Welcome to Pause + Pray for Teachers | Trusting God to Lead. Each month, we gather on Zoom to pause in God’s presence and pray together. This year, I’m also sharing these prayer gatherings here on the podcast so you can return to them anytime.

This episode is longer than my typical podcast episodes because it’s designed as a guided prayer experience, not just a teaching moment. You’re invited to slow down, take a deep breath, and allow God to meet you right where you are as you listen.

In this Pause + Pray for Teachers episode, we create space to pause in God’s presence, pray through Scripture, and realign our hearts to trust God’s leading — in our personal lives, our classrooms, and beyond.

During this prayer experience, we:

1. Pause and breathe in God’s presence
2. Pray through Scripture together
3. Reflect on trusting God’s direction
4. Meditate on God’s Word and His promises
5. Lift up classrooms, students, and the things teachers carry quietly
6. Remember that we are not alone — God goes with us, and community matters

Whether you’re listening during a quiet moment or returning to this prayer throughout your week, my prayer is that you feel strengthened, encouraged, and reminded that God is faithfully leading you — one step at a time.

This Pause + Pray episode is available in both audio and video format. Listen or watch in the way that best supports your time with God

💜 Stay Connected & Supported

If you’re needing prayer, encouragement, or a place to reset, I’ve created spaces where you can be poured into:

✨ Join the FREE Teaching With Jesus Community: A supportive community for Christian teachers to pray together, stay encouraged, and walk this journey with faith and peace. Click Here To Join!

✨ Pause + Pray Call (Live): We gather every first Sunday at 6:30 PM EST for prayer and encouragement. Replays are shared inside the community. Click Here To Sign Up!

📲 Connect with me on Instagram: @thetransformationalteacher

🎧 Subscribe & share this episode with another teacher who may need prayer, peace, and encouragement today.

Foreign hello and welcome to our Pause and Pray call, a prayer gathering for teachers.

Before we dive in, I just want to mention again that this call is being recorded and the replay will be available.

It'll be put on my YouTube channel later.

So when we get to the part, if you have any prayer requests and if you want to keep it private, you can message me directly in the chat and I'll make sure that I lift you up in my personal prayer time instead of on here.

Because again, this is live for this season.

What I am hearing God say is to trust Him.

So we are going to be talking about trusting God to lead.

We want to trust him to lead us in every situation.

So before we pray, I want to share again what God is inviting us to do.

God is inviting us to trust him more deeply in our personal lives, our classroom and beyond.

Because some of us, we may be facing family, because having family concerns, health concerns, are things we don't even yet have the words to say.

But the thing is, God is right there with us and he wants us to trust him through it all.

And the amazing thing about God, he can handle anything.

This is one scripture that God has been placing on my heart lately.

Proverbs 3, 5, 6 and actually it's one of my favorite scriptures.

And this is the amplified version.

It says, trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.

In all your ways, know and acknowledge and recognize him and he will make your path straight and and smooth, removing obstacles that block your way.

So again, God is telling us to trust Him.

Trust him with everything.

Trust God when you don't have all the answers.

Trust God in the classroom.

Even when things may seem challenging in the classroom, you can still trust him and you can still allow him to lead you.

Trust him when things are feeling heavy, Trust God.

Regardless of what comes your way, know that God loves you and that he is right there for you.

For you.

And the thing that you have to remember.

And as I'm telling you this, I'm telling myself God is a faithful God in every season.

When things are going the way that we want them to go, when things are going great, God is right there with us.

He is right there with us even in the challenging times that we may face.

So we are going to go into prayer now.

And for each one of these prayer points here and there, we'll also give a word of encouragement throughout our time together.

So let's go ahead and move forward.

So our first prayer focus is going to be about meditating on God's Word.

And here's the thing.

Before we meditate, we first we want to ask God, what do you want me to meditate on in this season?

What scripture or scriptures do you want me to meditate on?

Because here is the thing.

God knows you, you best.

He knows our students best.

He knows our loved ones.

He knows what's happening currently in your life, and he knows what's to come.

So again, we want to go to him and ask Him, God, what do you want me to focus on in this season?

And then we want to take His Word and begin to envision it.

We want to murder.

We want to allow His Word to get rooted in our hearts.

We want to take His Word to heart.

