Daily Fellowship with God

1. The first and chief need of our Christian life is, Fellowship with God.

The Divine life within us comes from God, and is entirely dependent upon Him. As I need every moment afresh the air to breathe, as the sun every moment afresh sends down its light, so it is only in direct living communication with God that my soul can be strong.

The manna of one day was corrupt when the next day came. I must every day have fresh grace from heaven, and I obtain it only in direct waiting upon God Himself. Begin each day by tarrying before God, and letting Him touch you. Take time to meet God.

2. To this end, let your first act in your devotions be a setting yourself still before God. In prayer, or worship, everything depends upon

faith and adoration, speaking thus within my heart: "God is. God is near. God is love, longing to communicate H imself to me. God the Almighty One, Who worketh all in all, is even now waiting to work in me, and make Himself known." Take time, till you know God is very near.

3. When you have given God His place of honor, glory, and power, take your place of deepest lowliness, and seek to be filled with the Spirit of humility. As a creature it is your blessedness to be nothing, that God may be all in you. As a sinner you are not worthy to look up to God ; bow in selfabasement. As a saint, let God's love overwhelm you, and bow you still lower down. Sink down before Him in humility, meekness, patience, and surrender to His goodness and mercy. He will exalt you. Oh! take time, to get very low before God.

4. Then accept and value your place in Christ Jesus. God delights in nothing but His beloved Son, and can be satisfied with nothing else in those who draw nigh to Him. Enter deep into God's holy presence in the boldness which the blood gives, and in the assurance that in Christ you are most wellpleasing. In Christ you are within the veil. You have access into the very heart and love of the Father. This is the great object of fellowship with God, that I may have more of God in my life, and that God may see Christ formed in me. Be silent before God and let Him bless you.

5. This Christ is a living Person. He loves you with a personal love, and He looks every day for the personal response of your love. Look into His face with trust, till His love really shines into your heart. Make His heart glad by telling Him that you do love Him. He offers Himself to you as a personal Saviour and Keeper from the power of sin. Do not ask, can I be kept from sinning, if I keep close to Him? but ask, can I be kept from sinning, if He always keeps close to me? and you see at once how safe it is to trust Him.

6. We have not only Christ's life in us as a power, and His presence with us as a person, but we have His likeness to be wrought into us. He is to be formed in us, so that His form or figure, His likeness, can be seen in us. Bow before God until you get some sense of the greatness and blessedness of the work to be carried on by God in you this day. Say to God, "Father, here am I for Thee to give as much in me of Christ's likeness as I can receive." And wait to hear Him say, "My child, I give thee as much of Christ as thy heart is open to receive." The God who revealed Jesus in the flesh and perfected Him, will reveal Him in thee and perfect thee in Him. The Father loves the Son, and delights to work out His image and likeness in thee. Count upon it that this blessed work will be done in thee as thou waitest on thy God, and boldest fellowship with Him.

7. The likeness to Christ consists chiefly in two things—the likeness of His death and resurrection, (Rom. 6: 5). The death of Christ was the consummation of His humility and obedience, the entire giving up of His life to God. In Him we are dead to sin. As we sink down in humility and dependence and entire surrender to God, the power of His death works in us, and we are made comformable to His death. And so we know Him in the power of His resurrection, in the victory over sin, and all the joy and power of the risen life. Therefore every morning, "present yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead." He will maintain the life He gave, and bestow the grace to live as risen ones.

8. All this can only be in the power of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in you. Count upon Him to glorify Christ in you. Count upon Christ to increase in you the inflowing of His Spirit. As you wait before God to realize His presence, remember that the Spirit is in you to reveal the things of God. Seek in God's presence to have the anointing of the Spirit of Christ so truly that your whole life may every moment be spiritual.

9. As you meditate on this wondrous salvation and seek full fellowship with the great and holy God, and wait on Him to reveal Christ in you, you will feel how needful the giving up of all is to receive Him. Seek grace to know what it means to live as wholly for God as Christ did. Only the Holy Spirit Himself can teach you what an entire yielding of the whole life to God can mean. Wait on God to shew you in this what you do not know. Let every approach to God, and every request for fellowship with Him be accompanied by a new, very definite, and entire surrender to Him to work in you.

10. "By faith" must here, as through all Scripture, and all the spiritual life, be the keynote. As you tarry before God, let it be in a deep quiet faith in Him, the Invisible One, who is so near, so holy, so mighty, so loving. In a deep, restful faith too, that all the blessings and powers of the heavenly life are around you, and in you. Just yield yourself in the faith of a perfect trust to the Ever Blessed Holy Trinity, to work out all God's purpose in you. Begin each day thus in fellowship with God, and God will be all in all to you.

