God Granted

Then Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh, that You would indeed bless me and enlarge my territory, that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from evil, that it may not bring me hardship." So God granted what he asked. (1 Chronicles 4:10 MEV)

Today's meditation:

• On the other side of exhaustion from the missional work of preservation and expansion, after the hand of God has propelled and protected during hardship and opposition, we will revel in the blessing of God which soothes our weary souls and prepares us for what is next.

Pray today:

• For endurance to make it to the other side of hardship, for peace of mind and solace of spirit while the storm rages.
• For God to grant what we have asked him, except for those requests that do not align with his will, in which case we pray for his will to be done, not ours.
• For the balm of God's blessing, whether we are weary or rested, weak or strong, in the heat of battle or in the winner's circle.

Pray First! Pray Through!

Hardship

Then Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh, that You would indeed bless me and enlarge my territory, that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from evil, that it may not bring me hardship . . ." (1 Chronicles 4:10a-e MEV)

Today's meditation:

• Whether working to enlarge our territory or following the hand of God to the mountaintop or the valley or running from evil or turning to face it, life will have hardship, but I can still pray to God asking him to help me avoid it, to lessen it, or to remove it, leaving the answer to him.

Pray today:

• For the absence of hardship, but in the same breath, for endurance to bear it when it comes.
• For us in the places where hardship occurs, in the classroom, in service projects, in meetings, in ministry, in athletic preparation and competition, in places of brokenness, disappointment, and stress, in places of growth and development.
• For qualities to be in us that we see in our Savior, who endured the hardship of the cross, yet showed us how to love, forgive, encourage, and endure with sturdy resolve.

Pray First! Pray Through!

Keep Me

Then Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh, that You would indeed bless me and enlarge my territory, that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from evil . . ." (1 Chronicles 4:10a-d MEV)

Today's meditation:

• Jesus lived an example for us to emulate in our behaviors and relationships characterized not by evil selfishness but by love, kindness, and compassion.

Pray today:

• For Emmanuel College to be protected from the attacks of evil ones, both human and satanic, for evil intentions and actions to find no opening nor opportunity.
• For our students, staff and faculty to be sheltered from destructive forces, but should we have to face evil, give us courage and faith to stand.
• For our students to resist the lure of youthful temptations, for the actions of our staff and faculty to follow the example of Christ, for the Emmanuel family to seek holiness, to forgive and be forgiven, to nurture and be nurtured, to love and be loved. 

Pray First! Pray Through!

Your Hand

Then Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh, that You would indeed bless me and enlarge my territory, that your hand might be with me . . ." (1 Chronicles 4:10abc MEV)

Today's meditation:

• God's hand over me in blessing, God's hand under me supporting through every crisis, God's hand behind me forgiving my sins, and God's hand before me opening a way where there seems to be no way. 

Pray today:

• For the hand of God to provide for Emmanuel College, for every need to be met, for every provision to be made, for every resource to fulfill our mission, for every debt to be paid.
• For the hand of God to defend Emmanuel College, for every design and plan of Satan to be defeated, for every human attack to be thwarted.
• For the hand of God to nurture the Emmanuel family, for every comfort when distressed, for every healing to mend brokenness of spirit, mind, and body. 

Pray First! Pray Through!

Enlarge My Territory

Then Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh, that You would indeed bless me and enlarge my territory . . ." (1 Chronicles 4:10ab MEV)

Today's meditation:

• Growth is nearly always painful; in the least, it is strenuous, requiring persistence, change, innovation, and most of all, God's blessing. 

Pray today:

• For an expansion of the mission and ministry of Emmanuel College, for our influence to be greater, for more programming, more service, more outreach, more world-changers.
• For an expansion of our vision that aligns with God's plans for Emmanuel College, for powerful faith, for bold action, for great courage.
• For growth in our students, for their potential to be realized, for our new students to Build a Path Towards Success using the resources of this innovative program, for all our students to know God, to listen eagerly for his direction and expand their hopes and dreams under his guidance. 

Pray First! Pray Through!

Bless Me

Then Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh, that You would bless me. . ." (1 Chronicles 4:10a MEV)

Today's meditation:

• Hunger for it, seek it, pray for it, desire it - the blessing of God Almighty.

