Sovereign Lord

There he will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears. (Isaiah 25:7-8a NLT)

Today's praise:

• Praise our Sovereign Lord for the hope that is ours because he does what he says he can do.

Today's prayer topics:

• Pray for Emmanuel College in 2017 to be liberated from debt and its cloud of doom and gloom.
• Pray for the shadow of death to disappear in the bright light of our Savior who surrounds us with his love and provision.
• Pray for tears of sorrow and disappointment to be no more as we see his promises fulfilled before our eyes.

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

Salvation

But I will sing praises to you; I will offer you a sacrifice and do what I have promised. Salvation comes from the Lord. (Jonah 2:9 GNB)

Today's praise:

• Praise God for his promise of rescue from the challenges surrounding us.

Today's prayer topics:

• Pray for the people of Emmanuel College to sing praises to God, to be joyful and grateful for his kindness and care.
• Pray for us to fulfill our responsibilities, to do our part - lovingly, flawlessly, sacrificially if necessary, and joyfully.
• God often uses others to accomplish his plan, but pray we never forget it is God who moves all the players into place that ultimately bring about his solution for us. 

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

My Helper

Let us be bold, then, and say: "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?" (Hebrews 13:6 GNB)

Today's praise:

• Praise God for his promise to help, especially in our times of need.

Today's prayer topics:

• Pray for us at Emmanuel College to stay in his presence continuously, allowing him to help us.
• Pray for us to be fearless by shifting our focus from problems to the Problem-Solver.
• Despite what anyone does or threatens to do, pray we move boldly in advancing God's plan for Emmanuel College.

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

Satisfied

Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never leave you; I will never abandon you." (Hebrews 13:5 GNB)

Today's praise:

• Praise God for his promise to be with us through thick and thin, through good times and bad, through all of the stuff of life - even with us despite our imperfections.

Today's prayer topics:

• Pray for the people of Emmanuel College to focus on Almighty God and his promises.
• Pray for the leadership of the College to entrust it all to the Lord, understanding our roles as facilitators and stewards, recognizing his sovereignty to do as he wills.
• Pray for us to be satisfied with what he provides and the timing by which he provides it.  

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

Grace and Truth

God gave the law through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is the same as God and is at the Father's side, he has made him known. (John 1:17-18 GNB)

Today's praise:

• Grace given. Praise the Lord for the miracle of the Christ child, that instead of giving us what we deserved, he freely gave us what we did not expect nor could ever earn - grace.

Today's prayer topics:

• Pray for Emmanuel College to always proclaim the truth about Jesus, our Savior and Lord.
• As the Father has made Jesus known to the world, may we make him known in our sphere of influence.
• Pray we never let political correctness nor any other human fad stifle our witness to God's only pathway to redemption and reclamation - Jesus Christ, second person of the Trinity, very God, yet the once and for all sacrifice for sin, our redeemer and friend.

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

Blessing

From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. (John 1:16 NLT)

Today's praise:

• Starting at the manger, through the crucifixion and resurrection, continuing to the present moment, gracious blessings surround. Praise the Lord!
• Count your blessings for 2016, and despite any dark valleys and difficult moments, the blessings are there, too. Hallelujah!
• We give thanks that God's abundance can never be exhausted, that he is generous, sending what we need when we need it.

Today's prayer topics:

• Pray for the people of Emmanuel College to emulate our Savior by giving graciously and generously, sharing the Good News of Jesus' love for all.

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

Dwelling Among Us

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 NIV)

Today's praise:

• Celebrate the birth of Jesus today and give praise for what Jesus has done and is doing in the world, especially your world.
• Praise the Lord for a God who cares and loves and dwells among us.
• Give thanks, and praise the one and only Son of God who lavishes us with his saving grace and opens our eyes to his truth.

Today's prayer topics:

• Pray for Emmanuel College to thrive as a beacon of Light to the world, sharing the life-changing Gospel of grace and truth with shepherds and wise men, with the poor and the wealthy, the weak and the powerful - with everyone, everywhere.

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

Favor with God

The angel went to [Mary] and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God." (Luke 1:28-30 NIV)

Today's praise:

• We praise God for his favor upon mankind that he would send a Savior to rescue us from our sins.

