Powerful Arm

But worship only the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt with great strength and a powerful arm. Bow down to him alone, and offer sacrifices only to him. (2 Kings 17:36 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• May we never bow down to the world's standards, and if we do, may we repent quickly and allow him to break the chains that bind us and to lead us to freedom in worship, to submission to his plan for us, and to action that changes lives, advancing his kingdom.

Pray today:

• For the number one challenge facing Emmanuel College over the next eight months - eliminating the debt, or at the very least, reducing it to a manageable level in the short term until he he leads us to a solution in the long term.
• For deliberations and decisions regarding the College's debt, for wisdom to find the path that minimizes the effect of debt upon the vision and future God has for us.
• For the Lord to intervene with his strong and powerful arm, turning desperation into hope, slavery into freedom, and lack into abundance. 

Pray First! Pray Through!

Wisdom Calls Out

Listen as Wisdom calls out! Hear as understanding raises her voice! (Proverbs 8:1 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• To listen more is to learn more. To speak less is to regret less.

Pray today:

• For upcoming meetings where significant issues will be discussed and important decisions made.
• For the Emmanuel College Board of Trustees which will meet next week, for understanding of the myriad of topics to be discussed, for wisdom to prevail in planning and decision-making.
• For the voice of the Lord to be heard, for God's pathways to be seen clearly, for obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Pray First! Pray Through!

Rescue

Please, Lord, rescue me! Come quickly, Lord, and help me. (Psalm 40:13 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• When suffering comes, God is there to help, especially to those who call upon him for comfort and rescue.

Pray today:

• For the people who are suffering from the recent hurricanes to be helped and comforted, for those in Florida, Texas, and the Caribbean who have lost so much and are struggling to recover.
• For those in these ravaged areas who are connected to Emmanuel to find basic necessities quickly, for the family of Emmanuel student, Alejandro Zayas from Puerto Rico, who have lost everything.
• For disaster relief groups to have the resources to provide abundant help and bring relief from suffering, for money and other resources to flow to the points of need for months to come until recovery is complete. 

Pray First! Pray Through!

Your Name

Let them praise your great and awesome name. Your name is holy! (Psalm 99:3 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• In the middle of everything with all the challenges we face, it's good to simply stop and praise his awesome and holy name.

Pray today:

• For our students who go on fall break starting Thursday, for safe travels and good rest now that midterms are over.
• For the Emmanuel Singers who begin their fall tour tonight at Beech Springs Church, for their preparation and prayers to be answered with great results, for their praise to ring out in song to honor our great God.
• For safe travels and good health as they tour in North Carolina and Virginia through the weekend, for souls to be saved and encouraged, for their ministry to be effective.

Pray First! Pray Through!

Led Your People

You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep, with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds. (Psalm 77:20 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• God leads his children if they will but follow.

Pray today:

• For the people of Emmanuel College to have a heart that follows hard after God.
• For us to stay on his road, listening to his voice, keeping our eyes on him, never being distracted and never losing our focus, staying close to him.
• For protection from the wolves, those who would do us harm, for safety and good health during our journey, for favor and blessing on the road God provides.

Pray First! Pray Through!

The Waters Trembled

When the Red Sea saw you, O God, its waters looked and trembled! The sea quaked to its very depths. The waters saw you, God, the waters saw you and writhed; the very depths were convulsed.(Psalm 77:16 NLT & NIV)

Today's meditation:

• No barrier can block God's path or restrict his plan, but can only shrink away and submit to his absolute authority.

Pray today:

• For every obstacle to God's plan for Emmanuel College to melt away.
• For waters to part, for chains to be broken, for opponents to yield, for deliverance to come swiftly.
• For the myriad of challenges facing the leadership of the College over the next six months, for Spirit-led discernment and wisdom to saturate our thinking, for each task to be handled appropriately, efficiently, and effectively. 

Pray First! Pray Through!

Great Wonders

You are the God of great wonders! You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations. (Psalm 77:14 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• What an honor to be participants with God, to be the demonstration of his life-giving, wonder-working power.