Pray today:

• For the blessing of God on our students, staff, and faculty, for us to be a people blessed by God who are a blessing to others.
• For the blessing of God on our mission of teaching, sharing the Gospel, and making disciples, for our students to develop educationally and spiritually, for them to be changed by Jesus and to be effective as change-agents in the lives of others.
• For the blessing of God on the College's financial condition, for ample resources to fulfill our mission, for more benefactors who come alongside us to help, for a future that is debt-free.

Pray First! Pray Through!

God's Masterpiece

For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2:10 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Doing what God has planned for us requires us to yield our plans to his.

Pray today:

• For our students who are completing the third week of the semester today, for the ones who may be struggling as the reality of the educational process sets in, for them to reach out for help, turning to faculty, tutors, counselors, someone who can effectively guide them.
• For the Bridge early alert system to work flawlessly in identifying those who need a helping hand, for those who are managing the Bridge to have wisdom in responding to students' needs.
• For students who may be struggling spiritually to turn to Jesus, for them to allow Christ to make them his masterpiece, fulfilling his purposes for their lives.

Pray First! Pray Through!

Remain in Me

[Jesus said], "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• How essential it is for us to recognize our utter dependence on the Lord and the absolute necessity for us to remain devoted and connected to him if we are to produce anything of lasting value!

Pray today:

• For the comprehensive recruiting effort at Emmanuel to be super successful, for all the different people who play a role in recruiting students, for a harvest of bright and energetic students that sends enrollment over 1000 students in the fall of 2018.
• For the student recruiting team to be effective in their phone conversations with thousands of students during this recruitment cycle, for coaches to discover talented students who not only play well but also make a difference outside the arena of athletics.
• For faculty who recruit students to their academic majors to be successful in finding talented students who engage around their respective disciplines, for alumni to be more effective in recruiting students using their life-experience stories regarding the impact of Emmanuel College on their lives.

Pray First! Pray Through! 

Hard Work

Hard work always pays off; mere talk puts no bread on the table. (Proverbs 14:23 MSG)

Today's meditation:

• God blesses those who obey him, and he gives favor to people who work hard at achieving his purposes.  

Pray today:

• For our recruiting team who are already hard at work to enroll another record-setting class for fall 2018, for them to improve their skills and cover their efforts with prayer.
• For them to have safety and protection while traveling thousands of miles, for them to have discernment about when and where to travel and visit.
• For the enrollment leadership team to follow the Holy Spirit, to plan and implement actions guided by him, for the entire enrollment services team to be a formidable force in the hands of God, empowered to break down strongholds, enabled to build up the Kingdom of God.

Pray First! Pray Through! 

Thanks for Your Help

I will fulfill my vows to you, O God, and will offer a sacrifice of thanks for your help. (Psalm 56:12 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• When God generously answers our prayers in ways that provide us opportunities to cultivate a greater harvest, may we fulfill our obligations and serve with joy those whom he has blessed us with.

Praise today:

• And give thanks for the Lord's answers to our prayers regarding our enrollment, give thanks for 952 students which is another record-breaking enrollment.
• And give thanks for his help in enrolling 316 new traditional students, a 10% increase over last fall.
• And give thanks for his provision of 573 students living in college housing, nearly full to capacity.

Pray First! Pray Through! 

Be Wise

Listen to my instruction and be wise. Don't ignore it. (Proverbs 8:33 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Wise actions are often the result of listening and responding to good instruction.

Pray today:

• For the millions of people who will be in the eclipse zone today, for them to be wise and listen to all the instructions regarding eye safety.
• For students, staff and faculty to take the necessary precautions as the total eclipse passes near Emmanuel College, for no one to be foolish and look directly at the sun without approved eye wear, for children who have less understanding about this phenomenon to listen to and obey their teachers, parents and other adults. 
• For no one to take chances with his or her vision today, for larger lessons to be learned from the eclipse - that there is grave danger in ignoring the instructions in the Word of God, but great joy in taking wise actions based on its Truth.

Pray First! Pray Through! 

He Rescues

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. (Psalm 34:18 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• No matter how dark the night, day comes.

Pray today:

• For one of our students, sophomore Brandon Hill, who suffered cardiac arrest Saturday evening due to a pre-existing health condition. He is in Piedmont Atlanta Hospital in the intensive care unit. 
• For his condition to remain stable and to improve, pray for his healing and recovery, pray for his medical team. 
• For his parents and other family members, for his friends and classmates.

Pray First! Pray Through! 