We wanted to allow it to, to become our reality.

We want to envision His Word coming to pass in our lives, in our classroom.

And the reason meditation matters so much is because God's word needs to speak louder than what we see with our natural eyes.

Because sometimes, honestly, the challenges, they can seem like they're bigger.

But the thing is, when you magnify God, when you meditate on His Word ongoing day and night, He, His Word becomes bigger than your situations.

Cuz here's the thing.

God is bigger than any situation that we face.

So again, as I'm telling you this, I am right there with you.

I am having to remember, meditate on God's word.

And one thing he's been telling me to do is to go back to the vision he gave to me at the beginning of the school year to keep that before me.

And if what I'm seeing in the classroom is not lining up with what he said, then that means I need to go back to Him.

I need to pray, I need to seek Him, I need to worship, I need to sit with him, say, God, what are you saying to me right now about this?

So the scriptures we're going to pray is Joshua 1:8.

And it says, this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but ye shall read it and meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything in accordance with all that is written in it.

For then he will make your prosperous, your way prospers, and then you will be successful.

So again we have to meditate on His Word.

So let's pray.

Well, Heavenly Father, we thank you right now.

We thank you Lord, just for who you are.

We thank you for your goodness.

We thank you for your love.

We thank you for your mercy.

We thank you for Your faithfulness.

We thank you Father, for being a God that loves us oh so much.

And we thank you Father, for being a God that has given us your word.

You have given us your word to live by, to meditate on, Lord God.

We're asking you in this season, Lord God, Reveal to us, Lord God, where you want us to camp out in your word, Lord God.

And as we camp out in your word, we thank you for opening up our eyes so we can see wonderful things, Lord God, out of your law, oh God, bring forth fresh revelation, oh God.

So keep your word, Lord God, before us.

So your word outweighs Lord God, every situation, God that we come up against, Lord God.

And as we meditate on your word day and night, we take the time out daily, Lord God, to meditate on your word.

And we thank you that your word will be fulfilled.

For it says we shall be prosperous and we will be successful as we meditate on your word.

So we thank you Father, for your word.

We thank you that your word it cannot return void to you.

And we thank you, Lord God, for Psalms 1, 2, oh God.

We delight, Lord God in your law, oh God.

We meditate on your word, Lord God, day and night, Lord God.

And we thank you, Lord God, that we allow your word to guide and direct our pathway, Lord God, each and every step of the way.

We will not, Lord God, turn away from you, Lord God.

We will continue, oh God, to seek you.

We will continue, oh God, to run after you, Lord God.

We will run the race that you have set forth, Lord God, before us with our eyes focused and set on you every step of the way.

We will not allow life situations, Lord God, to take us out, Lord God, because you have given us your word, Lord God, to live by your word is our gps, Lord God.

And if we get off course, Lord God, we can go back to you, Lord God.

We can go to you, Lord God, each and every day.

We can ask you, Father, for daily bread, oh God, to lead and guide us.

So we thank you Father for that.

And we give you glory and we give you honor.

In Jesus name we pray.

Amen.

So now we are going into our next prayer focus.

Trusting God to lead.

We want to trust God to lead us in every situation.

And here's the thing in trusting we have to surrender.

We have to release the control over to him and we have to follow his direction.

So as we read earlier Proverbs 3, 5, 6, so I'm not going to read it again, but we will pray this.

We want to trust God we want to surrender all cares over to him.

We want to surrender our plans to God, our plans for the classroom, our plans for God for each and every day.

Give them over to him.

We want to allow God to be God over our emotions.

We want God to help us to make every decision.

We want him to guide us in the classroom, help us make those decisions.

He wants us to invite him in to everything that we do.

So, Heavenly Father, we thank you right now.

We thank you, Lord God, for your word.

We trust, Lord God, in you.

We trust in you, God, and not in what we see with our natural eyes, Lord God.

But we trust in you and we rely confidently on you, Lord, with all of our heart.

We do not rely on our own understanding, but in all of our ways.

We know and we acknowledge you, Father, and we recognize you every step of the way, God.

We invite you in to our situations.

We invite you into our classroom.

You know us the best.

You know our students.

You know each one of them.

You know every detail about them, every detail about their childhood, every detail about their family was in their bloodline, Lord.

So you know them.

