Ecclesiastes 4:9-12: Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. 

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. 

It is Friday and, in many cases, students and families are looking forward to a school sporting event, band performance, cheerleading, debate and other academic club gatherings, student government activities, and the list goes on and on.  The opportunities to be involved in a team or club can be wonderful ways to build social and emotional resilience.  In your beautiful plan, Oh God, You are gracious to grow our faith and trust in You in the context of our relationships, both in good and challenging times. We see, especially as adults, the importance of working on united visions and goals with others as essential to building friendships of depth. 

Oh God, our students and families need others to come along side in life and to be fountains of encouragement and support. God, we pray for our families and students to find the likeminded cohorts through extracurricular and academic resources to develop healthy relationships and walk and learn through successes and challenges together. We need people to give us a hand up, not throw rocks, when we fail or do not meet our own expectations or those of others.  

Father, we know that all teams do not win the state championship or receive the top ranking or academic score. God, would you please use these times for students and families to process that we do not have to be perfect or perform for YOU, because You love us as we are.  You are by our side in our greatest victories and defeats.  

We thank you for the adult sponsors that invest long hours in the programs to offer quality extracurricular and academic opportunities to students and their families. These connections develop lasting friendships that encourage and support everyone involved.  

We pray that Your Spirit will give students the courage to step out of a comfort zone or possible fear and get involved with groups at school and church.  We plead with you to place caring people of faith around our children to support and point them to Jesus. We ask that You give Christian students eyes to see and seek ways to engage and include peers that may be on the outside looking in and struggling to find friends and a place to belong socially.  

We pray for an extra measure of grace for parents striving to balance life’s demands and finding themselves serving as an unpaid taxi driver to ensure the children are engaged in extracurricular opportunities to develop both socially and physically.  Remind them today that these moments are worth the extra effort.     

Thank you, gracious God, for hearing our prayers. 
In Jesus name. Amen.

Linda Leathers
President
Operation Andrew Group