Today's prayer topics:

• An angelic appearance, visceral fear, awe and wonder, then the angel speaks: "You are highly favored. The Lord is with you. Do not be afraid." Words he still speaks over us today.
• In the nine months that followed, how many times did Mary remember those words. In times of criticism and harsh words, abandonment and desperation, discomfort and pain, pray we remember we are favored by God who is with us always, speaking words of comfort and assurance. 
• In a dark place? "Do not be afraid." In deep and endless pain? "You are highly favored." Feeling all alone? "The Lord is with you." Pray we allow his words to bring comfort and peace on this eve of the Savior's birth.

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

Of God

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13 KJV)

Today's praise:

• We praise Jesus that he enables the powerless and dispossessed to inherit authentic privileges as sons and daughters of God.

Today's prayer topics:

• Other than his parents, the shepherds were perhaps the only ones to recognize Jesus as the Son of God on the night of his birth, but they were the first of millions who have received him since. Pray for more to receive him.
• Pray we move in his power to share the news that a Savior has been born who is Christ the Lord, the only real hope for change in the world.
• Pray for Emmanuel College to be a place of great joy, sharing the Gospel with all people, declaring peace on earth and glory to God.

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

Recognize Him

He came into the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. (John 1:10-11 NLT)

Today's praise:

• We praise God that Jesus, knowing how few would receive him and that most would reject him, came into the world anyway.

Today's prayer topics:

• Like the shepherds and the magi, pray we always recognize the King of Glory in our midst because sometimes he shows up in unexpected ways.
• Everyone was looking for a powerful king. Instead, God sent a helpless infant to parents in poverty to teach us about faith and provision, obedience and trust, love and hope. Pray we learn these lessons well.
• Even when circumstances seem out of control, they are not. Jesus is with us. He is always with us. Pray for eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to believe - always!

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

A Witness to Tell

God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. (John 1:6-9 NLT)

Today's praise:

• We praise God for those in the Emmanuel family who are sharing the light and life of Jesus.

Today's prayer topics:

• Pray for the students, staff and faculty of Emmanuel College to be witnesses everywhere they go, telling people how Jesus saves and rescues.
• Pray for a greater witness on our campus during the spring semester that leads more students into a closer relationship with Jesus.
• Pray for EC Serve to send out men and women as witnesses who tell about the Light that has come into the world, the true Light that dispels the darkness of sin and sets people free.

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

Light Shines

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:3-5 NIV)

Today's praise:

• We praise God for the light of Jesus that illumines the key to life - our sin, his sacrifice, our way forward through his redeeming power.

Today's prayer topics:

• Pray for the Emmanuel family to exude the light of Jesus, revealing life with Jesus offered to all.
• Pray for us to overcome darkness with Light, evil with Good, ignorance with the Word.
• Pray for EC Serve to shine the light and life of Jesus around the world.

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

The Word was God

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. (John 1:1-2 NIV)

Today's praise:

• We praise God for Jesus, the eternal one, the Son of God, the Word made flesh who dwells among us.

Today's prayer topics:

• Pray for the Emmanuel family to be confident in the promises of God we trust throughout the Word.
• Pray for us to work harder in sharing the Word with others at home and abroad.
• Pray for more students, staff, and faculty to volunteer to share God's love through EC Serve.

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

Ruler Over Israel

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. (Micah 5:2 NIV)

Today's praise:

• We praise God for sending Jesus to be our Savior and our Lord.

Today's prayer topics:

• Jesus who came to the world over 2000 years ago is God's greatest gift to the human race. Pray we never neglect, neither globally nor personally, what God has done.
• Jesus, we thank you for giving your life away and taking it back again as a demonstration of our destiny in you - life everlasting. 
• Jesus, please dominate our thoughts and actions during this Christmas season.

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

In His Eyes

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. (Ephesians 1:4 NLT)

Today's praise topic:

• We praise the Lord for choosing us and giving us the privilege to serve his kingdom through Emmanuel College.

Today's prayer topics:

• Being made holy and without fault in his eyes does not relieve us of responsibility, but it does relieve us of guilt.
• Pray for our imperfect vision to be corrected by God's 20/20 lenses, allowing us to see with his eyes.
• Rather than bemoan failed choices, pray we celebrate God's choices, trusting his love to change everything - bad to good, failure to success, flawed to faultless.

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

Every Spiritual Blessing

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. (Ephesians 1:3 NLT)

Today's praise topic:

• We praise God for blessing heaped upon blessing on Emmanuel College.

Today's prayer topics:

• Pray for vision to focus on blessings rather than challenges, on provision rather than need.
• Pray for wisdom to see beyond physical circumstances into the spiritual realm where solutions and blessings abound.
• Pray for the people of Emmanuel College to be blessed with every spiritual blessing and to be united in Christ Jesus.

