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!