Teaching Others

A good person gives life to others; the wise person teaches others how to live. (Proverbs 11:30 NCV)

Today's meditation:

• May we be active in helping the less fortunate improve their lives, teaching them practical steps of self-improvement, anchoring our compassion in the love of Jesus.

Pray today:

• For the third EC Serve mission trip that leaves tomorrow, this time to Kenya, and returns June 14.
• For faculty member Owen Thomason (professor of agriculture) and his wife Gina who will lead the group of six, including two students, for safe travels and effective ministry.
• For their service with IPHC missionaries, for the agriculture seminars and training Owen will lead, for their labor in building and remodeling facilities, for their visit to CMF, a ministry of homes, farms, education, and evangelism for abandoned and unwanted children of Kenya.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

Love Your Neighbor

These and other such commandments are summed up in one commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Romans 13:9b NLT)

Today's meditation:

• As Americans, we take for granted that we live in a land of plenty, surrounded by every convenience, while there are millions who need our help, not just to find bread for another day, but to eat of the Bread of Life for eternity.

Pray today:

• For the EC Serve mission trip to Corinto, Nicaragua that leaves today and returns June 8.
• For Coach Ben Hall and his wife Libby who will lead the group of ten, including six students, for their safety in travel and in work.
• For their service with Light and Life Church, especially feeding the poor and ministering to children, for their construction work to upgrade areas of the church building.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

My Fortress

David sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang: "The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection." (2 Samuel 22:1-3a NLT)

Today's meditation:

• On this Memorial Day, we thank God for the protection we enjoy because of the strength of our military, but may we never forget that the Lord is ultimately our national protector, and he will be an impregnable fortress for us if we are careful to honor and obey him.

Pray today:

• For the citizens of the United States to remember the sacrifice of those who have fallen protecting our liberties, for us to pray continuously that nothing will impair our freedoms, from enemies within or without, especially religious freedoms.
• For those who serve in our military, for their protection and safety, for them to be people of courage and tenacity.
• For the chaplains who serve in the armed forces to be effective in leading many to Jesus Christ, for them to be shining examples of God's grace.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

God's Riches

Oh, how great are God's riches and wisdom and knowledge! (Romans 11:33a NLT)

Today's meditation:

• We plumb the depths of God's wisdom and never find an ending. We explore the expanse of his knowledge and never exhaust it.

Pray today:

• For the fundraising initiative currently underway to solicit gifts for classroom upgrades around campus, for funds received now and over the summer to be equal to the projected costs.
• For people, who have an interest in improving where students learn, to be informed about this project and to help, for them to understand they are the caretakers of some of God's riches to be used to build his kingdom at Emmanuel College.
• For our campus classroom environment to be a physical space conducive to learning, for our faculty to have the tools and resources to teach well, for our students to have persistence in pursuing their educational goals, for them to be inspired to learn much and learn well.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

An Inheritance

For you have heard my vows, O God. You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name. (Psalm 61:5 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Our heritage is a deep, abiding faith that propels us to a life of Christian love and service, rich in mercy, full of grace and truth.

Pray today:

• For us to keep our promises to the Lord to be faithful at all times and in every condition.
• For us to be glad recipients of the spiritual blessings we inherit from the Lord, for us to receive with joy the inheritance of those who have gone before us, who have left us spiritual and material gifts.
• For more of God's people to obey the Lord in leaving a legacy for those that follow, for future students of Emmanuel College to be blessed by the spiritual and monetary bequests of those living and working today.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

Wise Leadership

Without wise leadership, a nation fails; there is safety in having many advisers. (Proverbs 11:14 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Whether leading a nation or a college or a Sunday School class, leaders need advice from others and wisdom from the Holy Spirit.