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

Grace and Peace

May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. (Ephesians 1:2 NLT)

Today's praise topic:

• We praise the Lord for the promise of peace from the One who is called Prince of Peace.

Today's prayer topics:

• Grace is freely given. Pray we eagerly accept it, especially at this season of the year.
• Can you imagine a less peaceful situation than being pregnant, in a stable, no proper medical attention, miles away from family? Yet into that setting, peace came to the world.
• Pray we release anxiety, and in its place, receive the grace and peace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

To Prepare and Equip

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. (1 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT)

Today's praise topic:

• We praise the Lord for the written Word and for the Word who became flesh and lives among us.

Today's prayer topics:

• Knowing the Word and living the Word are not the same thing. Pray for us to discipline ourselves to know God's Word, but even more, pray for courage to live it.
• Pray for us to allow the Word to prepare us for every encounter, every meeting, every conference call, every decision, and for every good work.
• Pray for those of us at Emmanuel College to be prepared and equipped to do his good work as we engage in another important conference call today.

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

How Delightful

Praise the Lord! How good to sing praises to our God! How delightful and how fitting! (Psalm 147:1 NLT)

Today's praise topic:

• We praise the Lord. Yes, it is good to praise the Lord.

Today's prayer topics:

• Do you know someone who does not feel like praising? Pray for them to remember something from the hand of God in which to delight today.
• Can you think of someone who has lost the desire to sing? Pray for a heavenly song of hope to overwhelm them today.
• Who is near you that has let the cares of this world suppress their joy in Christ? Pray for God to use you to help them see how appropriate and fitting it is to praise the Lord today.

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

Find Rest

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalm 91:1 NLT)

Today's praise topic:

• We praise the Lord who provides shelter and rest.

Today's prayer topics:

• Pray for those who are stressed during the holidays to find shelter in the Lord, to exchange the world's view of Christmas for that of shepherds and wise men.
• Pray for weary ones to find rest, especially those among our students, staff and faculty.
• Pray for those who are not well to find healing and wholeness in body, mind and spirit.

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

Spirit of the Lord

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. (Isaiah 11:1-2 KJV)

Today's praise topic:

• We praise God for his marvelous plan that brought Jesus to Bethlehem, but more than that, we rejoice that he is with us today and that the Spirit of the Lord rests upon us.

Today's prayer topics:

• Pray for the Holy Spirit to invade our thoughts with wisdom and understanding.
• Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide our actions and to move with might before us.
• Pray for the Holy Spirit to input his knowledge into us even as he inspires us to love and fear the Lord with all our hearts.

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

He is beside me

I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. (Psalm 16:8 NLT)

Today's praise topic:

• We praise the Lord because he is our constant companion, always with us - Emmanuel.

Today's prayer topics:

• Pray for us at Emmanuel College to calmly move forward with him into every battle.
• No matter what comes our way, pray we will not be shaken, but will relax because he is with us.
• We know the Lord - that is enough. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

Keep Trusting

While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the synagogue leaders's house, saying to Jairus, "Your daughter has died. Don't bother the teacher any longer." When Jesus heard this, he responded, "Don't be afraid; just keep trusting, and she will be healed." (Luke 8:49-50 CEB)

Today's praise topic:

• We praise Jesus for being the healer of our bodies, and not only that, we praise him for healing relationships, organizations, and even colleges.

Today's prayer topics:

• Pray for us at Emmanuel College to shake off fear, opening the way for courage to take root.
• Trusting is different from believing. People who believe can still be anxious, but people who trust put belief into action and it shows. Pray for us to put our fears to rest, trusting in the healer.
• Jesus hears the critics and the naysayers just like we do, but pray we hear him over the din of others, saying to us, "Don't be afraid; just keep trusting."

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

Trust in God

Jesus said, "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust in me." (John 14:1 NCV)

Today's praise topic:

• We praise Jesus for being trustworthy.

Today's prayer topics:

• Pray for us to exercise the discipline necessary to resist the way of the world - anxiety.
• Pray for our trust in Jesus to far surpass our trust in ourselves or even others.
• Pray we continuously entrust Emmanuel College to God, keeping ourselves at peace in every storm, allowing him to work his plan.

