Praise before the pressure
9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion for a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.
Deuteronomy 7:9Bible Reading
Daniel 9:4
4 And I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed, “O, Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of loving devotion to those who love Him and keep His commandments,
Daniel was a captive under the rule of a pagan king. He had many reasons to feel bitter. He could have complained to God about his difficult circumstances. But when Daniel opened his mouth to pray, his first words were words of praise. He called the Lord "the great and awesome God." He reminded himself that God keeps His covenant of loving devotion with those who love Him and keep His commandments. Daniel aligned his mind with the greatness of God before he mentioned his problems. As a student, you face real pressure. You have tight deadlines, difficult professors, and exhausting exams. It is easy to start the day by complaining. It is easy to look at your syllabus and feel overwhelmed. But you must learn Daniel's secret. Before you look at your textbook, look to your God. Before you complain about the workload, confess the greatness of the Lord. When you see God as great and awesome, your academic mountains look smaller. Stress loses some of its power in the presence of His majesty. Remember also that you belong to this faithful God. He loves you and calls you to faithful obedience. You must love Him, keep His commandments, and study with integrity, discipline, and honor. When awe for God is joined with hard work in the classroom, your academic life stands on a stronger foundation.
Action Point
Before your next study session, close your eyes and spend two minutes praising God for His greatness. Do not ask for anything. Tell Him how awesome He is.
Prayer Point
O Lord, the great and awesome God, I praise You. Forgive me for magnifying my academic problems above Your power. Help me love You deeply and keep Your commandments in all my studies today.
Reflection Point
Is my academic life shaped more by complaints about my workload or by praise to the great and awesome God who gave me the ability to learn?