Pray today:

• For President Trump and his administration to be wise beyond their human capabilities and to make decisions in alignment with Biblical values and principles.
• For Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, to lead her department to protect the religious rights of Christian colleges and universities like Emmanuel.
• For Congress to pass legislation that continues to provide funding for students who choose to attend Christian colleges, and furthermore, to protect Christian colleges from those who would attempt to muzzle the voices and diminish the influence of Christian higher education.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

Straight Ahead

Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. (Proverbs 4:25 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Rather than create a future of human design that we ask God to bless, we sharply focus on moving with steady resolve toward a future shaped by God's gracious hand and guided by the Holy Spirit. 

Pray today:

• For Emmanuel College to connect with philanthropists whose values and interests align with our values and vision.
• For College personnel to formulate and communicate the vision with clarity and divine intervention.
• For us to avoid distractions by fixing our eyes on God-breathed priorities and objectives.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

Hard Work

Wise words bring many benefits, and hard work brings rewards. (Proverbs 12:14 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Although we trust the Lord for his merciful benefits, we also understand he expects of us to work hard, fulfilling our responsibility to do our work even as he does his.

Pray today:

• For a higher than expected summer school enrollment, for successful summer camps and events on campus, for the faculty and staff who will work through the summer.
• For students enrolled this summer to be successful, whether getting ahead or catching up, for them to work hard to improve themselves and their grade point averages.
• For summer projects to be completed on time and under budget, for safety and good health for all the workers engaged in various projects, for wisdom and energy needed to complete everything before the beginning of fall semester.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

Jesus Touched Them

The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground. Then Jesus came over and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." (Matthew 17:6-7 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• When Jesus shows up, anxiety dissipates. With his touch, we get up and get going.

Pray today:

• For us to hear the voice of Jesus calling us to action, directing our efforts, encouraging us to vanquish anxiety.
• For obstacles in our path to be carried out of our way as easily as a fast flowing river moves debris to its banks and flows to the sea unimpeded.
• As we did yesterday, pray and keep on praying that no impediment will arise that slows the progress of Emmanuel College in becoming all God intends for us to be both now and in the future.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

Anxious Thoughts

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. (Psalm 139:23 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Someone has said that anxiety is the fear of fear, a total waste of emotion and energy, so instead, may we confess it before God our Father who knows everything that is in us, and may we pray for a pure heart that fears the Lord only.

Pray today:

• For the best possible outcome from our accreditation review in June, for Emmanuel to find favor with the review committee.
• For the completion of documents and materials to strengthen our position with the accreditation review committee, for the individuals involved to do their work quickly, for these documents to be in our hands by the last week of May and submitted to the accreditation agency by June 1, 
• For no impediment to arise that slows the progress of Emmanuel College in becoming all God intends for us to be both now and in the future.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

At His Command

Let the whole world fear the Lord, and let everyone stand in awe of him. For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command. (Psalm 33:8-9 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• One word, that's all it takes, and God can accomplish what he wants, when he wants it - unstoppable, immutable, incredible!

Praise today:

• Yes, praise God today for who he is, Creator of everything good, Sovereign over all, and yet, he is my intimate friend, the lover of my soul, my Savior.
• Yes, praise him for his ability to speak order into chaos, righting wrongs and fixing his purpose in us, and even more, thank God for his deep desire to do this for us.
• Yes, stand in awe of him today, in your churches and worship services, in your homes, in your workplaces, let everyone stand in awe of the Lord.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

I Will Raise Up

I will raise up Cyrus to fulfill my righteous purpose, and I will guide his actions. He will restore my city and free my captive people - without seeking a reward! I, the Lord of Heaven's Armies have spoken! (Isaiah 45:13 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• The Lord has resources at his disposal that we do not know nor cannot even imagine.

