Dear Lord,

Before I go into my requests for a new school year (TOMORROW, wow—just when I think time drags, haha), I must first humble myself and allow You to work through me, and to do that, I need to pray that I would have a pure heart this year, that I wouldn’t get stuck into the old mindsets I had with freshman year. I don’t want to make those mistakes again. But I know You are so patient and so loving and You are with me every step of the way, so thank You, so, so much. I want to always reflect Your patience and love, so please help me to always do that. And forgive me for any unrighteous attitudes I have—I’m sure there’s a lot of those lurking in my heart, which is why I wanted to especially take the time to write this out. I want to get right with You and have a healthy mindset so that You get the glory through the way I live and treat other people.

When I sat taking some notes on what especially it is I want to tell You, God, there were definitely a few topics that You laid on my heart. Four things, mainly, that I feel very compelled to pray over in regards to not just this school year but my thinking and life in general. Thank You in advance for hearing these and laying them on my heart.

I pray that no one makes me feel inferior or steals my joy and contentment.

Ever since August has began, people are already asking me all about whether I’m ready or not to go back to school. And You already know my answer to that, which is, “Not really.” I’ve been thinking about what has caused this shift in me, God, because with ninth grade, I was so ready. I was nervous because it was high school, but I was also elated because it was high school, and I’d been waiting forever (or so You know how I always feel, ha) to begin the new chapter. But then came reality. And I began to realize that I’d done it again: set my expectations on something that they weren’t supposed to be and then felt crushed when it didn’t come to be.

You know I’m guilty of doing that, where I expect a certain time of my life to bring me joy or renew me. But whenever that’s not You, it’s not good. Only You can complete me. It’s a constant reminder I need. Because I thought high school was it. That was when I was going to be completely happy. Not true. The bad news is that waiting for something to make me happy will never work. The good news is that with You I can be completely happy right now. So, this is actually something I was going to pray over with a later point, but all this being said is to say that I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed with how freshman year went. It wasn’t any better in terms of meeting people, but I think that’s also because I’m just so introverted and quiet, and plus I know what I want in life, and sometimes I find it hard to step out of that into being with people who don’t share the same goals. But I do need to do that because I want to be able to connect with people for Your glory. So I pray that You will help me to be outgoing when I need to be and to have the connections that are going to help me get opportunities to shine for You.

But really, the whole point of this point I’m on is to tell You that when people asked me why I wasn’t ready to go back, I usually said, I’m just not ready to see people again. You know what I mean by that, God. I often feel exhausted having to witness immature behavior that doesn’t change. I know that sounds incredibly self-righteous, and I’m sorry because I don’t mean it to sound that way, but it is how I feel. But what I want You to help me with is to know that even when people do things I don’t agree with, I can still do the right thing. I don’t have to let someone else’s behavior dictate my mood. I often get discouraged—why? Well I also think that because I know You as well as I do, I often do feel the pain of weeping over others’ behavior, much like You did (Luke 19:41). But I know that You work in brokenness anyway, so I want to, too. And I don’t want to lose my mind doing it.

Seeing other people play social games and status games and all that drives me insane. But I don’t have to let it drive me insane. I can acknowledge that it’s wrong and set an example, which please help me to do, but please also help me to have Your peace, to know that You win in the end, that doing the right thing reaps a reward (Galatians 6:9). It goes way behind dumb high school drama. Life is so much more than that. So don’t even let me waste time being depressed about it. I did too much of that last year, playing the victim and trying to play the games. I know better than that—I don’t want to do that anymore. Help me to know my worth in You and to become confident in that, just like You taught me how to do in middle school, which I talk about here.

I pray that I don’t waste time being stressed when it’s not practical.

I know how You’ve delivered me countless times. In my prayer about eighth grade, I was so nervous about the start of the year, but a week into it when I wrote that prayer, I was once again so thankful for how You carried me through. You’ve done that for me every time, God. Thank You so much. I had a lot of anxiety during freshman year. And I just pray that You will take that away. Help me to know it doesn’t come from You, and that through You I can focus on good things. Help me not to stress about things that aren’t practical. Or about anything, period.

I pray that I don’t become depressed wishing for the future, expecting my expectations to be met then.