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

Ask the Father

[Jesus said], "You didn't choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you could go and produce fruit and so that your fruit could last. As a result, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you." (John 15:16 CEB)

Today's praise topic:

• We praise Jesus for choosing us to carry on part of his work on earth. Thank God for the honor and privilege to serve him through Emmanuel College.

Today's prayer topics:

• In the war we are fighting for Emmanuel College, there have been many prayers offered over meetings and conference calls that later produced much fruit and significant results. Thank you for praying.
• Pray for a very important conference call today to be saturated with the presence of the Holy Spirit.
• Ask the Father, in the name of Jesus, to give us favor with all the participants, to create fertile ground for successful solutions, and to plant seeds of hope that one day bear fruit, lasting fruit of full economic recovery and a debt free campus.

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

If You Follow Jesus

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." (John 8:12 NLT)

Today's praise topic:

• We praise Jesus for allowing us to exchange death for life everlasting.

Today's prayer topics:

• If we follow Jesus, it's like seeing in the dark - no stumbling, no fear. Pray for us at Emmanuel College to follow him closely, walking in the light.
• Pray for our students to know Jesus and to follow his light that leads to life.
• Pray for our faculty, staff, students, and graduates to generously share Jesus, illuminating darkness and leading others to life without fear.

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

Never Be Hungry

Jesus replied, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." (John 6:35 NLT)

Today's praise topic:

• We praise Jesus because he is more than enough - end of story.

Today's prayer topics:

• If Jesus is the bread of life, then why do we often have an insatiable hunger for peace in our lives. Pray we not allow trouble into our souls, creating false hunger that Jesus has already satisfied. Jesus is our peace.
• If Jesus is the water of life, then why do we often struggle with an unquenchable thirst for security. Pray we stop lusting after earthly treasure, which is a thirst that cannot be satisfied. Jesus is our treasure.
• If Jesus is the bread and water of life, then why do we as Christians often behave no differently than pagans and unbelievers in matters of the heart. Forgive us, Lord, and may we drink deeply and eat heartily, filling ourselves with you.

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

Prepare the Way

A voice of one calling: "In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill make low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken." (Isaiah 40:3-5 NIV)

Today's praise topic:

• We praise God for sending Jesus over 2000 years ago, and the world celebrates still.

Today's prayer topics:

• Pray for the glory of the Lord to be revealed through his work at Emmanuel College that people may know there is a God who loves endlessly and works wonderfully among his children.
• While in the wilderness, God instructed the people to prepare for a better day when God's power would dramatically change everything. Pray for us at Emmanuel College to prepare our hearts and minds for the day rough ground and rugged places are smoothed out.
• May prayer and devotion to the Lord inspire us to construct a clear pathway through a barren landscape, and pray for the elimination of valleys of despair and mountains of debt along the way.

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

Far Beyond

"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the Lord. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine." (Isaiah 55:8 NLT)

Today's praise topic:

• We praise God who is above and beyond anything we can imagine.

Today's prayer topics:

• Pray we trust his view of the battlefield, whether mine, yours, or the one for Emmanuel College.
• Pray we tune-in his thoughts and adjust ours to his, appropriately God-sizing our expectations.
• Pray we do not settle for our limited imagination of what is possible, but expand our ways to include his.

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

We Can Know

No one can know a person's thoughts except that person's own spirit, and no one can know God's thoughts except God's own Spirit. And we have received God's Spirit (not the world's spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. (1 Corinthians 2:11-12 NLT)

Today's praise topic:

• We praise God for giving us the Holy Spirit to comfort, to guide, to inspire, and to do what seems impossible to us.

Today's prayer topics:

• Pray we utterly and completely reject the world's spirit that kills the faith of many and limits their thoughts to mere human possibilities.
• Pray we know God's thoughts through the work of  the Holy Spirit, empowering us to be used to accomplish more than we think we are capable of.
• Pray we operate in the Spirit more and more, opening doors to the wonderful solutions God has for Emmanuel College.

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.

By His Spirit

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God's deep secrets. (1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NLT)

Today's praise topic:

• We praise God for knowing how to love us in ways that stimulate our faith, providing for our needs. 

Today's prayer topics:

• Pray for God's plan for Emmanuel College to be clear to each person who plays any part, no matter how small or how large.
• Pray no obstacle or challenge looms larger in our imaginations than the trust we have in our all-powerful, all-knowing God.
• Pray for Spirit-inspired thoughts to stimulate our imaginations, separating what is humanly probable from what is Spirit-possible.

Never give up unless its praise we give up to God; never give in except to give in to him.