PRAY-er

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always,  pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I’ve never considered myself as much of a prayer warrior but my role this fall on the Flandreau Indian School campus has been moving more towards that of being a PRAY-er. It is not a role that I’m taking lightly and one that God is pushing to be proactive about.

I get asked each year to open the school year with a blessing over the students at a school assembly.  I prayed at a school pep rally for the cross country, volleyball and football teams last week.  The basketball coach for the upcoming season recently asked if I would be willing to pray before each home game to set the tone for the event.  Kids will jump off of the bus on their way to a game to be prayed over. A few others that follow along don’t really knowing what’s going on but they pray too. They end up being the ones who are jumping off of the bus before the next game.

Students come to our school from all sorts of spiritual backgrounds so it’s an honor when kids approach me for prayer.  Kids stop me in the hall or in the cafeteria and ask me to pray for them or somebody they care for. I have gotten intentional about stopping what I’m doing right there and then to pray with students. We pray in hallways, the cafeteria or just stopped on the sidewalk.  The idea is to get kids in the mindset that prayer is accessible at any time or any place, not just in church or at a specific time or through me. I want them to know that God is all-access.

Some of the sweetest times of prayer I’ve had recently were being able to pray with a student prior to a court appearance (that worked out well for them), with a student preparing for a big athletic event who was an emotional wreck (so much pressure to perform) and with a student who has so much going on that he didn’t know how to pray. There is literally so much pain in his life that he found it difficult to form the words to know what to pray for. It is those times that I thank God for the honor and privilege to be able to go the Father for intercession.

I hope you’ll look for more opportunities to be the PRAY-er in your community wherever that may be and go to the Father with requests. 

FIS Chaplaincy serves the students and staff of Flandreau Indian School by providing opportunities to encounter the hope and love of Christ. This faith-based, inter-denominational nonprofit is financially independent from the school operation and is fully funded through donations from corporations, denominational entities, churches, civic groups and individuals. Please consider becoming a monthly donor to assist us in continuing our ministry. 

BACK TO SCHOOL

There is so much potential and anticipation at the beginning of a new school year.

I’ve been preparing for students to return. I’ve repainted my office and cleaned the carpets (we have a lot of hot cocoa during the year and my carpets suffer, from the spills and the foot traffic).  I resurfaced the chalkboard wall for the question of the day to be posted each afternoon. I’m starting fresh with a clean slate--literally.  The snacks are stocked for the next couple of weeks. We’re putting together our calendar and looking at exactly what it is that God wants me to share throughout the year.

With all of my preparations, though, I know that God has been preparing for this season for a long time, too. He knows exactly who will be coming to Flandreau Indian School to be our students this year; the challenges that they’re bringing with them and I know He’s been preparing the hearts of those that He wants to meet Him here, some for the first time. 

I look forward to the opportunities that He is placing before us and want to be responsive to appointments that He is making. It’s going to be a great year! 

‘In their hearts humans plan their course but the Lord establishes their steps.’  Proverbs 16:9