WELS Early Childhood Ministry Educator’s Devotions

[https://wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/842x347-ECME2020.jpg] https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20250728ECME.mp3 [https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20250728ECME.mp3] Listen to Devotion [https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20250728ECME.mp3] > One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’” > > Luke 11:1-4 LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY Sometimes when I pray with young children, I’m humbly reminded of the wonderful faith God is working in them. I listen to their heartfelt and honest prayers thanking God for their school or for sending Jesus to die on the cross, telling God they love him, asking God to care for a parent or help a classmate, and I learn something from them – to approach God with joy and thanksgiving and to pray for other people and their needs, not just my own. One day, after seeing Jesus pray, his disciples asked him, “Lord, teach us to pray.” Like his disciples, we can learn some things for our own prayer life from Jesus’ response. First, we want to recognize what a privilege and blessing prayer is – an opportunity to have a conversation with God our Father, our Creator. This is only possible because of Jesus our Savior; we were dead in our sins and separated from God, but Jesus paid for our sins in full with his death and resurrection. Now, as God’s children, we have access and a relationship with God; we can pray to him at anytime and anywhere and trust that he hears us and acts for our eternal good. When we pray, we acknowledge who God is – all-powerful, all-knowing, holy, and yet, our gentle, loving Father. In prayer, we have the opportunity to praise him for his goodness, marvel at his greatness, and talk with him just like young children share their questions, stories, and concerns with their daddy. In Jesus’ response, we also hear his encouragement to pray “your kingdom come.” Prayer is about bringing our will in alignment with what God wants and so we ask that God’s will would be done on earth as we wait for the day when we will join him in heaven. We ask God to rule in the world, to establish his Church, and to work saving faith in people’s hearts. In prayer, we can also thank God for the many blessings he gives us – family, friends, good health, medical care when needed – and bring our requests to him. Jesus’ prayer from our text (the Lord’s prayer) provides a model to pray for daily bread, forgiveness, and deliverance from temptation. We also have the amazing privilege to pray on behalf of others, to ask God to protect, heal, strengthen, or equip those in need. In this section of scripture, Jesus gives us a pattern and language for our own prayer lives, and later in this chapter of Luke, Jesus teaches us to be persistent in prayer. God wants to hear from you, no matter the time of day, no matter the need. And like the disciples, we can ask, “Lord, teach us to pray.” He’ll do that as we spend time in his Word and spend time talking to him in prayer – and sometimes, he might do that as we witness the earnest and loving prayers of the young children we serve. > PRAYER: > > > Dear God, thank you for the amazing privilege to approach you in prayer. As we study your Word, increase our trust in you and our understanding of your good and perfect will. Teach us to pray boldly for one another and continue to provide for both our physical and spiritual needs. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. A QUESTION TO CONSIDER: In the Bible, despite the demanding schedule of his ministry on earth, Jesus gives us a great example of taking time to pray, to talk to God one-on-one away from distraction. What would help you strengthen your prayer life this week?   Early Childhood Ministry Educator’s (ECME) Devotions are brought to you by WELS Commission on Lutheran Schools. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/] All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Print Friendly, PDF & Email [https://wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/iconsPrinterFriendly400x60.png] https://wels.net/ecme-dev/ec20250728/?pfstyle=wp

[https://wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/842x347-ECME2020.jpg] https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20250721ECME.mp3 [https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20250721ECME.mp3] Listen to Devotion [https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20250721ECME.mp3] > “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed – or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” > > Luke 10:41-42 KEEP YOUR FOCUS ON THE BEST THING What does your current to-do list look like? Prepare lesson or block plans for the year. Organize classroom materials. Respond to parent emails. Plan for building classroom community and school culture. Meet with coworkers. Prepare student assessments. Schedule a doctor’s appointment. Play with your kids. Visit your relatives. Whatever the specifics, there are probably many things calling for your time and attention. The Bible tells us about a time Jesus visited the house of two sisters, Martha and Mary. In trying to ensure everything was ready for Jesus, Martha, too, had much on her to-do list and much on her mind. Meanwhile, her sister, Mary, was sitting and listening at Jesus’ feet. At one point, this led Martha to approach Jesus, asking him to get Mary to help her. We hear Jesus’ response in our reading for today, “Martha … you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed – or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better.” Martha’s desire to serve, to show hospitality, to work hard was not wrong. However, Jesus was helping her – and us – see that no amount of service can replace our need for time with God and his Word. Jesus didn’t say Martha was doing the wrong thing and Mary was doing the right thing; he said Mary was doing the better thing. The best and most important thing is our relationship with Jesus; everything else – our ability to serve, our willingness to love, our stamina to tackle the busyness – flows from that. There will always be things – many of them good – fighting for your attention, but as you work through them, hear Jesus speaking to you. “(Fill in your name) … you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed – or indeed only one – me.” Jesus gave his life for you so that you could have a relationship with him. He loves you and he is the one thing you need above all else. In a world that glorifies “busy,” let’s encourage each other to rest in Jesus, to build a relationship with him. Yes, we will have days full of many tasks to faithfully care for and teach the students entrusted to us. Yes, we are called to serve our families and our communities. But also yes, we need Jesus every day and every hour. Our coworkers need Jesus. Our students need Jesus. Our world needs Jesus. Make time to sit like Mary and soak in the words of God and then, let that Word equip you for the other things on your list. > PRAYER: > > > Dear Jesus, forgive us for the times we let things other than you become priority in our lives. Thank you for coming to us in your Word and drawing us closer to you. As we face busy days and long to-do lists, help us keep our focus on you, the only place we can find true peace and joy. Bless the time we have to study your Word with our students and increase our love for you – the one thing needful. Amen. A QUESTION TO CONSIDER: Can you relate to Martha’s divided or distracted focus on many things? What’s one way you can refocus on Jesus as the one thing needful (the best thing) and spend a few minutes listening to his Word this week?   Early Childhood Ministry Educator’s (ECME) Devotions are brought to you by WELS Commission on Lutheran Schools. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/] All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Print Friendly, PDF & Email [https://wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/iconsPrinterFriendly400x60.png] https://wels.net/ecme-dev/ec20250721/?pfstyle=wp