Pray today:

• For greater faith to believe all things are possible with God, even the release from crushing debt.
• For those who are working behind the scenes to connect Emmanuel College to individuals and organizations God may raise up to accomplish his purposes and to be our provision, for communication channels to open, for conversations to be guided by the Holy Spirit.
• For those who have already committed themselves to be part of the solution, for them to be encouraged and inspired, for their actions to be guided by the Lord.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

A Rich Harvest

So you must live like people who belong to the light, for it is the light that brings a rich harvest of every kind of goodness, righteousness, and truth. (Ephesians 5:8b-9 GNB)

Today's meditation:

• Belonging to Jesus changes everything. Confusion gives way to clarity and desire transforms from selfish to selfless, conforming to what is good, holy, and true.

Pray today:

• To the Lord of the harvest to bless Emmanuel College with an abundance of good gifts, holy living, and understanding of the truth.
• For the Emmanuel family to live in the Light, to allow his light to shine through us, to be examples of Jesus in words and actions, to draw others to the Light.
• For those who need a life-changing experience, whether to be redeemed or as the redeemed to be energized and commissioned, to find themselves at Emmanuel this fall confronted by the Light that dissolves darkness and changes everything.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

Springs that Gush

For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills. (Deuteronomy 8:7 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• God has a way of bringing us to his places of provision, even though we are sometimes less than cooperative, especially if we manage to keep praying.

Pray today:

• For the next Early Registration event on June 17 for new students, for our communication with potential new students to be effective, for registrations to exceed expectations.
• For potential new students who are indecisive to obey the voice of the Lord, for those who are being called to enroll at Emmanuel this fall to send their deposits and attend Early Registration, for the Holy Spirit to guide them successfully through every challenge.
• For the students who have already committed to enroll to overcome obstacles in their way, to find adequate resources, and to experience the favor of the Lord in all their preparations.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

Love for Others

He told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you. (Colossians 1:8 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• The Holy Spirit can help us see beyond ourselves to see what others need and what we can do to help them. 

Pray today:

• For the annual admissions training event that begins today and continues through Saturday, for unity, teamwork, and determination to be birthed this week.
• For training objectives to be achieved, for material to be learned and applied, for steady resolve to achieve our goals.
• For the Holy Spirit to guide our work, to inspire our actions, and to keep us focused on loving and helping others.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

A Door Standing Open

Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast.  (Revelation 4:1 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• The Bible is full of open door moments for the faithful, and it is no different today so be looking for the open doors.

Pray today:

• For God's doors of opportunity to open for Emmanuel College, for us to move in directions he call us with the resources he provides.
• For God's voice to be heard clearly by us and by those who are called to help us, for new initiatives to be funded, for Spirit-inspired ideas to move forward.
• For the vision of the future to be free of the hindrances of the present, for the path forward to be illumined, for hope to germinate and burst forth in those who must respond in faith to advance the vision of the future.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

The Lord Merely Spoke

The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed a word, and all the stars were born.  (Psalm 33:6 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Never underestimate the Creator who is also our God and Savior, our guide and friend, for it pleases him to breathe his creative powers into our circumstances in response to our faith.

Pray today:

• For the creative power of God to guide us through the process of eliminating the College's debt.
• For the voice of God to speak into the lives of each student who should enroll at Emmanuel College this year, both new students and returning, until there are more than 1000 enrolled.
• For the breath of God to cover key decision-makers with hope and confidence in favor of Emmanuel College regarding the accreditation reaffirmation decision in June and in the NCAA membership decision in July.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

Because of You

I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High. (Psalm 9:2 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Because of God we have joy when there's little reason for joy, songs of praise when you'd expect none.

Praise God today:

• For the Lord is our God in whom we have confidence and from whom we receive sustenance.
• For the songs whelming up from the depths of our being that bring us comfort and hope.
• For the gifts so generously from his hands for which we are so unworthy and yet so bountifully blessed.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

Which is Easier

Which is it easier: to tell this paralyzed man, "Your sins are forgiven," or to tell him, "Stand up. Take your mat and walk"? (Mark 2:9 NCV)

Today's meditation:

• Sometimes our very prayers limit what God intends to do for us because he is ready and able to do more than we ask.

