will answer their prayers- Teach children to pray in Jesus’ name and ask according to His will. Let them know answers may not be what they want,but the answers will always be what ‘s best for them /us.

5. Pray for the things that are on God’s heart.-Teach children to read and pray through God’s Word. It is a powerful way to begin learning what is on God’s heart.

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Prayer Action: Ways to Get Kids Involved in Corporate Prayer
Kids can learn to pray like adults.

Kim Butts author of The Praying Family gives these suggestions.

1. Invite kids to become prayer missionaries. Give them information about the missionaries the church supports or a missionary . Then allow the kids to pray for them.

2. Have the kids pray for the pastor and worship leaders before a meeting or worship service.

3. Match a child intercessor with an adult intercessor and ask the pair to pray before , during or following the worship service.

4. Make the church prayer meetings family friendly and intergenerational.

5. Give them a simple prayer assignments each week. Ask them to pray for you .

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Prayer action Steps:
1. Give kids special prayer assignments. Give them an assignment to pray for the neighbors, a sick person, their school, for children in different countries. Ask for them to pray about certain events they may hear about.

2.Put maps on the wall and teach children to pray for unreached people groups and the children of the world.

3. Encourage children to pray at home, praying before leaving for school, day care, or to spend the day with a babysitter, can help children of all ages start the day off right. This is a great time to pray for teachers, friends, and for help with classes or peer relationships.
4. Five Finger Prayer
This game was recommended by Children’s Pastor Julie Scheibe, who says that young children are accustomed to learning through games that help them remember facts and concepts. To do the Five Finger Prayer, have the kids hold their hands together in prayer, using each finger as a guide:
• Thumb: Say a prayer for those closest to you.
• Pointer: Say a prayer for school teachers and Sunday School teachers.
• Middle: Say a prayer for the president.
• Ring: Say a prayer for the sick.
• Pinky: Say a prayer for yourself.
• CTS Prayer for children

5. Start a prayer group that meets regularly to teach about and practice prayer. This is a way to train older children and teens.

Ideas from Kim Butts author of The Praying Family

Back 2 School Prayers- Part III – Prayer Sheet for our School Children L. Fegins

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Back 2 School Prayers –Part III-Prayer Sheet for our School Children

On September 9, 2013 Minister Teraleen Campbell called for a prayer conference call to pray for our children which included babies through 6th grade, middle school children, high school students and college students. We also prayed for parents. I was assigned to pray for high school students. It was powerful .

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Last week, the first week of September ,I began calling for united prayer for our school children and their schools. In Part I and Part II of Back 2 School Prayers specific prayer points to guide you in praying for your school children, teachers and administrators were provided on this blog.

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Pray over your children daily. I challenge you to write the child’s first name and/or school place it below or send or to inbox me on facebook. As a result I decided to put together a Back 2 School Prayer Sheet.

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BACK 2 SCHOOL PRAYER SHEET

Praise—Praising God for who He is, His attributes, His name or His character.
.
God is our shield for our children and their schools
Definition: One who is our means of defense or protection
Scripture(s): II Samuel 22:1-3; Psalm 84:11; Proverbs 2:7-8

Confession—Silently confessing your sins to the God who forgives.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NASB)
Thanksgiving—Thanking God for the fruit of our wombs. We thank God that our children are a hertiage of the Lord.
In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NASB)

Intercession—Coming to God in prayer on behalf of others’ children , our children, the teachers and the schools.

Children and Teens
Prayer Points
• Daily pray for the safety of our children and that God will deliver them from evil and thwart every scheme of the enemy. Lord we pray that you cover the children and youth through the blood and “stay the hand of violence against the children and staff of the school. Dismantle any plan to bring harm to them. Expose any weapon brought on the school premises and render it harmless”.( from Power-Packed Prayers for Public Schools by Ida Rose Heckard)

• Pray that our children will be open to learning new knowledge and that God would give them the wisdom to know how to understand and use that knowledge. We need to pray that our children have the ability to discriminate between good knowledge and bad knowledge. Teach a child to choose the right path, and when he is older he will remain upon it. (Proverbs 22:6) See remainder of specific prayer points on this link https://www.facebook.com/PrayActWriteRight and https://ladyofprayer.com/?p=1404

Child #1:
Child #2:
Child #3:

Specific Request
Child #1:
Child #2:
Child #3:

Teachers/Staff

Prayer Points:

Pray for our school teachers to have the wisdom needed to effectively impart knowledge to their students. A wise teacher makes learning a joy. (Proverbs 15:2a)

Pray for our school teachers that God will give them the grace to deal with day-to-day frustrations and problems.
See remainder of specific prayer points on this link https://www.facebook.com/PrayActWriteRight

Specific Request:

School Concerns:

Linda Fegins

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Back 2 School Prayers Part II: Prayers for Teachers and Adminstrators

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Yesterday September 3, 2013 I called for Back 2 School United Prayers for our children and the schools they attend and posted about 10 specific prayer points for our school children.https://ladyofprayer.com/?p=1404 >

We need to continually uplift the entire educational system and all those involved in it which includes our teachers and administrators. We need teachers who are committed to effectively teaching our children. There is no doubt there are some committed excellent teachers. Schools must be safe for teachers as well as students. In 2011 a student hit a teacher in the back with a stapler, hid in a closet and started hitting the teacher in the chest when the teacher opened the closet door.