[https://wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/842x347-ECME2020.jpg] https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20250714ECME.mp3 [https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20250714ECME.mp3] Listen to Devotion [https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20250714ECME.mp3] > But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. > > Galatians 5:22-25 LOVED BY GOD, GO OUT AND BEAR FRUIT Do you talk about plant life cycles with your students? The bean seed becomes a sprout and over time, eventually produces green beans, or with the right amounts of water, nutrients, and sunlight, an apple tree grows blossoms and eventually produces fruit. Today, we hear about not fruit we can eat, but the fruit of the Spirit – characteristics that are produced in and mark the life of God’s people. The book of Galatians lists the fruits of the Spirit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Such attitudes and actions often stand in contrast to the way the world operates – the “me first,” or “what’s in it for me,” or “look out for yourself” mentality the culture around us encourages. And, on our own, we, too, think like that. Our sinful nature leads us to live in jealousy, selfish ambition, envy, and discord (see earlier verses in Galatians 5). We need no help thinking of ourselves first or failing to love those around us as God intends. But we haven’t been left on our own! We have a Savior-God who has lived a perfect life in our place, who has died to pay for our sinfulness, who has risen again to ensure we have full and free forgiveness and eternal life with God our Father. So now, as God’s children, brought to faith by the Holy Spirit, we are changed by God’s love to live a new and different way – a way that recognizes and puts the needs of others first (just like God did for us). As our text says, those in Christ have “crucified” or rejected their sinful flesh and now “live by the Spirit.” What does this look like in your life? Working in educational settings and with young children, we are given many opportunities to demonstrate love, to show patience, to model kindness, to teach forgiveness, to be faithful in our planning and ministry, to practice self-control, and to praise God in joy. Ask for God’s help in recognizing these opportunities and living in a way that helps your students, families, and coworkers better understand God’s character through the way you love and treat them. The last part of our Bible verse encourages us to “keep in step with the Spirit.” In order to serve others in love, we need to be continually filled up with God’s love for us. Read his Word, spend time in prayer, sing a song of praise to him in the car on the way to work; let him fill you up with strength and give you peace as you go out and bear fruit (by God’s power) in the world around you. > PRAYER: > > > Dear God, thank you for setting us free from sin to live for you. Continue to work in our hearts and lives that we become more like you – full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – in our interactions with others. Produce these same characteristics in our students and use them also to bring your love out into the world. Amen.   Early Childhood Ministry Educator’s (ECME) Devotions are brought to you by WELS Commission on Lutheran Schools. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/] All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Print Friendly, PDF & Email [https://wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/iconsPrinterFriendly400x60.png] https://wels.net/ecme-dev/ec20250714/?pfstyle=wp

