Farewell

Selected scriptures from Philippians (NLT) that express Ron's farewell message to end the Pray For Emmanuel prayer blog.

[The Apostle Paul's words to the church at Philippi] 

Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work. So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. 

God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus. Whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith. Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 

Do everything without complaining and arguing. Live as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.

Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

‭‭Pray for Emmanuel College. 

Please continue praying for EC. You can always pray for the Board of Trustees, the president, the senior leadership team, the faculty, staff, and students. At times, you may want to scroll through the many previous posts to the prayer blog to find prayer needs (PrayForEmmanuel.blogspot.com). In addition, you can pray for the following important points:

• Selection of a new president
• Spirit-inspired vision
• Spirit-enabled strategies and plans
• Standing for biblical truth in a twisted and confused world
• Ministry teams effective throughout the world
• On-campus ministry and evangelism
• Record-breaking enrollment fall 2023
• Stable and growing enrollments in the future
• Enrollment growth of online undergraduate and graduate programs 
• Development of new undergraduate and graduate majors 
• Partners who invest in Christian higher education through Emmanuel College
• Transformational gifts in the tens of millions of dollars
• Growth of the endowment fund to $30 million
• Improved salaries and benefits for employees
• New buildings especially residence halls
• Additional renovations to existing buildings
• New vehicles for college travel

Thank you for praying.

Everything Works Together

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (Romans 8:28 NLT)

Pray for the people of Emmanuel College to be encouraged. Pray that the EC family  trusts His heart to work all things together for good. And pray that the purposes of God for Emmanuel College are carried out through its people and their commitment to do His will.

Thank you for praying.

The Holy Spirit Prays

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. (Romans 8:26 NLT)

Pray for the people of Emmanuel College to be encouraged. Pray we trust the Holy Spirit to lead and direct. Pray we rely on him to intercede on behalf of Emmanuel College and its people.

Thank you for praying.

Hope that does not disappoint

And this hope does not disappoint us, for God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is God's gift to us. (Romans 5:5 GNT)

Pray for the people of Emmanuel College to be encouraged. Pray for our hope in the future of Emmanuel College to become reality in the next administration as a new season of growth and prosperity is ushered in by the Holy Spirit.

Thank you for praying.

His Will

Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:6 NLT)

Pray that God's will is revealed and followed by the people of Emmanuel College. Pray that students follow the best paths for their lives. Pray that faculty and staff follow the Lord's guidance in teaching and mentoring our students. Pray that leaders make wise, Spirit-led decisions.

Thank you for praying.

[Editor's Note: When I announced my retirement plans, my intention was to serve until the new president was appointed. Unfortunately, I am having health issues that will prevent me from continuing. I informed the board of my need to step down as president effective immediately.  

Regarding my health, it doesn’t appear to be anything too serious, at least I hope and pray that it isn’t. But my doctors are advising me that the stress I’m under is aggravating, if not causing, the conditions from which I suffer. I cannot allow my health to be a distraction in performing my duties nor can I permit my health to continue to deteriorate. 

I am confident that God has great plans for Emmanuel College. We have built a launching pad from which the new president and administration can advance the college to new heights of influence and prosperity. I thank God for your support over the past nine years and know that you will continue your fervent prayers for the college. 

After 2726 Pray For Emmanuel blog posts, the prayer blog will wrap us this week, but our prayers will not cease. You can always find items to pray about by scrolling through past entries in the prayer blog at www.PrayForEmmanuel.blogspot.com. Thank you for praying.]

Trust in the Lord

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5 NLT)

Pray for the people of Emmanuel College to lean into the Lord and trust him for solutions to personal and corporate challenges.

Thank you for praying.

The Lord Grants Wisdom

For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. (Proverbs 2:6 NLT)

Pray for wisdom in the plans for the 2023-24 academic year. Pray for knowledge, understanding, and wisdom in decision-making.

Thank you for praying.

Insight and Understanding

Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. (Proverbs 2:3 NLT)

Pray for insight and understanding to flow from the throne room of God to the Emmanuel College Board of Trustees, the senior leadership team, the faculty, the staff, and the students.

Thank you for praying.

Pray in the Spirit

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. (Ephesians 6:18 NLT)

Pray for the battle for Emmanuel College. Pray in sync with the Holy Spirit that our prayers may be inspired, enabled, and empowered to do the work of the Spirit in our lives and for Emmanuel College.

Thank you for praying.

The Word of God

Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:17 NLT)

Pray for the battle for Emmanuel College. Pray for the people of Emmanuel to embed the Word of God so deeply that our minds and emotions are at peace in the midst of the battle and that we are empowered to advance despite the enemy's attempt to stop us.

Thank you for praying.

