Welcome to our Back to School Boost! Each Monday of the next six weeks, I’ll share a bit of what the Bible says about all things teaching and learning. You don’t need to have a copy of The ABCs of Praying for Students, but it would be a help. You can get yours here digitally or in print if you don’t have one.
Wednesday each week, a guest will share their experience in praying for students. I hope you won’t miss their voices! I’ll share excerpts from the Bible study and guest post over at The ABCs of Praying for Students Facebook page. I hope this “boost” blesses and strengthens you for the new school year.
If you start reading in The ABCs of Praying for Students this week, you’ll read about Attitude, Boldness, Courage, Discernment, and Enthusiasm. I asked the Lord to direct our first look into what the Bible says about teaching and learning, and I landed on the first use of a word meaning both teach and learn. The Hebrew word “lamad” appears 86 times in the Bible, so it’s worth paying attention to! Let’s dive in.
Observe the Learning & Teaching passage
First, read or listen to Deuteronomy 4:1-14 here. Notice mentions of words about learning. There’s so much here, but let’s unearth truth to guide us as we pray for our students.
“Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe … Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should act according to them … Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding … For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? … Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren, especially concerning the day you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’… And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might observe them in the land which you cross over to possess.” (From Deut. 4:1-14)
Understand the Meaning
To see a glimpse of the connection between learning and teaching, let’s look at Deuteronomy 4:10 where “lamad” occurs side by side. Keep in mind the idea of being taught in the sense of training.
“Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren, especially concerning the day you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Meall the days they live on the earth, and that they may teachtheir children.’” (Deut. 4:9-10, NKJV)
- What happens before we can teach?
- What action do we learn to do?
- How long is that intended to last?
If we’re to teach, first we must learn. When we see God’s truth and plant it in our hearts, we need to live by it without letting go. Our learning is part of God’s plan to teach the next generation.
If we don’t know God’s Word, we can’t train our students in ways that align with God’s truth. God’s Word is the truth we need to know if we’re to filter truth, spiritual and secular, academic and practical. Adulthood is a place from which we teach the next generation. We learn so we can teach.
- A new school year demands we prioritize our child’s learning.
- How do I prioritize my growing understanding of God’s truth?
- What change could I make to be a diligent student of God’s truth?
What difference does this make?
As school starts, academic instruction happens in countless ways. Regardless of “how,” families and spiritual families are called to the holy task of learning truth to teach truth. Whatever the setting, adults who see and know God’s truth have a responsibility to guide and support children on their learning journey. Students in every school need the prayers of those before them.
Learning grows out of reverence (fear) for God, so teaching also flows from a reverence of God. What we believe about who God is determines what we believe about the world we call home: science, math, language, reading, art, music. It’s the foundation for attitude, boldness, courage, discernment, enthusiasm, and every letter to come. All of it. Every subject is sacred.
Learning is more than gathering information; it’s doing what we learn as those trained by the Great Teacher Himself. If we’re to pray with power, first we learn His ways. As we learn His ways, we learn to pray with power.
Something to Think About:
God is “lamad-ing” us and our children, teaching and training so we know what’s true and walk in that truth. When we teach children through the lens of God’s truth and pray for them through that truth lens, we join Him in His work in their lives.
- How am I learning an attitude aligned with God’s truth?
- How am I holding my children accountable for a God-honoring attitude?
Something to Pray:
As we pray from God’s truth, let’s pray our children say, “O God, You have taught me from my youth; and to this day, I declare Your wondrous works.” (Psalm 71:17)
Join us at The ABCs of Praying for Students Facebook Group for the Back to School Boost weeks! Be sure to watch for Wednesday’s guest post right here. And if you need a copy of The ABCs of Praying for Students, you can order a print or digital copy here at Christen Price Studio.