You know the things that are going on in our classrooms.

And we thank you, Lord God, that we will trust you, Lord God, that you will lead us, that you will make our path straight, Lord God is smooth.

That you will remove those obstacles that are in our way, those things that are blocking us.

You will move them out the way for us, Lord God.

And we thank you, Lord.

Guys, we're going through this school year, Lord God.

We're going through situations, Lord God.

We allow you to change us.

We allow you to do a great work in us, Lord God.

Whatever it is you're trying to teach us, Lord God, we will sit with you and we will learn the lesson and we will pass the test, Lord God, we are walking in the kingdom authority that you have given unto us.

And we're not allowing no situation to overtake us.

We are going to finish this year with our eyes focused on God.

We are going to finish this year victorious, regardless of what we are faced with.

Because we are running the race with you.

We're not doing it in our own strength, but we're asking you, Father, to strengthen us along the journey.

And your word is a lamp unto our feet and a light to our pathway.

So your word is lighting the pathway for us.

So we thank you, Father.

Regardless of what it looks like, we.

We can trust you.

Regardless of what it looks like, we know light shall come because you are there with us, Lord God.

And we Think that the greater one resides on the inside of us.

So the greater one is within us, the greater one is operating in our classrooms.

So any spiritual God that's not if you, they have to succumb to the greater one.

Because the enemy is the lesser spirit.

So any spirit's not of you, they're the lesser spirit.

And they happen to come to you, Lord God.

So we thank you, Lord God, for the victory.

We give you glory and we give you honor, Lord God.

Hallelujah, God.

In Jesus name we pray.

Amen.

So now we are going into our next focus, listening for God's direction.

We want God to speak to us, but here's the thing.

God is willing to speak, but we have to be willing to listen to what he has to say to us directly through our pastor or through someone that he has sent to us.

And sometimes God would directly speak to us even as we're reading the Word, sometimes even in service, God is speaking to us.

But our ears have to be open to hear what it is that he wants to say to us.

So let's pray.

Well, heavenly Father, we thank you.

We thank you for being a father that loves us.

And we're your sheep, oh God.

And we thank you for being our shepherd.

And we thank you, Father, for speaking to us.

And we are listening.

We are your vessels, Lord God.

And we are listening to what you want to say to us.

We're listening to what you are instructing us to do in our personal time.

We are listening to what it is that you want us to do.

We are listening to where you want us to camp out in your word.

We're listening to what you want us to worship to.

We're listening to what you're telling us to do.

We're listening to you, what you want us to do and pertaining to our health, Lord God, and our wellness.

We are listening to you.

We're listening to you, what you want us to do inside of our classrooms, Lord God.

Even when it don't make natural sense, Lord God, we thank you that we're listening to you.

Because when you give us instruction come from a king, they come from the kingdom, the kingdom of God.

And it may not make sense to our natural eyes, but your word, it makes faith.

Your instructions, it gives us faith.

So we thank you.

Our ears will hear a word behind us.

This is the way.

Walking.

Whenever you turn to the right or to the left, we will hear, Lord God, what it is that you want us to do, Lord God.

So we are open, Lord God, to you.

We thank you, Lord God, that you will lead us along the best pathway for our lives.

You're leading us along the best pathway inside of our classrooms, Lord God, whatever it is you tell us to do, if you.

You tell us to do something that may seem uncommon to us, that may seem old school, but if you're telling us to do it in that very moment, we will take heed and we will not shun what you're telling us to do.

If the Holy Spirit is saying to move, the Holy Spirit is saying to say this, do that, go and do this.

We will do exactly what you tell us to do because we want to be in line with your will for our lives.

We want to do things your way and not our way.

So we will walk in humility, Lord God, each and every day and do what it is that you.

You instruct us to do.

In Jesus name we pray.

Amen.

Now we're going into walking obedience and overflow.

So again, we have to be willing to listen to God.

And as God is speaking to us, we have to listen.

But we can't just listen.

We have to walk in obedience.

We have to be willing to do whatever he tells us to do.

And again, sometimes it may not make natural sense, but remember, it's coming from a different kingdom.

It's coming from God's kingdom, and it's designed to make faith.

So we have to do what he tells us to do.

We have to be doers of the Word of God, so we have to do his word.

James 1:22.