Faith

In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. (Ephesians 6:16 NLT)

Pray for the battle for Emmanuel College. Pray for Emmanuel College to be protected from every devilish attack. Pray for our faith to grow stronger. Pray for our faith to shield us and bring us peace.

Thank you for praying.

Prepared

Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. (Ephesians 6:14-15 NLT)

Pray for the battle for Emmanuel College. Pray for the people of Emmanuel College to be fully prepared in serving the Lord by standing for truth, by knowing who we are in Christ, and by experiencing the peace of God at all times no matter what comes our way.

Thank you for praying.

Standing Firm

Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. (Ephesians 6:13 NLT)

Pray for the battle for Emmanuel College. Pray for the people of Emmanuel College to cloth ourselves with God's armor and to stand firm in the faith in every battle.

Thank you for praying.

The Fight

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12 NLT)

Pray for the battle for Emmanuel College. Pray for us to understand how the battle is arrayed before us so that our prayers are targeted against the evil in the unseen world and are specific to counteract the mighty powers of the dark world in which we live.

Thank you for praying.

His Mighty Power

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10-11 NLT)

Pray for the battle for Emmanuel College. Pray for us to work in God's power and might, not in human strength. Pray we trust God for peace, provision, and protection.

Thank you for praying. 

Safe

But I will call on God, and the Lord will rescue me. Morning, noon, and night I cry out in my distress, and the Lord hears my voice. He ransoms me and keeps me safe from the battle waged against me. (Psalm 55:16-18 NLT)

Pray for miracles of deliverance and provision for Emmanuel College. Pray for more prayer warriors to call upon the Lord on behalf of the College. The battle never ceases and neither should our prayers. 

Thank you for praying. 

Strength

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. (Psalm 46:1 NLT)

Pray for miracles of deliverance and provision for Emmanuel College. Pray for strength of mind and spirit to face challenges always with confidence in our God who saves us. Lord, be praised!

Thank you for praying. 

Rescue

The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. . . The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. (Psalm 34:17,19 NLT)

Pray for miracles of deliverance and provision for Emmanuel College. Pray against the enemies of Christian higher education who would like to silence our voice. Pray for rescue. Pray for provision. Pray for favor and success. 

Thank you for praying. 

The Lord Listened

In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles. (Psalm 34:6 NLT)

Pray for miracles of deliverance and provision for Emmanuel College. Pray for financial provision during the lean summer months. Pray for much to be accomplished in preparation for the next academic year.

Thank you for praying. 

The Power that Saves

I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. (Psalm 18:1-2 NLT)

Pray for miracles of deliverance and provision for Emmanuel College. Pray that our love for the Lord grows stronger and stronger, whether in good times or bad. Pray for his power to save us from attacks of the enemy. Pray for our trust and faith in the Lord to be unshaken.

Thank you for praying. 

They Found Him

But whenever they were in trouble and turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him out, they found him. (1 Chronicles 15:4 NLT)

Pray for miracles of deliverance and provision for Emmanuel College. Pray for financial strength for Emmanuel College that meets basic needs but also goes far beyond to enable the College to accomplish more than ever before.

Thank you for praying. 

Do Not Panic

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you. (Deuteronomy 31:6 NLT)

Pray for miracles of deliverance and provision for Emmanuel College. Pray for Spirit-inspired courage to face an ungodly world. Pray for provision of financial resources that support and strengthen our mission.

Thank you for praying. 

Give Thanks

And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:20 NLT)

Pray for the EC family to be on mission. Pray for us as a community of higher learning to be centered in Christ Jesus, to be a grateful and joyous people, and to serve faithfully through every season and through every circumstance.

Thank you for praying. 

Filled

Be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. (Ephesians 5:18-19 NLT)

Pray for the EC family to be on mission. Pray for deep spiritual growth across our campus fueled by the Holy Spirit that intensifies and enables our ability to become more like Christ in our thoughts, words, and actions.

Thank you for praying. 

Think. Act.

Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. (Ephesians 5:17 NLT)

Pray for the EC family to be on mission. Pray that our thoughts and actions are devoted to stimulating spiritual, intellectual, and professional growth in our students and in each other.

Thank you for praying. 

Opportunity

Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.  (Ephesians 5:16 NLT)

Pray for the EC family to be on mission. Pray that we seize every opportunity to share faith and knowledge with a foundation in the Holy Bible and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Thank you for praying. 

The Difference in Living

So be careful how you live.  (Ephesians 5:15 NLT)

Pray for the EC family to be on mission. Pray that the difference in how we live points to the love of Christ in us, attracting the lost to Jesus.

Thank you for praying. 

Christ Revealed

Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.  (Ephesians 5:10 NLT)

Pray for the EC family to be on mission. Pray for our determination and persistence to effectively integrate faith and learning so that Christ is revealed.

Thank you for praying.