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!