On the other hand we must guard against negative attitudes of teachers that adversly affects how and what they teach children. We cannot tolerate teachers such as Jennifer O’ Brien who made negative remarks about a group of largely Black and Hispanic first graders when she complained that she was a “warden for future criminal’s”. Our children are worthy of respect and are entitled to the best education they can possibly obtain in a positive and nurturing enviroment.

The prayer of agreement is powerful and we must join our voices and hearts to consitently pray for those involved in educating our children. Below are specific prayer points to pray for our teachers and adminstrators. https://www.facebook.com/PrayActWriteRight

Teachers
Pray:
• Pray for our school teachers to have the wisdom needed to effectively impart knowledge to their students. A wise teacher makes learning a joy… (Proverbs 15:2a)
• Pray for our school teachers that God will give them the grace to deal with day-to-day frustrations and problems.
• Pray that our school teachers would exhibit the life of Christ before our children. That they would be filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and faithfulness.
• Pray for the one in charge of the screening and hiring of teachers, and pray that he/she recruits effective teachers with integrity and a true heart for teaching children for our schools. ( See Matthew 9:38)
• Ask God to rise up Godly educators who are dedicated to their field and can capture the hearts and minds of our nation’s youth on each level of education. (Colossians 1:9-10)
• Pray our educators will pray unceasingly for guidance and wisdom to become the examples to their students. (I Peter 2:21) Pray they will know how to pray for their students.
• Pray that teachers will impart godly wisdom to form godly character in their students. (Luke 6:40)

Administrators
• Pray for the standard of excellence to be restored in our educational institutes and that our educators will pass on that spirit of excellence, requiring excellence, rather than sloth and ignorance. (Ecclesiastes 2:13-14)
• Pray for the needed tools and proper facilities to teach our children.(Philippians 4:19)
• Pray for the election of godly leaders on our school boards and in the administration of our schools. (I Timothy 2:1)
• Pray for the support staff in the schools to treat the children with dignity and respect.
( Many prayer points for teachers and adminstrators were adopted from From Power-Packed Prayers for Public Schools by Ida Rose Heckard)

copyright 2012/2013 Linda Fegins

Pray Fervently,
Linda D. Fegins
Former Prayer Coordinator and Director(13 years), Lydia Circle of Christian Professional and Business Women
Intercessory Prayer Leader for Messiah Baptist Church
Writer in the Anthology -“Tali Cumi: Daughters Arise”
Writer in the Anthology -“It’s Worth the Struggle- Inspiration for Contemporary Writers”
Christian Dramatist, “Sojourner Truth”, “Eve” etc.
Sunday School and Christian Education Teacher
Linda’s Report Blog https://www.thefeginsreport.com
The Prayer Leader https://ladyofprayer.com

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Pray for Laborers and Their Pensions and Benefits

“Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessing and prosperity will be yours. Psalm 128: 1-2 (NIV)

The September 2, 2013, Labor Day holiday will be celebrated by families around the country with picnics, barbecues, and road trips. Working families in hundreds of towns and cities will honor workers and the work they do. I’m going to march in the Labor Day Paradein the city of Detroit to show support for laborers.

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Due to the fiscal distress of municipalities and politics, many areas of the country have seen challenges and changes to the public employment workplace culture and unions. Many of the affairs of municipalities in fiscal distress have endured governing authorities appointing emergency managers who union leaders consider anti-worker and anti union contracts because emergency managers can change or suspend contracts and privatize work that union laborers once performed. Governor Snyeder has appointed Attorney Orr Emergency Manager over he City of Detroit. Emergency Manager Orr has filed for Bankruptcy for the City of Detroit. Retirees and labors now fret about what is going to happen to their pensions and benefits.

In remembering those who work for the good of their families, the community and our nation we can offer prayers for them. In this changing workplace culture we need to pray for laborers in both private and public sectors. Pray:

1. That God will reveal the dignity and honor of work with excellence for a fair return and reasonable benefits.
2. That workplaces would be a setting of safety and a place where workers will be treated with justice, respect and dignity.
3. That workers will be treated fairly and work will not be privatized at rates that are higher than the what laborers were paid for.
4. For continued employment in the changing global economy.
5. That laborers would pray in the workplace where permissible.
6. Pray for wise and fair supervisors and managers.
7. Pray for political leaders to be men and women of integrity, honor and wisdom that make sound decisions that follow God’s standards for the work place in the public sector.
8. Pray for the protection of the pensions and benefits of retirees and those in the labor force in the City of Detroit and around the nation. Lord protect the fruit of their labor.
c September 2, 2013

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