The LORD Is My Shepherd
231 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[1]I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Takeaway:
I have heard this Psalm many times in my life. When I sit down and read this Psalm and think about I as an educator, I feel a different sense of renewal. When teaching is hard or when life seems just upside down, You are there. You have given me everything I need to do Your will at this moment. I can look around and think about what everyone else has, or I can have the perspective of Psalm 23.
He has a plan for us and when we ask for guidance, God will lead us down the path he has set before us. If we are doing His will, nothing can stand in the way of the life-changing power we have in our families, schools, and communities. What hope and refuge we should take in knowing that no matter hard life gets or what trials we are facing, we know we have someone who will reach down, dust us off, and help us down the path to a great life.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father,
You are the Good Shepard. And like a shepherd leads his sheep, You lead us to Your will. Help me to take the time to discern what Your will is and guide me down the path to where you are leading me. Help me, Lord, to be a shepherd for my students. Protect and nourish these students through not only my words, but my actions each day in the classroom.
Let my students be near you this week. Be with them when times are difficult. Through friendship conflicts, assessments, and their home lives, be with them. Be a comfort to me and my students this week as problems arise. Let us seek Your wisdom first before all else. Thank you for loving us unconditionally. In Your name, we pray,
-Amen
Weekly Discussion Questions for Students:
- When big decisions come up, or when the day is hard, what do you do to seek comfort?
- What are ways that we could get some of our stress out from a hard day at school?
- What ideas for brain breaks do you have during the school day?
- When conflict comes up in your life, how do you deal with it?
- How can I support you when you are having a hard day?
Praise
- Add in any praises that you have this week from your own personal life or that of your student’s or colleague’s lives
Requests
- What do you need this week to thrive? Ask for those things to help you have the energy and capacity to do God’s will.
Want to Read More About Praying the Psalms Over Your Students?
If you missed the other posts on praying the Psalms over your students, you can find the links below or look on the right side of the page and click on this category to find them there as well. Please share with other teachers who might be interested as well! Note that these Psalms are not in numerical order, rather I have picked them out in this order based on my own experiences and that of the students and staff that I am working with.