The Teacher

A prayer for a new month

Hello, August!?! Somehow the halfway point of 2024 flew by before I could even pause to take notice. 

August means a return to the classroom for a lot of the people I love, and often a return to a quicker, more “normal” schedule for the rest of us—even those of us who aren’t in school any more. (I don’t know about you, but this last week has been almost overwhelmingly busy in my world.)

All that to say, I’ve got teachers and students on my mind this week. So, amid all the emotions that come with a new semester—the excitement, the anxiety, the renewed anticipation—I wanted to provide a moment of peace and meditation for all of us right now. 

I invite you to read this prayer, aptly titled “The Teacher,” and look to our ultimate Teacher for the guidance, grace, and renewal you need during this season. 

The Teacher

O God, 

We bless thee,
our Creator, Preserver, Benefactor, Teacher,
    for opening to us the volume of nature
        where we may read and consider thy works. 

Thou hast this day spread before us the fuller pages of revelation,
    and in them we see what thou wouldest have us do,
    what thou requirest of us,
    what thou hast done for us,
    what thou hast promised to us,
    what thou hast given us in Jesus.

We pray thee for a conscious experience of his salvation,
    in our deliverance from sin,
    in our bearing his image,
    in our enjoying his presence,
    in our being upheld by his free Spirit. 

Let us not live uncertain of what we are,
    of where we are going. 

Bear witness with our spirit that we are thy children;
And enable each one to say, “I know my Redeemer.”

Bless us with a growing sense of this salvation. 

If already enlightened in Christ, may we see greater things;
If quickened, may we have more abundant life;
If renewed, let us go on from strength to strength. 

Give us closer abiding in Jesus
    that we may
        bring forth more fruit,
        have a deeper sense of our obligations to him,
    that we may surrender all,
        have a fuller joy,
    that we may serve him more completely. 

And may our faith work by love
    towards him who died,
    towards our fellow-believers,
    towards our fellow-men. 

Amen, and amen. Here’s to entering month 8 of 2024 with a renewed spirit and a restored reliance on God. Look to him to sustain you—he will!! 

From the archives:

I’m not wishing summer away by any means—let me at least get through Labor Day before you mention pumpkin spice, please!—but I did think of this post during a stressful moment earlier this week so I figured I’d give it another share.

A visual reminder:

Lately, I’ve been enjoying making these simple illustrations to pair with each Substack I publish. I share them on Instagram and Facebook, but thought I’d share some here as well. Here’s one from last week’s first Favorite Verses post.

egphill

A post shared by @egphill