Pray today:

• For great miracles for Emmanuel College, for great wonders at the hand of God.
• For God's power to eliminate our debt and free us to do his work his way.
• For awesome demonstrations of God's grace and strength among us, for miracles of healing and health, for healing from cancer for Matt Cichanski, one our athletic trainers, for full recovery for Brandon Hill, one of our students who suffered cardiac arrest several weeks ago, for major and minor challenges to submit to the awesome power of God.

Pray First! Pray Through!

Your Ways

O God, your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as you? (Psalm 77:13 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• It's not a rhetorical question: Is there any god as mighty as you? No, there is not. How blessed we are. How fortunate. How wonderful. Our source of help is greater than any other. Our rescue is certain! God's pathway for us into the future is secure.

Pray today:

• For those of us at Emmanuel College who are leading, for us to keep a laser-focus on our holy and mighty God.
• For us to walk in his ways, knowing that his ways are always better than ours.
• For our confidence in God to never waver, no matter the difficulty, no matter who challenges.

Pray First! Pray Through!

Content

I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10 GNB)

Today's meditation:

• Many may know insults, hardships and difficulties, but few have suffered persecution, and almost none have experienced any of these for the cause of Christ, rather because of our own poor decision-making. Regardless, we must be content in allowing Jesus to use weakness to make us strong.

Pray today:

• For difficulties to yield to Jesus and become easy thoroughfares for God's people at Emmanuel College to accomplish his plan.
• For hardships in resources and means to give way to Jesus and become abundance for purposes that advance his kingdom.
• For insults to be deflected in Jesus' name and become pathways for reconciliation.
• For persecution, when it comes, to be managed by the grace and power of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Pray First! Pray Through!

Through Me

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. (2 Corinthians 12:8-9 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Some people say we should never show weakness, but weakness is nearly impossible to hide. The best move is to offer our weakness to Jesus, the only one who can actually use the inadequate to create the glorious.

Pray today:

• For our weakness to be transformed to strength, but when it isn't, for the power of Christ to break through.
• For persistence in prayer that doesn't depend on answers we expect in order to keep praying, but on our faith in God and our willingness to accept his answers whether we like them or not.
• For the power of Christ to work through students, staff and faculty, through the Board of Trustees, through alumni and other supporters, through the legal team and the prayer team, through every challenge and every win, through complete trust in Jesus working through me.

Pray First! Pray Through!

Right Words

Wise words satisfy like a good meal; the right words bring satisfaction. (Proverbs 18:20 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Words are powerful. They can start revolutions, inspire courageous action, create painful division, but the right words can cut through the thickest differences and bring resolution and peace.

Pray today:

• For important conversations occurring weekly, sometimes daily, with individuals who have the power to be part of the solution to Emmanuel's debt challenge.
• For a significant meeting this Thursday to be covered in prayers for all the participants, for wise words to dominate the conversation, for the right words to be spoken.
• For words to turn into actions that bring results which align perfectly with God's plan.

Pray First! Pray Through!

They Will Pray

And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. (2 Corinthians 9:14 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Praying for one another is a privilege for people in God's grace.

Pray today:

• For the Vision 4 Education Celebration (formerly Feast of Ingathering) sponsored by the Women's Ministries of the IPHC to be held on the Emmanuel College campus in three weeks, for God's richest blessings upon the ladies of the IPHC.
• For their final weeks of preparation, for God to bless and multiply their gifts to Emmanuel College.
• For their sincere and loving prayers to be answered, for their acts of kindness to be rewarded.

Pray First! Pray Through!

What God Wants

Then Jesus went about a stone's throw away from them. He kneeled down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take away this cup of suffering. But do what you want, not what I want."(Luke 22:42 NCV)

Today's meditation:

• Jesus provides the example for us, especially commitment to God's call and submission to his sovereignty.

Pray today:

• For our desires to be one with God's will, regardless of the tensions we feel or the troubles we must endure.
• For Emmanuel's leadership, and for those who have come alongside us to help, to work with diligence, perseverance, and faith over the next eight months to solve the issues created by our debt.
• For a long view that sees beyond the suffering of the present time, for a vision held close of a bright and glorious future in a life after debt, for patience and calm endurance in the meantime.