Pray today:

• For the elimination of the College's debt. (One morning in prayer I asked God to reduce the College's debt. He chastened me rather quickly, challenged my faith, and pointed out that eliminating the debt is not any harder for him than reducing it so why not ask for more?)
• For our debts to be forgiven, both the spiritual and the material, for us to shake off our shackles and walk faithfully into a promising future.
• For the vision of the future to include big dreams and bold actions, for our self-imposed limitations to be dismantled, for us to dare to do what we've never done before, for the future enterprise to be grounded in God's Word and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

Give

Give to anyone who asks. (Luke 6:30a NLT)

Today's meditation:

• The essence of God is love; the essence of love is giving.

Pray today:

• For the EC Serve team in the field in Costa Rica now, for their safety and good health, for gifts of good will and love to be received by many.
• For the Holy Spirit to lead them in all they do, both in the planned itinerary and the spontaneous, for barriers to be removed, for open doors of opportunity.
• For the team's safe return on Tuesday, May 16.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

You Will Be Free

But for you who obey me, my saving power will rise on you like the sun and bring healing like the sun's rays. You will be as free and happy as calves let out of a stall. (Malachi 4:2 GNB)

Today's meditation:

• May we understand that our acts of obedience secure our future, releasing the favor and saving power of God.

Pray today:

• For wisdom and discernment to know the will of God for Emmanuel College, for complete trust in his plan, for our relentless resolve to obey.
• For freedom from obstacles that restrain us, including thoughts, attitudes, debt, and limited financial resources.
• For freedom to move boldly into the future, for the joy of the Lord to be our strength.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

Pray Harder

Being full of pain, Jesus prayed even harder.  (Luke 22:44a NCV)

Today's meditation:

• Although much has been accomplished, there is much more left to do so pray even harder for Emmanuel College.

Pray today:

• For present and future struggles to be overcome in Jesus name, for prayer and intercession to increase.
• For personal and corporate pain to be endured valiantly, for relief through answered prayers even in ways we may not anticipate.
• For patience to see the entire scope of battle not just the fray before us, for our trust in God to never waver, for courage to follow his will and plan.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

God Rescues

God rescues and saves people and does mighty miracles in heaven and on earth. He is the one who saved Daniel from the power of the lions. (Daniel 6:27 NCV)

Today's meditation:

• When the battle is long, when faith wavers, remember that it is God who rescues his people from any opposition, with miracles as needed, for there is no power beyond his control and no difficulty beyond his ability to manage.

Pray today:

• For the day-to-day challenges of the College to be dealt with effectively, for energy and strength for every task.
• For the long-term challenges to be managed well with God's guidance and miraculous intervention to accomplish his purposes for Emmanuel College.
• For critical tasks and events occurring this summer, for common sense and hard work, for discernment and understanding, for miracles in heaven and on earth.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

The Lord Provides

Abraham named that place "The Lord Provides." And even today people say, "On the Lord's mountain he provides." (Exodus 22:14 GNB)

Today's meditation:

• We may not be comfortable with God's timing or the details of his provision, but he always comes through for his children with what they need when they need it.

Pray today:

• For financial resources for our students planning to attend next fall, for them to receive scholarships and grants sufficient to enable them to enroll, for Emmanuel to reach its goal of enrolling 1000 students in the fall semester which begins in August. 
• For our returning students to find summer jobs as needed, for some who will enroll in summer classes, for still others who will search for and find additional resources for next fall.
• For our new students to manage well all pre-enrollment processes this summer including early registration, financial aid, housing, and other tasks.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

Help the Poor

If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord and he will repay you. (Proverbs 19:17 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• The less fortunate and disadvantaged people of the world are special in the sight of the Lord, and we are obligated to help them.