[https://wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/842x347-ECME2020.jpg] https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20250707ECME.mp3 [https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20250707ECME.mp3] Listen to Devotion [https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20250707ECME.mp3] > [Jesus] told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.” > > Luke 10:2-3 THERE’S WORK TO DO! Do the students in your classroom have any assigned jobs during the week – maybe holding the door, turning off the light, ensuring the library books are put away neatly, or helping sharpen pencils? Or maybe students sometimes help you deliver a message to another classmate or a neighboring teacher. Young children often take these tasks seriously; they are excited to help. It’s a big deal to be the helper or the messenger! In our Bible reading for today, we hear Jesus assigning some important jobs. He tells us that there are many in the world who need to know about God’s love for them – “the harvest is plentiful” – but the people to proclaim or share that message – “the workers” – are few. In some cases, God, through his church, calls people into full-time ministry, like your pastor, who focuses on proclaiming the gospel as his job. We want to pray for and support these people in the work they do to share Jesus, and we also want to pray for God – “the Lord of the harvest” – to provide more people to fill these roles. God also uses each of us, his children, to show and share his love with those around us. Before we can share this gospel message with others, though, we first need to know and recognize that God’s message of forgiveness and peace is for us. We, too, are in need of Jesus because of our sin – those thoughts, words, and actions, that separate us from God and the way he tells us to live. It is only through God’s work in and for us that our sins are forgiven and that we can live in joy and contentment knowing we have a heavenly home to look forward to. Then, we go and proclaim God’s Word to those in our “harvest field” – our families, our neighbors, our students. In the classroom, that may look like reminding your students Jesus loves them, praying with your students when they are thankful, upset, or afraid, modeling how to forgive someone who hurts us, or singing songs of praise for what God has done. It happens in big ways as we teach Bible lessons and worship in chapel services, but it also happens in small moments with individual students as we marvel at God’s creation at recess or answer one of the many questions children ask about God and what he is like. And as we live out and proclaim God’s love to our families, students, and communities, we don’t do it alone. God promises to always be with us, to strengthen and equip us for this job he has given us. Young children cannot keep quiet about the awesome things they hear and see; they want to tell someone! Let’s be like that. Let’s pray for God to use us, to use his pastors, and to use our students as they go out into their communities to share God’s incredible love and amazing grace for us in Jesus. There’s work to do, and it’s a big deal! > PRAYER: > > > Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for sharing the message of your love and forgiveness with us and using us to help share that gospel message with others. Please provide more workers to proclaim this life-saving truth wherever it is needed around the world. Continue to strengthen our faith and work in the hearts of our students that they, too, may know and cling to your love for them – and maybe one day become pastors and teachers who share your Word with others. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. A QUESTION TO CONSIDER: How can you pray for and support your pastor and those you know who are called into gospel ministry or who can you encourage to consider serving in this way with the gifts God has given them?   Early Childhood Ministry Educator’s (ECME) Devotions are brought to you by WELS Commission on Lutheran Schools. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/] All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Print Friendly, PDF & Email [https://wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/iconsPrinterFriendly400x60.png] https://wels.net/ecme-dev/ec20250707/?pfstyle=wp

[https://wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/842x347-ECME2020.jpg] https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20250630ECME.mp3 [https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20250630ECME.mp3] Listen to Devotion [https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20250630ECME.mp3] > Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. > > Psalm 62:5–8 UNDIVIDED ATTENTION: ON CHRIST’S CALL FOR COMMITMENT One day, during a fire drill, a little girl burst into tears. She wrapped her arms around me and sobbed into my shoulder. “That was scary,” she whispered, “but I feel safe now.” That little girl’s fear didn’t disappear because the noise stopped. It disappeared because she found me – a person she trusted. She found a refuge. We all need refuge. But as adults, we tend to carry our burdens instead of setting them down. We keep going, keep serving, keep smiling… even when we’re tired, overwhelmed, or spiritually dry. Deep down, we long for peace. Too often, we search for peace in all the wrong places. We put our hope in routines, reputation, or our ability to manage everything on our own. We say, “I trust God” but still try to handle it all ourselves. We even neglect to pour out our hearts to him or run to his Word. We tell ourselves that we’ll get to it later, when the room is quiet, or when life feels more manageable. Our trust is incomplete. Our commitment is flawed. Our hearts don’t always seek refuge in God. But thank the Lord for Psalm 62: “Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.” God doesn’t wait for you to prove your loyalty before he offers his peace. He gives it freely because Jesus stood in your place with perfect faithfulness. Jesus trusted his Father even to the cross, so that your salvation would never rest on your strength, but on his! Because of Jesus’ faithfulness, we are forgiven, redeemed, and anchored in grace. Now, Christ invites you to rest. To trust. To pour out your heart to him – without fear, guilt, or delay. His Word is your mighty rock. He is your safe place. He is your refuge. So, when the noise of the day rises or your own worries feel overwhelming, remember: you don’t run the show. Run to your refuge. Run to your strength. He will never be shaken. And in HIM, neither will you. > PRAYER: > > > Dear Lord, my refuge and my rock. Forgive me for the times I trust in myself more than I trust in you. Thank you for providing me with true rest in Jesus. Help me pour out my heart to you and serve others with peace and purpose. Amen   Early Childhood Ministry Educator’s (ECME) Devotions are brought to you by WELS Commission on Lutheran Schools. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/] All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Print Friendly, PDF & Email [https://wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/iconsPrinterFriendly400x60.png] https://wels.net/ecme-dev/ec20250630/?pfstyle=wp