Faithful People

Sing praise to the Lord, all his faithful people! Remember what the Holy One has done, and give him thanks. (Psalm 30:4 GNB)

Today's meditation:

• Remembering what God has done in our lives inspires our faith in what he will yet do.

Pray today:

• For the Emmanuel family to be a faithful people - faithful to God's Word, faithful to his commands, faithful to follow him where he leads.
• And sing praise to the Lord, for he is holy, he is good, he is faithful to us.
• And give thanks to the Lord, for he forgives us, he saves us, he equips us, he sends us. Ours is the privilege to follow and to serve.

Pray First! Pray Through! 

Your Path

My steps have stayed on your path; I have not wavered from following you. I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray. (Psalm 17:5-6 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Remember that God always answers our prayers. It's just that sometimes his answer is not the answer we expected.

Pray today:

• For persistence and determination to pray through, to pray and keep on praying, to seek God's wisdom, to discern his guidance, to never let up in our pursuit of the way of the Lord.
• For clear vision to see the path God has placed before us, for courage to follow him even when the path is not easy.
• For decision-making to be bathed in prayer, for every challenge to be met with prayer.

Pray First! Pray Through! 

Go

[Jesus said to them], "Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19 GNB)

Today's meditation:

• There may be some ways of God we do not fully understand, but one thing we do know, he wants people everywhere to hear the Gospel, and we are the ones he commands to share it.

Pray today:

• For all Emmanuel College outreach ministries that explicitly share the Gospel everywhere they go, for the leaders to have God's wisdom and guidance as they plan.
• For the Emmanuel Singers, the Emmanuel Players, and Revive Dance Team to be effective in their ministry opportunities and for their work to bear much fruit.
• For the students who serve in these ministries to give of their time wisely, to commit to the work of ministry, to develop their respective talents, and to grow spiritually.

Pray First! Pray Through! 

As a Result

But now the people believed Philip's message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. (Acts 8:12 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• The believer's call is to go and serve, but the results are up to God, yet our human limitations sometimes make it difficult to understand what he is up to.

Pray today:

• For EC Serve, our student service organization, preparing for another year of ministry, helping people at home and abroad, meeting material needs of people, sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them.
• For more students to volunteer to participate in service projects, for a culture of service to be the norm on the Emmanuel College campus.
• For service projects and mission trips to be planned under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit, for the people who will be the recipients of our service to respond to Jesus and accept his grace.

Pray First! Pray Through! 

The Right Response

Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. (Colossians 4:6 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Choice of words and clarity of communication are critical to advancing God's kingdom on earth. Pray we choose wisely.

Pray today:

• For meetings and discussions this week of great importance, for all the people involved to be influenced by the Holy Spirit, whether they know him or not.
• For steady and sure progress in the unfolding of God's plan for Emmanuel College, for those in leadership to have clear vision of the path before us and the courage to follow it.
• For obstacles to be removed, for challenges to be met and overcome, for problems to be solved, for wisdom and energy to keep moving forward.

Pray First! Pray Through! 

The Living God

I thirst for you, the living God; when can I go and worship in your presence? (Psalm 42:2 GNB)

Today's meditation:

• May we never relegate God to the distant past, but instead, open ourselves to the Living God who desires to dwell among us, for he is Emmanuel, God with us.

Pray today:

• For chapel service that meets today and every Tuesday at 11:00 a.m., for the music, the speakers, and the prayers to be effective.
• For our students to be eager to gather and worship, eager to learn from the Word of God.
• For our chapel services to be places of refuge, comfort, healing, hope, challenge, and change. 

Pray First! Pray Through! 

I Know This

I know this: God is on my side - the Lord, whose promises I praise. In him I trust , and I will not be afraid. (Psalm 56:9b-11a GNB)

Today's meditation:

• We trust God and offer him praise knowing we are protected by his promises and kept safe in his care - even when what happens is different from what we expect.

Pray today:

• For all who are involved in writing the NCAA appeal document which must be submitted by this Wednesday, for the words to be clear and persuasive.
• For the members of the NCAA Membership Committee as they review the appeal over the next two weeks, for favor with the committee, for an outcome that aligns with God's plan for Emmanuel College.
• For fearless courage to face any challenge, both present and future.

Pray First! Pray Through! 

You Are Good

I will gladly offer you a sacrifice, O Lord; I will give you thanks because you are good. (Psalm 54:6 GNB)

Today's meditation:

• May the Lord's goodness never be taken for granted. May we give him thanks today and offer a continual sacrifice of praise.