It says, but prove yourselves doers of the Word actively and continually obeying God's precepts and not merely listening listeners who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning, diluting yourselves by unsounding reasoning contrary to the truth.

So again, we want to be doers of the Word of God.

So let's pray.

Well, Heavenly Father, we thank you right now.

We again, we thank you for your word.

And I pray, Lord God, that we see the need to follow what your Word says.

And your Word tells us to be doers of the Word of God.

So we make your word a priority.

We thank you, Lord God, for the Word that we get, Lord God, from every service that we attend.

Lord God in our church, Lord God, and we thank you.

We do not allow that word just to lay there.

We thank you for the Word that you give to us directly.

Thank you for the word you've given unto us in your Bible.

Oh God, we thank you, Father, for that Word.

We don't allow it to just lay there.

But we meditate on it day and night and we allow it to get rooted in our hearts.

We take the word and we run with it.

We're not being passive, Lord God, with your word, but we're digging into your word.

We're sitting with your word.

We are rising and doing what your word is instructs us to do each and every time.

There is no time for slumber, but we are actively engaging in your word.

There's no time to be a sluggard in this season, but we are actively engaging with your word.

We are running with your word, God, we are being doers of your word.

We walk in kingdom authority.

We are not moved by what we see with our natural eyes, but we're moved by what your word instructs us to do.

And we are using our time wisely in this season.

We we're not just strolling on Facebook, on social media.

We're not just wasting our time as the days go by.

We're not just watching endless tv, but we are taking out time to dig into your Word.

We see the need to spend time with you.

So we thank you Father, for your promises.

We thank you Lord God, as we spend time with you, that we will be overflowing, oh God, with your word, overflowing with your love, oh God.

Because the more we build our relationship with you, the more time we spend with you, the more love, oh God, that's inside of us and it will pour out of us.

So we will teach Luke God, with love we will leave from a place of overflowing, oh God, with your love.

Overflowing, oh God, in the fruit of the spirit.

Because the fruit of the Spirit is our inheritance as we've given our hearts over to you.

So we thank you Father, for the fruit of the spirit, Lord God, so we're thanking, we're being more patient, we're being more loving, we're being kind, we're having self control, we're showing temperance, we're being meek.

So we thank you Father, that we're teaching and we're leading, oh God, from a place of being full and not from a place of being empty or stressed, overwhelmed.

Because we are allowing your word.

To guide us.

And we thank you for what it says in James 1:19.

We are living this out, for we are careful, we are thoughtful listeners.

We are slow to speak.

We are speakers of carefully chosen words, and we are slow to anger.

We're patient, reflective, and we are forgiven.

So we're quick to hear your word.

So we thank you Father, for all that you're doing and we give you glory and we give you honor in Jesus name, Amen.

And before we go on to praying, you know, over our students, families and staff and things of that nature, I just want to share with you all something.

As I was in service today, this scripture came to mind.

James 1:19, and this is a scripture, has been my anchor scripture for the last few years.

But to be honest with you, I have allowed it to slip by.

And the thing that I heard God say is, you have to stop being short.

And I was like, God, what do you mean?

He said, having a sharp fuse with your students and others.

Detoya, I need you to pause before you respond and don't let go of this scripture.

Continue to allow it to be one of your anchor scriptures as it has been.

And he reminded me this is a scripture that I need to begin to meditate on again and that I cannot grow weary and well doing because to be honest with you, I started to grow weary.

And I'm so thankful for the community that I have, my church community, my school community, all of those that surround me because they encourage me by the Word.

And the thing is, we also have to encourage ourselves with the Word of God and we have to meditate on the Word of God.

So again, Galatians 6:9 came up and I'm summarizing how he gave it to me.

He said, don't grow weary and well doing.

In due time you will reap if you faint.

Not so again.

We have to keep doing what he tells us to do and we cannot give up.

We cannot give up because if we give up, we are not going to reap what he has for us.

And if we give up, then the lives that he's called for for us to impact would not be impacted as he has called us to impact.

So again, don't go weary and well doing and seek God and ask him, what are you instructing me to meditate on in this season?

So now we are going to go into our last prayer points and here we're going to be praying for students, family, staff and school environment.

So Heavenly Father, we thank you right now.

