Heal the Brokenhearted

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted." (Luke 4:18a NKJV)

Today's meditation:

• Not everyone feels joy at Christmas. For some it is a difficult time of lack and brokenness. For others it is a time of greed and consumption. As Marley's ghost observed, "Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence were all my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!" (From A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens)

Pray today:

• For believers to be generous this Christmas and help the needy, for churches to lead benevolent missions in their communities and around the world, for organizations that help the needy at Christmas to be blessed with abundance to share.
• For any of our students who may have financial needs at this time, for financial help and blessings to come to them, for those who may be experiencing emotional distress to find help and comfort.
• For any of our employees who may be struggling to make ends meet, for them to find provision and help in their time of need, for those who may feel loss and hurt to find peace and joy.

Pray for the top three needs of Emmanuel College:

• To hear the Word of the Lord regarding life after debt and our vision for an expanded mission for 2019 and beyond.
• To enroll more than 1000 students in August 2019.
• To continue reducing our debt over the next five years with the purpose of becoming debt-free.

Pray for upcoming events and activities:.

• Spring Semester enrollment in January 2019 to exceed expectations because of better retention and larger numbers of new students, and for a total enrollment of 900 or more.
• New Beginnings Spiritual Emphasis, January 10-13, 2019.
• Scholars' Day recruiting events on campus in February 2019.
• Spring Preview recruiting event on campus, March 22-24, 2019.
• EC Serve trips for 2019 in the planning stages to Alaska, Appalachia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Myanmar, and Panama.
• For special projects to begin in 2019 to construct and remodel facilities debt-free, including improvements to Wellons Residence Hall, construction of the Collins agricultural teaching/lab building, obtaining lead gifts to expand the dining hall and improve academic facilities, and for wisdom in fundraising, planning, and implementation. 

Pray First! Pray Through!