Praying For Our Students Kindergarten Through College Day 21 of 21

Praying For Our Students Kindergarten Through College  Day 21 of 21

Father, bless the students in preschools, home schools, private, charter and public schools, as well as colleges and universities with the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of who You are.

We praise You that You have heard every prayer over these past 21 days as we have cried out to You on behalf of our schools.

Now we ask that You would be glorified, that You would be exalted over our schools and over every power and principality that would seek to influence and infiltrate with the purpose to deceive and destroy the next generation.

We believe it is time for our Christian students and teachers to ARISE AND SHINE as Your glory rises upon them, and we believe that nations will come to the brightness of their rising. (Isa. 60:1,3)

We stand in faith on Your many prophetic promises that Your glory is going to be revealed in the Carolinas in a dramatic and unprecedented way.

Thank you that when You revealed Your glory to Moses, it was Your goodness that passed in front of him! Likewise, we remain confident knowing that we will surely see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living (schools) (Ps. 27:13)!

Please reveal Yourself and Your ways in undeniable and sovereign acts. May our schools fulfill their sovereign purpose according to the highest plans of God, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Praying For Our Students Kindergarten Through College Day 20 of 21

Praying For Our Students Kindergarten Through College  Day 20 of 21

Father, we pray that our colleges and universities, that they would be filled with the tangible presence of God. We pray that each student will have the opportunity to grow and develop spiritually as well as intellectually. 

May the campuses be free from barriers and prejudices against faithbased organizations, and may these organizations thrive, grow, and bring many into a mature understanding of You. 

We thank you for the new freedoms that campus life gives to students, but we also pray for protection from the problems caused by using freedom to develop personal and moral habits that are unhealthy. 

We thank you for those who are courageously living their faith and displaying their faith on campus. Give our Christian students courage to live out their faith in an atmosphere that is often skeptical of faith. 

We pray that many more graduating high school seniors would continue their education in institutions of higher learning. May our colleges and universities produce influential, godly leaders who will bring the Kingdom values of righteousness and justice into every sphere of culture.

 Lord, we lift up the professors, deans, and presidents of our colleges. In addition to wisdom in their area of specialty, give them spiritual wisdom. We pray that the Holy Spirit will use Christian professors and faculty as a mighty force for truth and that a new standard of righteousness would be raised up on our campuses. 

We pray that our colleges and universities might become centers for revival rather than for the tearing down of the faith of our young adults. We ask You to work through Christian groups and churches on campuses to bring thousands of young men and women to faith in Jesus Christ.

We pray that our Christian universities would equip our young people with a biblical worldview, causing them to thrive in their faith through their entire college experience.

May your mighty hand move. Let the Holy Spirit be felt with unmistakable power in a way that changes many lives today as well as many future careers and future marriages tomorrow. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Praying For Our Students Kindergarten Through College Day 19 of 21

Praying For Our Students Kindergarten Through College
Day 19 of 21

Heavenly Father, we pray for abundant funding to be released over our schools and for the prospering of students and teachers. We ask for a new level of generosity and faith as churches step up to provide food, clothing, and supplies for students. Give these churches creative wisdom and strategies as they approach schools and distribute the resources that You’re providing.

Inspire pastors and leaders to build relationships with the schools in their areas, stepping in with finances and volunteers from their church! Bless the many churches that are taking initiative in their community through Adopt-ASchool programs.

Thank you for the positive responses from schools that are already being blessed by the work of Your Church. We ask for boldness and love as churches reach out to principals and faculty. Open the door for schools to receive the help of these churches!

 Lord, impart vision to the business community and to the elected representatives of the community as they partner with their districts. We pray that local businesses would be moved to donate and support long-term programs in struggling schools.

May You release godly volunteers, mentors, tutors, and coaches to come alongside students, teachers, and their families. We pray that more churches would be led to partner with schools, becoming a financial support and a spiritual covering over the teachers and students.

Raise Your Church to partner with local schools in caring for the needs of every student and their families. May Your Church shine brightly and glorify God in our schools through unprecedented acts of love, service, and kindness, in Jesus’ name. Amen

NOTE: On April 21, 2018, there was a shooting at Forest High School here in Ocala, Fl. 1 student was injured. Students didn't want to go into the room where the shooting occurred. The room's use was changed to one of helping students. Now students need help can receive food, clothing, school supplies and counseling provided by Christian volunteers. The room is called "the Rock". There are now 8 "Rocks" in the high schools and middle schools of Marion County Schools. All of this was possible through the cooperation of school administrators, Christian businesses and the local churches. PTL!

Praying For Our Students Kindergarten Through College Day 18 of 21

Praying For Our Students Kindergarten Through College
Day 18 of 21

Father, we pray for those in authority over our schools. As taxpayers, voters, and parents we bring before You our city and state educational system. We pray for the State Department of Education, the State Board of Education, and our City and County Education Agencies and ask that You would bless all who work there.