We thank you Father for the hearts of Our students we thank their hearts will be open to learn, grow and respond to you, God.

Their hearts are open, Lord God.

To learn, Lord God.

Learn the things, oh God, that we are teaching them in this season.

We thank you, Lord God.

They have sharp minds, Lord God.

They are taking owns.

They're taking hold of, God, of what we're teaching them, Lord God.

They are students of quick, Lord God.

Understanding, Lord God.

And we thank you, Father, for showing us ways, Lord God.

To reach each and every student, Lord God.

We thank you, Father, for sending forth resources, Lord God, to help those students that are challenging, Lord God.

We thank you, Lord God.

For the family and home, Lord God.

The family and school connection, oh God, that is getting stronger and stronger, Lord God, we thank you.

Those students are in need of extra help outside of school.

That that help, Lord God, is springing forth right now in the name of Jesus.

And we pray, Lord God, as teachers, Lord God, our hearts will stay open, oh God.

To lead and teach as you instruct us to teach.

And we will not grow weary, Lord God, in teaching, oh God.

But we will teach, oh God, from a place of fullness, Lord God, because we're staying in your word.

And we thank you, Father, for strengthening us.

We thank you for energizing us, Lord God.

We thank for putting us along with the ability, Lord God, to do your will, Lord God, for your good pleasure.

And we will not murmur, we will not complain, Lord God, about what's taking place, Lord God.

We will take it to you, Father.

And we will ask you, Lord God, for help, oh God.

We will dig deeper, Lord God, in the things of you, oh God.

So we thank you, Father, for that.

We pray for unity among the staff and wisdom for school leadership.

Anywhere the enemy is trying to lay his head, he is evicted.

Evicted.

He is evicted right now in the name of Jesus.

He cannot run rapid in our schools, but he has to leave.

He has to flee.

We thank you that every student, every teacher, every staff, Lord God, shall live out the original intent you call forth, Lord God, for them to live out.

We thank you.

We are clothed in our right mind.

We are stable.

We are focused.

And we are covered emotionally and mentally, spiritually.

We're covered in every aspect that we need to be covered in.

We pray, Lord God, for peace in our classrooms, Lord God.

We thank you for peace, Lord God.

Peace, peace.

Peaceful God.

It's inside of our classroom so our students can thrive and so we can teach.

We can teach.

Look out from a place of fullness, from a place of being calm with clarity, Lord God, we thank you.

We're building relationships with our students.

Even those who may naturally God.

Seem hard to reach, Lord God, you will show us how to reach, Lord God.

You will show us what to do, Lord God.

What to do in the spirit realm and what to do naturally, God.

To reach these students, Lord God.

And we pray for wisdom.

We pray for destroy discernment, Lord God.

To reach each one.

We pray for grace.

We pray for understanding and patience, Lord God.

For every difficult student, Lord God.

That has been placed in our classrooms, lo God, we thank you.

We're there, Lord God, to help them.

But Lord, we also.

We thank you, Lord God, that you planted them there also to help us.

So whatever it is, Lord God, that you're teaching us in this season, let us.

Let us learn the lesson, Lord God.

And let us go deeper in the things of you.

Let us stir ourselves up, oh God.

So again we can walk in from a place of fullness.

And we thank you for your protection, oh God.

Covering us, oh God.

We thank you for your peace being upon our entire school.

We thank you, Lord God, for protection at the bus stops, oh God.

We thank you, Lord God, that every child that gets on the bus, every car rider that gets in a car, Lord God.

Everyone that goes to a daycare, the daycare drops them off.

We thank you for your protection.

We plead the sweet precious blood of Jesus Christ upon each one of them.

No harm, no danger come near them.

We pray that each driver is alert, Lord God.

Even those drivers, our students that are driving, Lord God.

In high school, Lord God.

We pray, Lord God, that their eyes are open, they are alert, they're not on their phones, oh God.

They're watching the world, Lord God.

They're staying focused, Lord God.

And we thank you, Lord God, for safety.

We will get to our destinations and we will get back home to our from our destinations, Lord God.

And we pray that students and teachers that come into alignment with your plan for their lives, oh God.

Again the enemy is evicted.

And we thank you that your plans are prevailing, Lord God.

The enemy has no room, Lord God.

In our lives.

So we thank you Father for that.

