Sore Knees: Foundation

In our planning, we’ve been referring to our sore knees challenge posts as a teacher lectionary, a set of passages that, in this case, are used for prayer. We’re not attempting, though, to script your lifting. Please use the words, passages, and ideas in any way that most helps and inspires your time before the throne.

Our lectionary has four sections:

1. Entering the Throne Room: a call to worship
2. Seeking Mercy: confession, repentance, and forgiveness
3. Advocating: mediating between Yahweh and our students (and their families), colleagues, and schools
4. Going Forth: leaving the throne room blessed to be a blessing

References are linked to passages. Other links will take you to songs.

Entering the Throne Room

You are my only Foundation.

• You are my merciful and sure foundation when the enemy of sin attacks and in the face of the Enemy. (Isaiah 33:2-6)
• There is no Rock like You. (1 Samuel 2:1-10)
• You are the foundation that holds me together in the storms of life. (Matthew 7:24-27)
• Praise be to our Rock! (Psalm 18)

Seeking Mercy

Be merciful to me a sinner when I build on any foundation other than You.

• When I love someone or something (like success, achievements, or accolades) more than I love You. (1 Samuel 13:1-14)
• When I give into my desires and impulses rather than living in obedience to You. (1 Samuel 15:1-23)
• When I set up monuments to self instead of honoring You. (1 Samuel 15:12)

Remember that I am but dust; help me to build on the Foundation.

• To trust you enough to obey you even when doing so doesn’t make sense in my human understanding. (1 Samuel 15:22-23)
• To love you with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength. To love you by loving my students and colleagues. (Mark 12:29-31)
• To live, eat, sleep, exercise, work, teach, cultivate, relate, advocate, breathe for your glory so that all will know that YOU ARE. (Ezekiel 36:22-38)

You are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.

Advocating

I intercede for my students and colleagues who are building on sand:

• May the storms of life cause them to question their foundations, where they place their trust. (Isaiah 30:1-11)
• May their crumbling walls cause them to turn to You. (Isaiah 30:12-22)
• Cleanse them; give them a new heart and spirit. (Ezekiel 36:22-38)
• Use me to rebuild walls and stand in the gap on their behalf. (Isaiah 6:8; Ezekiel 22:30-31)

Remember that they are but dust. Be gracious toward them and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.

Going Forth

I lift up my eyes to the mountains.
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from You, the Maker of heaven and earth.
You will not let my foot slip–
You who watch over me will not slumber;
Indeed, You never slumber nor sleep.
You watch over me–You are the shade at my right hand;
The sun will not harm me by day, nor the moon by night.
You keep me from all harm–You watch over my life;
You will watch over my coming and going both now and forevermore.

It seemed like a dream, too good to be true, when You restored our fortunes.
We laughed, we sang, we were the talk of the nations–
“Yawheh was wonderful to them!”
Yahweh was wonderful to us; we are one happy people.
And now, Yahweh, do it again.
Bring rains to our drought-stricken lives
And through us the lives of students and colleagues.
Though we plant in tears, we will shout hurrahs at the harvest.
We may go into the world with heavy hearts,
But we will come home laughing, with armloads of blessings.

Unless You build the school, we labor in vain.
Unless You watch over our classrooms, we stand watch in vain.
In vain we rise early and stay up late, working our fingers to the bone–
for You give rest to Your loved ones.

My eyes are on You; my hope is in You.
Have mercy on me, Yahweh. Bless me.
Cause Your work in my hands to prosper all the days of my life.
Your peace be within, around, and through me.
All for Your Kingdom’s sake. [1]

[1]Adapted from the songs of ascent (Psalms 120-134), New International Version, New Living Translation, and the Message.