Pray First! Pray Through!

Listen

Listen! Wisdom is calling out. Reason is making herself heard. (Proverbs 8:1 GNB)

Today's meditation:

• Humans are often caught in the struggle between desire and reason, the former sometimes leading us to poor decision-making, the latter often saving us from ourselves.

Pray today:

• For all our students to heed wise words and gain understanding, for them to grow and learn, for them to master concepts and ideas from their studies, for them to tame desire and follow sound reasoning.
• For our faculty to have energy and wisdom to navigate mid-term, for them to guide our students in learning and preparation for testing.
• For our staff to find strength and discernment to be of help to all our students, for our residence life staff especially, for them to have insight as they live and work beside our students and to be helpers and guides along the way. 

Pray First! Pray Through!

Wisdom Calls

On the hilltops near the road and at the crossroads [wisdom] calls; "I appeal to all of you; I call to everyone on earth. Are you immature? Learn to be mature. Are you foolish? Learn to have sense." (Proverbs 8:2-5 GNB)

Today's meditation:

• People, especially college students, often stand at the crossroads of decision with clear choices between right or wrong, good or evil. Pray for clear-headed thinking and mature action.

Pray today:

• For our students who are approaching mid-term next week, for foolishness to be put away, for good decision-making, for self-discipline and focus to prepare well.
• For our students who may be struggling academically to make sensible decisions to reach out to appropriate sources for help, for them to have determination and persistence and not give up.
• For our students to overcome temptations rooted in immaturity, whether something as simple as neglecting priorities or as serious as choices with life-altering consequences, for them to hear wisdom calling, for them to hear and respond to God's voice.

Pray First! Pray Through!

Praised at all Times

Tell the nations of his glory; tell all peoples the miracles he does, because the Lord is great; he should be praised at all times. (Psalm 96:3-4a NCV)

Today's meditation:

• Sharing what God has done and is doing builds faith and trust in what he is yet to do in our lives.

Praise today:

• And give thanks for the privilege we have of knowing our God up close and personal.
• And give thanks that God is active in our lives, answering our prayers, moving heaven and earth at times to do what is humanly impossible.
• And give thanks today, tomorrow and always, because our loving God is kind to us, compassionate, and attentive - more than that, he has no equal and deserves our adoration and worship. 

Pray First! Pray Through!

Bring Your Offering

Give to the Lord the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his courts. (Psalm 96:8 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Even in the tight spots, God is in control, and if we focus upon him instead of ourselves, we will see the light of his glory.

Pray today:

• For faculty and staff, especially for Emmanuel's leadership, to relinquish control to the Lord, to remember that Emmanuel College belongs to him.
• For faculty, staff and administration to bring to the Lord the greatest offering we have, namely ourselves, to worship and work in his name and for the glory of God.
• For the right perspective that looks to the Lord, recognizing our inability to see at times, but trusting his limitless view.
• And give thanks for being granted another year of provisional membership in the NCAA Division II.

Pray First! Pray Through!

Your Pathway

Your road led through the sea, your pathway through mighty waters - a pathway no one knew was there. (Psalm 77:19 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• God knows the path we should walk - even if it is not conventional or it seems illogical - and ours is only to follow it.

Pray today:

• For Emmanuel Colleges's final NCAA appeal today at 10:00 a.m., for those of us who make the appeal to have the right words to say throughout the process.
• For favor with the committee responsible for the final decision, for a decision that admits Emmanuel College to active membership.
• For God's will to be done regardless of what we think his will is, for faith and courage to face God's future for Emmanuel College. Not my will, but yours, O Lord. 

Pray First! Pray Through!

Great Calm

Jesus responded, "Why are you afraid? You have so little faith.!" Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm. (Matthew 8:26 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Storms bring destructive forces into our lives where wind and rain cause damage and where people suffer pain, but no matter the storm, whether literal or figurative, when we turn to Jesus, he speaks peace and calm into our spirits, helping us face any challenge that remains.

