“School days, school days, dear old golden rule days, reading & ‘riting & rithmetic’…” The song written in 1907 was from the perspective of a couple looking back on their childhood together in elementary school. For some of you remembering your time in school is a distant memory; for parents of school age children, the start of school is a present reality.
For those who have been out of school for a while today’s classrooms would be unrecognizable. The curriculum is vastly different and the pressure on modern day students is enormous. The challenges for teachers and administrators are beyond the understanding of anyone who is not connected with the modern-day school system. The environment surrounding our schools today has created unprecedented anxiousness and overwhelming concern for parents and students.
Children are a precious gift from God. He has entrusted adults, all adults, with the task of caring for and nurturing the next generation. This responsibility should be taken very seriously! Parenting in the 21st century poses unique and difficult challenges. The anxiety children face today cannot be matched anytime is history. Students face challenges in elementary school today that previously were not encountered until high school, if at all. The impact of “social media” on students is alarming!
Today as you consider pausing at noon to Bend-A-Knee in prayer may you spend some concentrated time in prayer for the students of today. I would ask that you also include the teachers, administrators and all the staff that serve as unsung heroes that allow our schools to function. I would also ask that you uplift today’s parents; they face an almost impossible job of guiding their children in the midst of an ever-changing culture that is shifting standards at warp speed. I am calling on all of God’s “Prayer Warriors” to commit to enveloping our schools and parents in consistent prayer. The need for God’s guidance is unprecedented!
Will you commit to being a prayer advocate on behalf of the students, teachers, administrators and staff of our school system? Will you also uplift the parents who face extreme challenges in fostering an environment where their home is Christ centered and His teachings are promoted as foundational toward right living?
May the disciples of Christ arise and storm the gates of heaven in prayer with a fervency unseen before!
God’s Peace,
Pastor Mike