You know this about me, God, how I easily tend to look down the line into the future, expecting my joy to come when I get to high school. When I get to college. When I get married. But the problem with that is the list is never ending…and I’ll never get happy chasing things that aren’t You. I know You want me to enjoy each of those things when they come, but they’re never meant to take Your place. The biggest mistake I made upon entering freshman year was expecting it to be everything. It’s not everything—You’re everything, the bread of life (John 6:35). It’s no wonder why I became so upset, when here I’d been waiting the better half of eighth grade for this year that I thought was going to be a turning point… Well, it wasn’t. But You are, and that’s what You’ve done for me this summer, is helping me to see that I can enjoy You right now. That’s what You designed me to do; it’s no wonder people turn into messes without You. We were never created to live without You. So please, please help me to enjoy right now. Each moment as it comes. They do come, God, because You’re so faithful. Looking back, I’m filled with such a fuzzy feeling of just how many special moments You’ve given me that I didn’t even think were significant at the time. I don’t have to be in college or married or anything to have those. I just have to be walking with You. Please, always help me to do that. Joy comes through You alone and the everyday little moments of knowing You and seeing You at work. Thank You for those and most of all for giving me Yourself.

I pray that I can always live with integrity, maturity, and peace, for Your glory.

Basically, God, please let all of the fruits of the Spirit be evident in me, the ones You list in Galatians. I know I still have work to do; we’re still working on patience, aren’t we!! Yes. Unfortunately. No, I guess I shouldn’t say unfortunately because You say it’s necessary, and You’re right, as You always are. And in fact You actually are teaching me things about how being patient isn’t as horrible as I thought. It’s unbelievable! My blog readers aren’t going to believe that, God, that I actually am learning to be happy with waiting, but hey, I try to tell them You’re the God of miracles. I know I obviously still haven’t learned this one perfectly…but we’ll get there…one day…

Anyway, I pray specifically that You help me to do the right thing. In school, I hear a lot of things, and that doesn’t mean they’re all right, even if a teacher is telling me them. You’ve taught me to consult You and look at what You say is right before anyone else; I pray You will continue to lead the way. And help me to stand up for my opinions and convictions even when they’re not popular. Many times they aren’t, but that just makes me more motivated to keep at them for Your glory.

I also pray You will always help me to be mature. In high school, obviously there’s a ton of immaturity. Don’t let me get sucked into that; I pray I will act responsibly even when nobody else does. You said that if anyone asks for wisdom, You will give it to them (James 1:5). I’ve asked. You’ve delivered. Especially through other amazing people like my mom and grandma, to name a few. Help me to apply what I’ve learned. I want people to know what I believe by how I live so that I can be real for Your glory. I also pray that even when I do screw up, to know that You are forgiving just as You are just, and to just get right with You and keep going again.

And I also pray that You will help me to be the calm and peaceful person in a society full of depressed, anxious, angry people. I’m not knocking anyone who experiences legit problems of those at all—because You know I’ve faced them myself—but sometimes I’ll get a glimpse of kids being hysterical about something, or see someone who’s getting so worked up over something that isn’t worth it, and I get this glimpse of my own behavior: like oh, I don’t want to be that way. And I know I’ve acted that way! I act like I’m the one losing my mind half the time, but God, I don’t want to. I know You; Your peace is always with me (John 14:27). Help me to be the calm one, the one people can trust with their problems. The one who will forgive easily and not be quick to attack someone or blow up on them, but also the one who can calmly tell someone that I don’t agree with what they’re doing. Help me to have a grip on my emotions so that Your peace radiates through me.

I also want to thank You, God, for Your deliverance in every grade, but for also revealing to me things about a specific grade in general. There are some grades and times in life that I don’t know are going to be special until they’re in the past, and then I think, wow, what I would give just to have a couple more moments then. I NEVER thought I’d be feeling that way about eighth grade, God, but honestly I really do. In eighth grade, while I know I had Your joy, oftentimes I remember feeling discouraged because I wanted more, now. And I thought all these things were going to give me that, high school being one of them. And then I was so disappointed in ninth grade because I was more upset throughout that year than I was in eighth. And I realized that what changed was that when I went into eighth grade, I was in a position where I felt very helpless and out of control of what was going to happen. The year before was extremely difficult emotionally, and therefore I had absolutely no expectations for eighth grade, I was just going into it completely trusting You and knowing I was going to walk with You. And You know what? It was one of my favorite grades to date.

Did I still have times where I felt discouraged and stressed? Oh yes, but You provided—I logged all those times on my notes in my phone. Did I still get upset and cry some nights? Oh, You know I did. But it was a really beautiful year because I really, really saw You walking with me in a way that had an intensity I’d never really seen before. In fact, when outlining this blog post, I came up with some things I would go back and tell myself:

I would tell myself to chill the heck out. You have blessed me with gifts and wisdom that will eventually grow into more for Your glory, but for right now, I just need to relax and focus on developing those. I was so eager in eighth grade, God, and I still am. I have so much ambition which is a curse when I have to wait, ha, but I know You are faithful with that. I got so eager that year that I let it steal my joy many times, not realizing how special the moments were that I was in. Because looking back on them, they were. And so I would just tell myself to relax, to keep trusting You and appreciating where You had me.