Pray today:

• For continued recovery from the destruction caused by hurricanes Irma and Harvey, for abundant resources to get to those in need quickly, for protection from future storms.
• For great calm within, no matter what we see, hear, or experience, for complete trust in Jesus who knows our circumstance, who sees our need, who is our help.
• For our faith to be larger than our foe, for perspective coming from a faith-view, God's point of view, for Jesus to rebuke our storms of doubt and debt, to change bad to good - suddenly.

Pray First! Pray Through!

Place of Escape

I would hurry to my place of escape, far away from the wind and storm. (Psalm 55:8 NCV)

Today's meditation:

• Whether the disasters we face are natural or man-made, we can find refuge and comfort by turning to and depending on our loving God.

Pray today:

• For the people and property of Emmanuel College as we face what is left of Hurricane Irma, for protection from harm, for peace of mind.
• For students, staff, and faculty to be protected from the dangers of the storm, for the storm to lose its power and intensity, for the rain and wind to be less than expected around the College, for no tornadoes to be spawned in our area, for the atmosphere to be calmed and returned to normal.
• For all the many people left in the wake of the hurricane who have suffered loss, for recovery to be quick, for both the victims of the storm and those who are working in disaster relief to find the strength and resources they need.

Pray First! Pray Through!

Another Place

When they finally opened the door and saw [Peter], they were amazed. He motioned for them to quiet down and told them how the Lord had led him out of prison. "Tell James and the other brothers what happened," he said. And then he went to another place. (Acts 12:16b-17 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Where one miracle ends, another begins, that is, if we cover every challenge with prayer and continue to move as he directs.

Pray today:

• For the prayers for Emmanuel College, offered by so many people, to be answered by God's miracle in God's timing, for the miracle to come through the door of God's sovereignty, for release from the prison of debt, for our bondage to end.
• For the story of the miracles at Emmanuel College to be told, for these miracles to build the faith of others who need to be freed from their prisons.
• For the miracles at Emmanuel College, both in the past and those yet to come, to enable us to move to another level of service, to a greater place of influence, to an ever expanding and continuously improving mission and ministry for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Pray First! Pray Through!

Amazed

[Rhoda] ran back inside and told everyone, "Peter is standing at the door!" "You're out of your mind!" they said. When she insisted, they decided, "It must be his angel." Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed. (Acts 12:14b-16 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• How often do we pray obediently, but with little faith and even less hope that anything will change? Then, God shows up! Amazing!

Pray today:

• For the people of God to be faithful in their praying as well as full of faith, and to keep on praying for Emmanuel College, and if the door fails to open, to keep on knocking until it does or until he shows us a different door.
• For God to take us by surprise, to show up when we expect him to and even when we don't.
• For there to always be among us those who insist that the miracle is here, close at hand, standing at the door, for encouragement to the faint of heart, for amazement to lift our spirits because the miracle is ours.

Pray First! Pray Through!

At the Door

[Peter] knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it. When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, "Peter is standing at the door!" (Acts 12:13-14 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• It's good to tell others about the miracle standing at the door, but even better to let the miracle in.

Pray today:

• For serious prayers and intensive prayer meetings for Emmanuel College, for miraculous answers and outcomes, for faith to believe that nothing is impossible for God.
• For overflowing joy in the wake of miracles, for each miracle to lead to more faith, more joy, and more open doors.
• For obedient responses, for the ability to seize opportunities, for proactive passage through the doors God opens, whether facing challenge or celebration, whether still looking for a miracle or having just been through one, never retreating, always advancing.

Pray First! Pray Through!

Gathered for Prayer

[Peter] said. "The Lord has sent his angel and saved me . . ." When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer. (Acts 12:11b-12 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• Whether you've just been rescued or still need to be, going to a prayer meeting is always a good action to take.

Pray today:

• For the students, staff and faculty of Emmanuel College to continue developing the spiritual discipline of prayer, especially gathering together to pray.
• For prayer to be the first move we make when trouble comes, when sleep won't come, when surrounded by threats, when chains fall away, when doors open, when freedom happens, anytime, anywhere - prayer is first.
• For our prayer partners to persist in praying for Emmanuel College, for them to intensify their prayers, for more people to join us in prayer, and in any given day, for hundreds and even thousands to pray for our deliverance, to help us pray through to freedom. 

