Help Us, O Lord

Arise in Prayer - Day 11 of 21

Make haste, O God, to deliver me! Make haste to help me, O Lord! (Psalm 70:1 NKJV)

Praying the scriptures is a powerful practice. Many of the psalms are prayers like the one above. Read Psalm 70 in its entirety. Read it slowly, phrase by phrase, thought by thought. Put yourself in place of the writer. Every "I" and "me" and "my" are you, or read it thinking of your family, your business, or your church. Maybe tomorrow try praying a psalm of praise like Psalm 66. Many New Testament passages work well like 1 Corinthians 13 and Philippians 4. Start praying the scriptures today.

Pray for help and deliverance for Emmanuel College. Pray for all Christian colleges to withstand the fury of a pagan world.

Pray every Thursday for clear vision and abundant resources to fulfill God's mission for Emmanuel College for 2021 and beyond.

Pray daily for the few among our students and employees who have the corona virus. Pray for their healing and comfort. Pray for the eradication of this virus.

Thank you for praying.

Call upon the Lord

Arise in Prayer - Day 10 of 21

Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:12-13 NKJV)

God promises to listen to us when we pray. Then, why don't we pray more? Do we really believe that he listens and responds to our prayers? The Apostle Paul put it this way, "He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV). If you believe that, you will pray more, and you will seek the Lord with all your heart.

Pray for the New Beginnings spiritual emphasis on our campus this week. Pray for our campus community to call upon the Lord with all our hearts. 

Pray every Wednesday for wisdom and common sense to prevail on our campus, throughout our communities and cities, and across our nation.

Pray daily for the few among our students and employees who have the corona virus. Pray for their healing and comfort. Pray for the eradication of this virus.

Thank you for praying.

The Secret Place

Arise in Prayer - Day 9 of 21

But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut the door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. (Matthew 6:6 NKJV)

The Bible encourages us to be with others in corporate prayer, but it also places great importance on private prayer, just you and he in the secret place of relationship and conversation. Don't neglect it. Create time for it. Preserve and use that time each day for a deep and abiding communion with him. And note that he rewards those who spend time with him in private. Who couldn't use that?

Pray for the opening of the new semester that starts this week. Classes begin today. Pray for students, faculty, and staff. Pray for a safe and successful semester.

Pray every Tuesday for provision and protection for Emmanuel College during these perilous times. Pray for the leaders of Emmanuel College at every level to have strength and courage to do all the Lord commands us.

Pray daily for the few among our students and employees who have the corona virus. Pray for their healing and comfort. Pray for the eradication of this virus.

Thank you for praying.

Praying for People

Arise in Prayer - Day 8 of 21

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. (Ephesians 6:18 NIV)

Maybe you are not a list maker, but consider creating a list of people you pray for. One way to do this is to use the notes function in your mobile phone to make a list of names. In this way, the list is always available to you wherever you go. When you have a few extra minutes, you can open your note that holds the list of people and pray for several of them. Of course, you can use it in a devotional time as well or in a church service or prayer meeting - anytime, anywhere, any kind of prayer.

Pray every Monday for our students to follow the Lord in their career choices and to permeate their lives with acts of Christian service.

Pray daily for the few among our students and employees who have the corona virus. Pray for their healing and comfort. Pray for the eradication of this virus.

Thank you for praying.

In Every Place of Worship

Arise in Prayer - Day 7 of 21

In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy. (1 Timothy 2:8 NLT)

How much praying goes on in our church services? People are called upon to lead prayers, and what do the rest of us do? Most often, just listen. Some of us could up our prayer time simply by praying more in church. Follow the admonition of Paul to Timothy, lift up your hands and pray to God. Don't miss the opportunity to pray more in church, praying together, calling upon God as one body, intertwining our prayers like the strands of a strong cord, praising, worshiping, interceding, petitioning, requesting, submitting. Even if you are worshiping virtually, pray together when you worship.

Pray every Sunday for revival and renewal to saturate our campus this semester.

Pray daily for the few among our students and employees who have the corona virus. Pray for their healing and comfort. Pray for the eradication of this virus.

Thank you for praying.

Present your Requests to God

Arise in Prayer - Day 6 of 21

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV)

What worries you? What keeps you up at night? What disturbs your peace? Steals your joy? Pray about it. If it's important to you, it's important to our Lord, and he welcomes your call. Do our prayers matter? Yes. If for no other reason, they matter because God answers our prayers with his peace. Our prayers may not make a problem go away, but they certainly make us rest in the comfort of his sovereignty, enveloped in his peace and love no matter the circumstances surrounding us.

Pray every Saturday for the preservation of religious freedoms throughout our nation. Pray that no law, regulation, or court case will impede Christian colleges and universities from maintaining scriptural standards.

Pray daily for the few among our students and employees who have the corona virus. Pray for their healing and comfort. Pray for the eradication of this virus.

Thank you for praying.

The Spirit Himself Makes Intercession

Arise in Prayer - Day 5 of 21

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (Romans 8:26 NKJV)

Let's face it. Sometimes we don't know what to pray. Some situations are so complex, so significant, so utterly baffling. Let the Holy Spirit pray through you. He knows your intents and motives. He understands your desires and passions. He interprets your groans and sighs. Despite your emotions or the uncertainty, the critical response is to be there in his presence, submitting to his sovereignty, yielding to his will, praying in the Spirit whether silent, groaning, or speaking in an unknown tongue. Do not give up. Do not quit the field of battle. Pray!

Pray every Friday for our faculty, staff, and senior leadership team.

Pray daily for the few among our students and employees who have the corona virus. Pray for their healing and comfort. Pray for the eradication of this virus.

Thank you for praying.