Give Our Teachers Wisdom

COMMUNITY: Schools/Higher Learning

Verse of the Day: The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out. - Proverbs 18:15 (NIV)

Additional Verses – Romans 12:2; 2 Timothy 3:16, Colossians 2:8

Thank you Lord God for each and every school and place of higher learning in the greater Victoria area. We pray for each professor, teacher, and staff person who works there. Bless them as they seek you for wisdom in how they train and equip our students. Lead and guide
them in how to bring light into the dark situations they come across. Place a hedge of protection around them and their classrooms. We recognize that they perform a very important task each and every day. 

We pray too for the students that come into these classrooms, bless them Lord. Protect them in every way. May they not only be transformed in thought, but also in character. May they seek you for wisdom and guidance, not only to acquire knowledge but to also live out their lives with purpose. We recognize what a true gift they are. We thank and praise you for them, and know what a difference they make in our communities. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Terry Opperman - Leadership Development International

Bless and Comfort Those Who Protect Our Nation

COMMUNITY: Protective Services

Verse of the Day: For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many. – Mark 10:45 (NLT)

Heavenly Father – we are overwhelmed that you would send your Son, to serve us and give His life for us, so that we may in turn come to love and serve you through serving others. Thank you for the men and women in the military. Bless and protect them and their families. We ask you to
comfort and strengthen those families who have lost loved ones in the cause of protecting
this nation. We honour them right now. 

Thank you for all those in our Police and Fire Departments, as they face dangers and harm in protecting our communities. Thank you for the Medical Profession, for their caring and compassion. Thank you for their dedication and their desire to bring healing and comfort to those in physical and emotional need. Thank you for our Social Services, and their compassion for the less fortunate in our communities. Thank you for the love that they demonstrate on a daily basis. Thank you for the Government Officials at all levels in our communities, for their dedication to providing just laws and services to our communities. 

Heavenly Father, bless all these men and women, and their families. Protect them, give them wisdom and guidance, and strengthen them as they serve their communities.
In Jesus name, we pray.

Graham Hunter - Assistant Pastor - Trinity Church

May Your Love Transform My Neighborhood

COMMUNITY: Neighbourhoods

Verse of the Day: The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish. – John 1:14 (MSG)

Heavenly Father, you have arranged my steps. Father, I am not here, in this neighborhood, by accident. You have placed me here to be a Neighbor to these people; not only for their blessing, but for mine. May your love transform my neighborhood; and may it transform
me too. Lord Jesus, I pray for all the blessings you bestow to be present in my neighborhood; for safety, for care, for provision, and for relationship. 

Jesus, you came and moved into the neighborhood to save us, to care for us, to provide for us, and to bring us into relationship. May the generosity of your gift be realized in my community, and may my neighbors experience your generous nature through me. I pray Holy Spirit that you would transform me, making me a blessing to this community. Make me a comforter, a healer, a gift-giver, and truth-teller like you. Make me fully present in my neighborhood, just like you. Amen.

Aaron Dyck - Lead Pastor - Gateway Baptist Church

May We Persevere

CHARACTER: Perseverance

Verse of the Day: Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and obey it. - Luke 11:28

Father God, once we know something is wrong, please give us the moxie to own up and change our ways. And if we don’t have the spunk or stamina needed to do that, give us brave hearts to ask for help. Your Word tells us that we blow it when we deliberately choose, in the light of Your truth, to disobey. You know our hearts. You know why we do what we do or say what we say. Like Joseph who made a bee-line outta there when Potiphar’s wife wanted a piece of him, give us that kind of grit to never EVER give up choosing to do the next right thing! Even when it hurts something fierce and scares the living daylights out of us! Thank you for giving us the freedom to obey You. Amen.

Louise (Bromley) Jewell - Registered Clinical Counsellor - Pacific Rim Care Counselling

Responsibility

CHARACTER: Responsibility

Verse of the Day: And we all, with unveiled faces,
beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being
transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just
as by the Spirit of the Lord.–- 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJ)

Father God, You have blessed us with the gift your Holy Spirit and have placed within us the very nature of your Son Jesus Christ. Father, our prayer is that we might honor You with a life that is holy and true. That we might reflect Your nature, Your character, Your glory and Your love in the midst of a world so lost and so hurting. Let our lives be the guidebook to heaven for those who are seeking You. 

Give to us a heart for the lost that they might find You and be saved. Father open the eyes of those in this city that they might see Your Son Jesus and come to an understanding of the Living Truth. This we pray in the beautiful name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Lynne Schaper - Co-Pastor - Arbutus Christian Fellowship

Let Honesty Flow From Our Lips

CHARACTER: Honesty

Verse of the Day: 1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to Him. 2 For He laid the earth’s foundation on the seas, and built it on the ocean depths. 3 Who may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?
4 Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies.
5 They will receive the Lord’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their Savior.
6 Such people may seek you and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob. – Psalm 24:1-6 (NLT)

Father, we weep over a world buried in deceit; Humanity lies to itself daily about who we are
and whose we are. We fabricate images and personas to make ourselves look like more
than we are, To construct purpose and meaning apart from You; And we believe slander in our hearts that imagines us as so much less than Your beloved. 

Bless your people with the precious gift of honesty, Lord; Let it flow from our lips and hands to those around us; Let it refresh souls like pure water, Let it comfort and restore like salve on the wounds of deception That scar our identity, community, and humanity. May your Spirit bring clarity in the lives of those we encounter today; May it separate truth from lies in their hearts and minds So they can draw near to You, find belonging in You, The Way, The Life, The Truth.

                                                                           Travis Hutchinson Pastor Shelbourne Street Church of Christ

Holy Spirit, Kindle a flame of love in Victoria

CHARACTER: Integrity, Wholeness, Strength

Verse of the Day: Let my teaching fall like rain and my
words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like
abundant rain on tender plants. – Deuteronomy 32:2

O God – All people in this community come from you… Created to honor one another and for seeking the common good. From you all peace and justice flows. Come upon this neighborhood like morning dew. Inflame it with your love. 

Lord, Jesus Christ, Light of the World
Come and shine on this community
May hostilities be overcome
May petty differences be dropped
May the old and the young enjoy each other.

Holy Spirit 
Kindle a flame of love in this neighborhood
May its people be content with small means…
Seek integrity rather than luxury… 
Strive to be worthy, rather than wealthy…
Think quietly, talk gently, and act frankly.
Amen. 

(This blessing prayer is based on excerpts from Ray Simpson’s
A Holy Island Prayer Book, Morehouse Publ. 2003)

Henry Jonker - Pastor Emeritus - Victoria Christian Reformed Church