Pray First! Pray Through!

Saved

So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him. Peter finally came to his senses. "It's really true!" he said. "The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!" (Acts 12:10b-11 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• When people pray and place their faith in God, he responds by moving heaven and earth to unravel and dissolve the plans of evil.

Pray today:

• For the good sense to walk through doors that God opens, for vision to see his plan clearly.
• For God to save us from Satan's plan, for us to walk in true victory, unfettered and unleashed for the glory of God.
• For the leadership and people of Emmanuel College to be like Peter, confident in God, rising in obedience, moving in faith, and saved from destruction.  

Pray First! Pray Through!

Opened

So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn't realize it was actually happening. They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. (Acts 12:9-10a NLT)

Today's meditation:

• God has a way of coming at a problem differently, performing the miracle we don't expect.

Pray today:

• For visions and dreams but also for the presence and power of God in the here and now.
• For miracles to happen even when we don't know what miracles we need.
• For barriers to fall one after the other, for doors to open one-by-one, for complex realities to yield to God's plan for freedom and advancement.

Pray First! Pray Through!

Following

Then the angel told him, "Get dressed and put on your sandals." And he did. "Now put on your coat and follow me," the angel ordered. So Peter left the cell, following the angel.  (Acts 12:8-9a NLT)

Today's meditation:

• "Put on your shoes!" "But we're all locked up with no way out." "Put on your coat!" "But how do you plan to . . ." "Follow me!" "Oh, I see." Follow the Lord and then watch miracles happen. In fact, be the miracle God wants you to be.

Pray today:

• For all of us at Emmanuel College, regardless of station or position, to obey God's orders and follow him closely.
• For us to clothe ourselves in God's every Word, for us to put on the garments of praise as we follow into battle, for us to stand behind the shield of faith and wield the sword of the Spirit with courage and commitment.
• For us to leave the prison of debt behind us for a productive and prosperous future, declaring God's goodness, sharing his Gospel, preparing his children for the future.

Pray First! Pray Through!

Suddenly

Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, "Quick! Get up!" And the chains fell off his wrists.  (Acts 12:7 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• "Get up!" "But what about these chains?" "Quickly!" "Oh, ok." And as he rises, the chains fall off. Obedience to God's command, even if it seems impossible, precedes God's deliverance.

Pray today:

• For supernatural intervention in the work and ministry of Emmanuel College, for Spirit-led words directing our actions, for angelic visits, if that's what we need, to get us moving quickly.
• For the bright light of God's presence to illumine our way, for God's provision and rescue to appear suddenly, for us to stay on task and relentlessly pursue our mission until "suddenly" happens.
• For the chains of debt to fall away in his presence, for us to get up and get going in the freedom God grants.

Pray First! Pray Through!

The Night Before

The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate.  (Acts 12:6 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• What a remarkable example of trust to be fast asleep in chains the day before a trial that decides whether you live or die! We would do well to live like that with our faith actualized and our trust fully engaged.

Pray today:

• For the leadership team at Emmanuel College that we find rest in body despite the uncertainties that surround us, for undisturbed sleep and the ability to relax because we trust the ultimate outcomes to God.
• For us to possess peace of mind during turmoil, for us to think clearly in every circumstance, for us to know the mind of Christ.
• For our spirits to not be troubled by opposition and threats, but to remain calm and confident whether day or night, whether in the darkest valley or beside the still waters because God is with us - always. 

Pray First! Pray Through!

The Church Prayed

But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him. (Acts 12:5 NLT)

Today's meditation:

• When facing any restriction or entanglement that threatens to silence our voices and curtail our mission for Christ, the church should pray and pray hard.

Pray today:

• For Emmanuel College - pray very earnestly, pray hard, pray often.
• For Emmanuel College because the war over its future is not over, and although we have won many battles, the greatest struggle is raging now and will continue over the next 6-8 months. Pray earnestly - now and tomorrow and in the days after that until the war is won.
• For Emmanuel College to be released from the entanglement of debt and from other restrictions that inhibit our ministry and limit our effectiveness. Pray hard and pray often! 

Pray First! Pray Through!