We pray for stronger home and home and school connections, Lord God.

We pray for health, healing and holding.

So God, for you know those, oh God, that are in need of healing, Lord God.

You know those that are going into surgeries, Lord God.

That are having procedures, Lord God, we thank you to anoint the doctors, Lord God.

Anoint the doctors, Lord God.

To do exactly what is needed.

Nothing more and nothing less.

Lo God.

So we thank you, Father.

We have victory because of what you did on the cross, Lord God for us, and we enforce, Lord God, what you did by doing the Word of God.

The Word of God is our center of living.

And we give you glory and we give you honor.

In Jesus name we pray.

Amen.

And again, if you have any prayer requests, please make sure you send them to me because I would love to be praying for you.

And again, this prayer time is not a one time moment.

It's a rhythm that you want to walk out each and every day.

You want to continue your journey with God.

And I want to leave you with this.

As you go, trust him to lead you one faithful step at a time.

Not just in prayer moments like this, but in small, ordinary moments of your life, in your classroom, in every aspect of your day.

Allow him to lead you.

Trust doesn't grow overnight.

It grows as we return to God again and again through His Word, through listening, and through obedience.

We have to spend time in His Word.

We have to get to know our Heavenly Father.

He wants to do so much for us.

But in order for him to be able to do it, we have to invite him in and we have to feast on His Word.

And as you go, envision God's Word taking root in you and producing fruit in your life, your classroom, and beyond.

Stay sensitive to his voice.

Let him lead you step by step.

And also, I want to share this script, these two scriptures with you that I, as I was preparing for this right before the call, he gave me.

Psalms 119, verses 59 through 60.

And this is about walking in obedience.

I considered my ways and turned my feet to follow and obey your testimonies.

I hurried and did not delay to keep your commandments.

So again, we have to keep his commandments.

We have to do His Word.

So I when I heard this, I seen that God we have to be urgent.

We have to make it an urgent thing.

But we have to urgently obey Him.

We have to do what he is instructing us to do.

So again, remember, you are not alone.

Not in your classroom, not in the challenges that you face, not in the things you're carrying.

Quietly.

You are not alone.

Because here's the thing.

God is with you and he has placed a community around you.

And I am thankful to be part of that community.

And a community.

Community is something that has been helping me so much lately.

And so before.

Two more scriptures.

Deuteronomy 3:16 Be strong enough, good courage.

Do not fear, nor be afraid of them.

For the Lord your God he is the one who goes with you.

He will not leave you nor forsake you.

So again, you are not alone.

So again, I want you to remember this.

He goes with you.

He will not lead you.

He will not forsake you again.

Even on the days where you feel unseen or overwhelmed, God is right there with you.

Trust him every step of the way.

And remember, God is just as present in the challenging times as he is in the good ones.

And the Last Scripture is first Thessalonians 5:11.

Therefore, encourage and comfort one another and build up one another just as you were doing.

This is why community matters.

We never, we were never meant to carry life or teaching alone.

God strengthens us each and every day and he sends people to walk with us.

And I would love for you to walk this journey with me by joining us inside of the Teaching with Jesus Community.

This is a place where you can stay encouraged.

You'll have the opportunity to pray with other teachers and continue growing in your faith.

So again, I want you to I'm inviting you to join the free Teaching with Jesus Community.

The community is on school again.

It's a space where we gather, we support one another and we walk through this journey together.

We walk through the journey together with God by our side.

And I will provide you with this link in the email the replay.

It'll be on YouTube and it'll be in the show notes on the podcast.

And for those who feel led to go deeper again, the Teaching With Jesus membership is is also open for you to join.

And this is where we expand on this rhythm with more guided prayers and reflection.

But wherever you are, you are welcome here.

You are welcome to join the Teaching with Jesus Community and I am looking forward to connecting with you.

And again, thank you.

Thank you so much for joining me for this pause and pray call Again.

I will be sending out the replay soon.

And again, the journey doesn't stop here.

It continues.

And you're always welcome to join us inside of the Teaching with Jesus Community.

So again, have a great one and I am looking forward to connecting with you.

And remember, continue to pray, continue to listen, continue to transform and continue to make the impact God has called you to make inside that classroom.

So go forth and teach as he instructs you to teach again, allow him to lead you every step of the way.

Have a great one.