Pray today:

• For the final Alpha Weekend service this morning, for the songs of praise to be pleasing offerings to the Lord, for the Word to be spoken with power, for the Holy Spirit to move and minister among us.
• For students who may be struggling to be comforted and encouraged knowing that God is good, that God is for them, that God loves them.
• For students, staff and faculty to be glad and full of joy because God is with us, his name is Emmanuel.

Pray First! Pray Through! 

Spread the Word

But the man went and spread the word, proclaiming to everyone what had happened. As a result, large crowds soon surrounded Jesus . . . He had to stay out in the secluded places, but people everywhere kept coming to him. (Mark 1:45 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Wherever Christians are, Jesus is, but do our words and actions reveal the Jesus living in us?

Pray today:

• For the word about Jesus to be proclaimed on our campus, especially in the remaining Alpha Spiritual Emphasis meetings tonight and tomorrow morning.
• For students who have come to us from everywhere - from approximately 30 states and 20 foreign countries - to find Jesus at Emmanuel College, for many who have come to this out-of-the-way place to find restoration and regeneration here.
• For students, staff and faculty to spread the word about their encounters with Jesus, for their testimonies to tell stories of guidance and purpose, healing and deliverance, redemption and renewal.

Pray First! Pray Through! 

Follow Jesus

Jesus replied to Simon, "Don't be afraid! From now on you'll be fishing for people!" And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus. (Luke 5:10b-11 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Following Jesus means leaving some good things behind as we press toward God's best, trusting him with everything.

Pray today:

• For us to fearlessly follow Jesus into the unknown as his instruments for redemption and renewal, for hope and healing, for direction and destiny.
• For the Alpha Spiritual Emphasis that continues tonight and through the weekend to be highly effective at stimulating life-changing decisions and actions among our students.
• For effectiveness among those who are singing, preaching, praying and working, whether out front or behind the scenes.

Pray First! Pray Through! 

Awestruck

When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus. . .For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. (Luke 5:8-10a NLT)

Today's meditation:

• When God moves among us, it is exhilarating and awesome, but also humbling that God would care for us and love us so, because we do so little to deserve it.

Pray today:

• For us to constantly fall to our knees before Jesus - in praise and adoration, in thanksgiving, in amazement and wonder, in prayer and petition.
• For us to be acutely aware of the work of Jesus all around us, to never take his favor for granted, to be quick to honor and glorify him, the one who rescues and sustains us.
• For our students who continue to acclimate to college life, for our faculty and staff who work with them, for the Alpha Spiritual Emphasis meetings beginning today in chapel and continuing through Sunday, for a harvest among us that amazes and fills us with awe.

Pray First! Pray Through! 

Full

And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking." (Luke 5:6-7 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Sometimes success brings its own unique set of challenges like what to do with all these fish, uh, I mean, students. Praise God for another record enrollment.

Pray today:

• For our housing staff as they manage our dorms running at full capacity for the first time in several years.
• For our faculty, some of whom must manage courses with enrollments larger than expected, for them to have patience, stamina, wisdom, discernment and understanding.
• For our coaches with full rosters, for the student development staff with heavy loads, for campus operations and maintenance staff managing the strain on facilities, for food services staff preparing more meals than last year, for God's peace and favor to rest upon us all.

Pray First! Pray Through! 

If You Say So

"Master," Simon replied, "we worked hard all last night and didn't catch a thing. But if you say so, I'll let the nets down again." (Luke 5:4 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Weariness and fatigue can inhibit action, but the antidote is listening to the Master and obeying his command no matter how unreasonable it may seem.

Pray today:

• For the Emmanuel College leadership team to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, shaking off weariness and putting our hands to each task he calls us to.
• For our students who may grow weary as the semester unfolds, for them to keep working even if the task is hard and the learning comes slowly, for them to be encouraged and to obey the master's direction.
• For the entire Emmanuel family to be quick to respond to the Master's commands, for us to obey whether he asks something difficult of us or something as easy as simply letting down our nets.

Pray First! Pray Through! 

Deeper

When he had finished speaking, he [Jesus] said to Simon, "Now go out deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish." (Luke 5:4 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Wading in the shallows is pleasant and fun, but real growth happens when we move into the deep, where we have to flex our muscles, expend more energy, and learn new skills.