Pray today:

• For the EC Serve mission trip to Costa Rica that leaves tomorrow and will be in the field until May 16, for EC leaders Coach T.J. Rosene and his wife Erin, and Coach Graham Maxwell and his wife Ginni, for others working with this trip including Max Barroso and the Awakening.
• For the 21 participants including 14 EC students and several alumni, for safe travels, for good health and protection, for the favor of God in all places and circumstances.
• For the orphanages, schools, and churches they will visit and help, for the sports-based activities to attract hundreds of youth, for the Gospel to be shared and received by many.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

Light for my Path

Your word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path. (Psalm 119:105 GNB)

Today's meditation:

• So many voices, so many distractions clawing for our attention, but the Word of God is the beacon of truth we follow and obey.

Pray today:

• For the Commencement Program today on our campus, for our graduates who hold such promise and potential.
• For their futures to be bright and full of achievement, for their careers to be successful, for additional educational goals to be met.
• For their spiritual development and Christian walk to be evident in all they do, for the favor of God to go with them, for the Word of God to lead them.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

Compassion on His Servants

For the Lord will give justice to his people and have compassion on his servants. (Psalm 135:14 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• God defends and protects his children while showering mercy and compassion upon them.

Pray today:

• For Commencement weekend activities starting with the Honors Program tonight and concluding with the Graduation Ceremony on Saturday.
• For safe travels for all who will be attending these activities, for energy and good health for everyone involved.
• For our students who are not graduating, but are packing up and traveling home for the summer, for safe travels for them, for productive summer plans, for their return next fall.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

God is Able

He [Abraham] was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. (Romans 4:21 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Never doubt, no matter the circumstances. Be confident in God today - and always!

Pray today:

• For unceasing faith and absolute confidence in the Lord who loves us and claims us as his own.
• For our students who graduate this Saturday to look to the future with hope as they obey God's voice and follow his lead.
• For the promises of God to be very real to them and to us, keeping us at peace in every raging storm, propelling us forward, reminding us God is able. 

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

No One Like You

O Lord, there is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you! (1 Chronicles 17:20 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Never take for granted that we have been admitted to the family of God our Father who lovingly cares for his children with favors and blessings too many to count.

Give thanks today:

• For an awesome academic year punctuated by God's intervention and favor, such as:
• An abundance of students from our record-breaking enrollment last fall.
• The successful launch of the Diversified Agriculture program.
• A very favorable onsite visit in the reaffirmation of accreditation by SACSCOC.
• The remarkable reversal of the NCAA membership committee to admit us to provisional membership.
• The provision of the right people at the right time who have joined the Emmanuel family as employees, benefactors, and prayer warriors.
• Financial gifts, especially the unexpected, arriving in God's perfect timing.
• The mitigation of threats, the expansion of hope, and the opening of new opportunities.
• Pray for our obedience in all he commands, for his continued favor, and for challenges overcome by solutions only he can bring.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

Fulfill Your Duties

Take courage as you fulfill your duties, and may the Lord be with those who do what is right. (2 Chronicles 19:11b NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Doing what is right can be challenging, even exhausting, but having the Lord with us in our work is both reward and encouragement for what lies ahead.

Pray today:

• For seamless transitions as we wrap up one academic year and prepare for the next.
• For students in exam week to find strength and understanding, for faculty to have endurance in grading tests and papers, for staff to be energized to help with all the regular as well as last-minute needs of students and faculty.
• For recruiting and registration activities for next year to exceed goals, for wisdom and energy to manage these activities throughout the summer, for rest where rest is needed and for action where action is needed.

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!

Your Work

But as for you, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded. (2 Chronicles 15:7 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Ours is to work faithfully in our respective roles, leaving results to the Lord.

Pray today:

• For numerous work projects that need completion this summer, for efficiency in planning and implementation, for timetables to be met.
• For the fundraising efforts to pay for these projects to be successful, for alumni and friends to respond to our specific appeals with generosity.
• For strength and energy for the workers and managers of these projects, for safety and good health. 

Pray First in every circumstance, challenge, and choice. Always Pray First!