The New School Prayer
Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.
If Scripture now the class recites
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.
Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That’s no offense; it’s a freedom scene.
The law is specific; the law is precise
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.
For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all.
In silence alone we must meditate
God’s Name is prohibited by the state.
We’re allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They’ve outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.
We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the “unwed daddy”, our Senior King.
It’s “inappropriate” to teach right from wrong,
We’re taught that such “judgments” do not belong.
We can get condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.
It’s scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the schools a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
My soul please take!
Amen.
This was written by a teen in Bagdad, Arizona and it speaks volumes, doesn’t it?
There are 10 little reasons why I choose to:
1. Offer Hope… “Children desperately need someone to believe in them, to encourage them, and to help them see the future optimistically and positively.” Wm. T. Weathers, M.D.
2. Be and example and not an excuse by modeling forgiveness and respect for others…”Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another…Forgive, as the Lord forgave you.” Col.3: 13
3. “Never sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate.” Dr. Bob Jones, Sr.
4. “Pray twice as much as I fret and listen twice as much as I speak.” Max Lucado Little ones need our time, patience and a kind listening ear.
5. Teach dependence on God’s presence. Isa. 40:31 Oswald Chambers
6. Demonstrate the character of God by walking in HIS attributes.
7. Discipline fairly…”A child who lives with consistent, fair correction learns that you value him or her…well-loved yet justly disciplined children…mature to be more productive, secure adults than those raised in ultra-permissive environments.” Chuck Swindoll
8. Teach personal responsibility.
9. Love deeply with undivided loyalties.
10. Yield my rights in deference to those I am called to serve with a joyful heart. Patterning humility is more powerful than teaching it.
We are the only Bible our children know for those first few years
and we have a privilege and responsibility “to walk in the light” we have
and serve God faithfully in all He chooses to trust us with.
The “New School Prayer” gives us a glimpse of the world
that our young people face and live in.
These are the leaders of the next generation.
Our work is cut out for us and the pace to keep up is daunting.
We are blessed with a greater power in us…
than the power that is in the world!
~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America. Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California. My passion is discipling and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights.
