Praise God for His mercy, grace, and love. Ask Him to help us live lives of faithful obedience, demonstrating to the world His patience and goodness and what a life of faith looks like. Ask Him to give us strength and grant us endurance to persevere in the faith.

This week we are praying for Restoration Academy (restorationacademy.org), a Christian K-12 school located in Fairfield. Since 1988, Restoration Academy has sought to provide an excellent, Christ-centered education to students coming from lower-income families. By meeting students where they are, they seek to provide educational and extracurricular opportunities for each student to flourish. They envision young generations growing up to break generational cycles of poverty, violence, addiction, and fatherlessness. We are also praying for Christ Fellowship Church and Pastor Bart Box.

Day 1: Pray for their students. Ask God to give them a hunger and thirst for His Word. Pray they would receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. Ask God to give their school body peace, joy, and unity as they enter the new academic year.

Day 2: Pray for students coming into the school year who are hurting, struggling, or are sick. Ask God to heal these students. Pray they would see clearly Christ’s love for them. Ask God to break bonds of sin as the gospel is proclaimed on campus. Pray many students would turn to Jesus in these times of need.

Day 3: Pray for their alumni. Praise God for the leaders He has raised up from their school. Ask God to continue to shape them to live lives marked by gospel transformation, compassion, and integrity. Pray they would seek out opportunities to give back to their community.

Day 4: Pray for their teachers. Pray they would walk in faithful obedience to God’s will. Pray they would live lives in step with the Holy Spirit’s daily guidance. Ask God to refresh their spirits as they begin the school year.

Day 5: Pray for Brian Goessling, executive director, and other leadership. Pray for the principal, board, and other team leaders to seek to lead their team with wisdom, joy, and perseverance. Pray they would continue to steward their resources and gospel opportunities to glorify God and care for students.

Day 6: Pray for Restoration Academy as they seek to expand their impact and reach throughout the city. Pray for ongoing clarity in establishing new programming, services, and opportunities for students to excel and fulfill God’s plans for them.

This week we are praying for our ministry partner, Ekklesia Afrika. Without access to sound theological education, many pastors in Africa face challenges to be equipped in their preaching and teaching ministry. The high cost and lack of theological resources are insurmountable hurdles to their ministry. Through a grassroots network of pastors, Ekklesia Afrika — in partnership with Brook Hills — has distributed study Bibles to pastors serving in the western and coastal regions of Kenya, areas that are plagued with false teaching.

Day 1: Pray for pastors in Africa. Ask the Lord to continue helping them grow in their personal Bible study and ability to preach biblically and faithfully.

Day 2: Ask God to use the local churches they are shepherding. Pray for the churches to grow in biblical knowledge and faith and for them to boldly share the gospel with others and make disciples in their communities.

Day 3: Ask the Lord to enable pastors to develop biblical convictions that will direct them to lead with clarity and a biblical vision for their churches.

Day 4: Pray for the director and staff of Ekklesia. Ask God to encourage and strengthen them in their ministry through our partnership. Ask Him to help them work in unity around the gospel and to provide all they need physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Day 5: Ask God to give the board members wisdom and discernment as they lead the ministry. Pray they would be an encouragement and blessing to the director and staff.

Day 6: Ask God to richly bless and provide for this ministry. Ask the Spirit to move on the hearts of others to give and provide the resources needed to train and equip pastors in Africa.