"We love because he first loved us."
1 John 4:19
Where has a teacher made a crucial difference in your life - either for good or bad? Many of us know the importance of a teacher who saw the best of us, who drew out our potential and made us feel seen and known. Unfortunately, we’ve probably also had teachers that impacted us negatively – leading us down roads of shame, lowered expectations of abilities, or even rebellion against authority.
A teacher filled with love can make an extraordinary difference in the trajectory of a student’s life.
With that in mind, we can trust that God is very interested in pouring his love into the heart of a teacher so that it can flow out onto their students. Whether it’s through their words, actions, tone of voice, mannerisms, or demeanor, a teacher can convey love to students and build them up. But no one can give what they do not have.
What if we were to intercede for teachers in our area, asking God to fill them with his love? Each teacher faces numerous challenges that impact their ability to show up at their best. But there’s a God who longs to care for them and their needs, so they can show up with an abundance of care and love for the people entrusted to their care.
Practice: Make this your own
Every time you see a school or school bus today, and in the coming weeks, use it as a cue to remind yourself that there’s a need for God’s love in the heart of a teacher and pray for them
You could use a simple memorized phrase that you can pray on the spot:
- Father, fill our teachers with love so that every student experiences your love through them.
- God, let your love flow into our teachers and through them to students.
- Lord, bless our teachers with love so they can be a blessing to our students.
Let’s keep asking for the love of God to be poured into the hearts of our teachers. There will be days that it will not be easy for them to love their students, so let’s ask God on their behalf to carry them through with this love. Pray that schools will be environments where negative experiences are far outweighed by the life-giving power of the love of God flowing through the hearts of our teachers.