Pray today:

• For our students as they attend the first day of classes today to begin a new academic semester, for them to be eager to learn and ready to work.
• For our faculty to take their students deeper into the various academic disciplines, encouraging them to obtain knowledge and understanding.
• For our students to take the necessary actions to learn, for them to make time for reading and study, for them to get enough rest, for them to spend leisure time wisely, for them to reach out to faculty and staff for help when the going gets tough. 

Pray First! Pray Through! 

Obey

If you want to live securely in the land, follow my decrees and obey my regulations. (Leviticus 25:18 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Wise choices are easier to discern than they are to make.

Pray today:

• For the freshmen class, most of whom have spent their first few nights in the dorms, for those who are homesick to be comforted and to persist, for the commuters who drive in daily to be safe and to engage in campus life.
• For the new students to adjust quickly to college life, to be respectful of authority, to be obedient to God and to follow campus policies and regulations, to be wise in all their decisions and actions.
• For their fears to be dissolved, for them to search for campus resources to solve challenges, for them to do their best and pursue excellence.

Pray First! Pray Through! 

Bright Future

In the same way, wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, you will have a bright future, and your hopes will not be cut short. (Proverbs 24:14 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Wise people know their limitations, but also take action to improve themselves and expand their potential.

Pray today:

• For the Building a Path Towards Success Program that offers engagement and nurturing to our new students this fall, for the program to achieve its purpose of helping more students succeed.
• For the leaders of the program including the director, instructors and peer mentors, for them to have insights into our students most pressing needs, for them to be effective guides and beacons of hope.
• For the implementation of the program to go smoothly, for students to flourish and grow from the instruction and interaction, for each student to develop and pursue plans for a promising future.

Pray First! Pray Through! 

Discipline

Get the truth and never sell it; also get wisdom, discipline, and good judgment. (Proverbs 22:23 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• As we learn we grow, and as we grow we are enabled to help others as we have been helped. 

Pray today:

• For our returning students to have persistence and discipline to finish what they started, for them to find the resources they need and to overcome other obstacles to enrollment.
• For our returning resident students who move in over the weekend, for our returning commuters, for safety for all students in traveling, for readiness to begin another semester.
• For Emmanuel College to continuously improve as a center of education and training, as a place of light and truth, and may our students develop knowledge and wisdom along with good judgment and spiritual growth.

Pray First! Pray Through! 

Heartfelt Counsel

The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. (Proverbs 27:9 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• When stepping into the unfamiliar, how comforting to have around you those who are friendly, caring, and capable of guidance and direction. 

Pray today:

• For the student development staff this week to complete their training and preparations successfully, to be ready to offer wise counsel and guidance to our students.
• For new student orientation that begins this Friday and continues through the weekend, for those who will be leading, both staff and student leaders, to be effective in helping our new students assimilate to college life.
• For the housing staff who manage the residence halls, for the residence directors to be people of prayer and action, for the student resident assistants to be wise beyond their years and full of grace and compassion as they work with the students on their respective halls. 

Pray First! Pray Through! 

Work

Then people go off to their work, where they labor until evening. (Psalm 104:23 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• We are blessed when we are part of a family of diverse talents and skills who join together to perform our respective tasks, each member contributing vital work that moves our mission forward.

Pray today:

• For all the laborers on our campus working to prepare for the arrival of our students this week to complete their tasks, for the campus operations and maintenance staff to complete repairs and regular maintenance, for the contractors who still have work to finish.
• For strength and energy for all the workers, for safety and good health, for knowledge and understanding in all their repairs and tasks.
• For timelines to be met in completion of all projects, for jobs to be completed more quickly than expected, for no breakdowns of equipment and systems, for smooth and efficient campus operations.

Pray First! Pray Through! 

Wisdom and Discipline

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. (Proverbs 1:7 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Our students come to receive an education, but many discover so much more because they encounter God who pours into them grace, spiritual development, wisdom, and discipline.

Pray today:

• For the new students enrolling at Emmanuel College this week, for new resident students who move-in this Thursday, for them to settle-in quickly, for the new commuter students who are also enrolling, for all new students to make friends easily, to discipline themselves to study.
• For new students who may be hesitating and anxious about this week, for them to have the courage to step out and begin this journey, for them to hear and respond to encouraging words of others, for them to be drawn to Emmanuel to experience all God has in store for them.
• For every student to enroll that God is leading our way, for them to fear and love the Lord, to overcome obstacles, to find resources, to obtain wisdom.

Pray First! Pray Through!