I would tell myself not to think so much. To not waste the better half of years being so indecisive and perfectionistic about writing that I quit enjoying it or don’t write at all. When I did a short story for a project in my English class, that really opened up my eyes as to how special it is to just take an idea You’ve laid on my heart and run with it, even if I don’t know where it’s going. And I know I think way too much into things, and I just want to stop second guessing myself and trust that when You’ve put something on my heart, it has a purpose, even if I don’t see that right away.

But yet I would tell myself to keep thinking. To keep learning for Your glory and keep doing my research on living with integrity and living for You. One thing I will say about eighth grade is that we had many projects we had to do that I thought really prepared us for high school and just to think deeper. I enjoyed many of those projects, even if they were intense. I looked into a lot of political subjects that helped me determine where I stand on those issues and how You play into those, because You absolutely do. I had assignments that helped me to better understand other people and the darkness of the world, that have in turn taught me lessons about having good values. Thank You for that, God. Help me to keep researching what is right, to keep thinking about other people beyond myself. 

I would tell myself to enjoy where I’m at. Because now, gone are the days of cozy, conservative middle school. I never thought I’d enjoy those, did I? But now I’m growing up, God, and realizing just what a gift those were. The key to finding contentment in life is enjoying You where I’m at, and oh what a magical year that was in terms of knowing You. I’m actually extremely frustrated with myself right now because do You remember my late night reading when every night I’d look up deep topics in the faith because I genuinely wanted to be educated on them? So there was this one topic that had me stumped for awhile, but then I stumbled across a blog post that did an awesome job of explaining it, so I screen-shotted the part I liked. Well tonight I was thinking about that topic again and wanted to find that picture, but oh no, I deleted it. WHY did I delete it?!!!! I always say I’ll never delete anything because I’ll regret it but then I go on another deleting spree…. Ugh anyway the point is that I got to learn so much about You, which I am so thankful for. You really are the only One who completes us; I’ve never felt more at peace than when I’m learning about who You are.

I learned what it meant to become independent, to see the ugly truths of the world for myself but also the authentic hope that has never shone brighter. I learned to see people as You do while at the same time shaking my head at their godlessness and learned that I can do both: condemn bad behavior but help the broken people stuck in it, just as You call me to do. And I’m going to do those things. But I just have to be patient. And I learned that it’s not as hard to be patient as I thought (gasp!), that happiness can come in each moment as I grow in my relationship with You because YOU are the bread of life (John 6:35). That verse always reminds me of how You are the One who sustains us in life, who gives us satisfaction and enjoyment in You. Thank You so much for revealing this to me; help me to remember this often when I get restless, as I often do. But I also pray that You will use my restlessness; You know I have big dreams and huge desires to reach people for Your glory, so please give me opportunities. There’s only so much waiting I can do, God. 😉 Haha but I know You will always get me through (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Other things I need to mention, God: please don’t let me kill myself or end up in prison with driver’s ed this fall, like I am actually terrified I am going to hurt someone because of how bad of a driver I am. Then again, I am a huge drama queen, so I’m sure I’ll be fine, but YES I SO BADLY NEED YOUR HELP WITH THIS JUST TO PASS… I’d also like to get a job, so I pray for opportunities, favor, and protection there. And help me to get academic opportunities and opportunities in my writing to shine for Your glory this school year.

Also, Lord, thank You so much for this summer. I don’t know if I’ve ever had a summer as fun and peaceful and renewing as this one. I tried really hard not to put my expectations into the summer but rather on just enjoying each day and You, and that made it great, God. Thank You for helping me do that and for helping me establish beauty, fitness, and Bible study routines. I just need a writing routine now, so please help me to find time for that. Oh and I need a new diet too…

Seriously though God, the summer was beautiful. I had a blast doing things like jet skiing but also learning truths about life at fun events like Knoxville, and I just had a nice, calm summer relaxing at home. Thank You, for that, for my family, for Your love, patience, forgiveness, and all that You are. Thank You for always walking with me, even when I’m defiant, impatient, and restless. I love You so much, and please let my life echo that.

In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen

Ashlee

Hey everyone! Thank you so much for reading this. I like to post these prayers as a way to collect my thoughts and also in hopes that they can inspire your praying. I also did these for both seventh and eighth grade: you can read those here and here. I’m praying for all of you!!