May Your wisdom direct them and may a fresh wind of Your Spirit blow into our state educational system at the highest levels! Where there is turmoil, we pray for peacemakers who can bring a fair and righteous outcome in a spirit of humility.
We pray for the State Superintendent of Schools. We ask for the wisdom that is from above to be given to them: favor, strategy and the ability to bring about consensus, cooperation, and reconciliation at the highest levels in our state.

We pray for district superintendents and school principals. Help them in their day-to-day responsibilities. Let them function in a spirit of peace and bring peace and order into situations. Expand their leadership and executive abilities we pray and help them to implement innovative solutions to bring unity and productivity to their schools.

We pray for positive and happy work environments and for healthy professional regard and respect among all faculty, administration, and staff.

We stand in faith, and we boldly pray that all of our schools will embrace biblical values and operate on the principles of our constitution and protect the rights of the weak and the “least of these.” We pray that our rights of freedom of speech and freedom of religion will be upheld and protected in our classrooms this year.
We pray that school staff and faculty members will not be antagonistic toward Christian students or teachers and their values. Let our Christian students will be respectful of non-Christian teachers. Change the hearts and minds of those who are offended by the gospel and transform hostility into sincere inquiry and dialog.

May the hearts of all in leadership always put the good of our students first. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Praying For Our Students Kindergarten Through College Day 17 of 21

Praying For Our Students Kindergarten Through College
Day 17 of 21

Father, we are grateful for every improvement in the well-being of our children over the past five years, and we thank you for what You are doing in the families of our city and state.

We bring before You every family struggling and in pain, whether from divorce, poverty, unemployment, drug or alcohol abuse, or domestic violence. Please bring healing, comfort, and provision for these broken homes. We also pray for a dramatic transformation of the economy in our state and in our cities, especially neighborhoods with upward mobility challenges.

We lift to You students who are homeless in our schools and are staying at shelters, on the street, or living in cars. Your Father’s heart is for the destitute and vulnerable, and we ask that You would help these students and their families in powerful ways only You can.

According to Your Word in Malachi 4:6 we cry out for the hearts of the fathers to be turned to their children and the hearts of the children to be turned to their fathers! We pray for those parents who simply lack the motivation, sense of responsibility, or parenting skills to raise their children well. Break off apathy and helplessness and show them where they can find help. Please bring good parenting role models into the lives of young parents or teen moms who may not have had them while growing up.

Raise effective spiritual fathers and mothers, we pray! Please turn the tide of young people leaving the Church, as six out of ten who grew up as Christians walk away from their faith in their twenties. Bring another Great Awakening to the youth and families. We pray, in Jesus’ name! Amen.

Praying For Our Students Kindergarten Through College Day 16 of 21

Praying For Our Students Kindergarten Through College
Day 16 of 21

Lord, we are deeply grateful for the school teachers of our city and state! Thank you for their willingness to serve the next generation and for the personal sacrifice so many make as they go above and beyond the call of duty on behalf of their students.

We bless our teachers in the name of the Lord and ask for divine health and Your abundant blessing on their families and finances. We pray they would know and serve You!

Holy Spirit, You are the ultimate Teacher, and we invite You into our classrooms to lead students and teachers alike “into all truth.” Father, we pray for every teacher with a true calling from You to be an educator. We cry out for a fresh anointing for our teachers – that they would be supernaturally empowered to achieve results far beyond their natural skills!

Father, we pray over the most important factor in our students’ success; the quality and effectiveness of our teachers.

We ask for teachers who are extraordinarily gifted and effective and have a passion for teaching in our school system. And for those teachers who are not bearing fruit and would be better suited to other careers, move them on to those.
We pray for any teacher who is exhausted from the day-to-day job stress and has lost vision and enthusiasm. Would You “fully satisfy the needs of those who are weary and fully refresh the souls of those who are faint” (Jer. 31:25). We ask that You would refresh and encourage those teachers who may be so discouraged that they are on the verge of leaving.

Please streamline the workload of our teachers and remove bureaucratic, time-wasting activities that take them away from teaching. Increase the productivity and effectiveness of every teacher we pray! Father, we ask for the teaching materials that our teachers need and for the financial provision for every need to be met this school year, in Jesus’ name!

May those who oversee the education of our children do so in the fear of the Lord!

Remind them daily of how serious it is to cause a child who believes in Christ to stumble (Matthew 18:8) and that those who teach are judged more strictly (James 3:1).

We call upon You to instill a spirit of peace, cooperation, and mutual respect among students, teachers, and administration. May brotherly kindness be the hallmark of every school, and let teaching be a source of joy and fulfillment for our precious teachers! Amen.