It’s often easy to get wrapped up in the day to day of academics, sports and other extracurricular school activities and forget that there is a battle for hearts going on at all times: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12). This year Columbia Adventist Academy (CAA) is making intentional efforts to remain on guard and knee-deep in prayers while sending warriors into the battlefield on a daily basis.
These Battle Ground, Wash., battle plans began with a school walk sponsored by Clark County Prayer Connect. Jeff Jackson, CAA principal, led out with community members, alumni and staff walking throughout the school and praying for the students and staff. This was followed by the CAA dedication chapel, a tradition at CAA, during which the students, staff, community members and pastors from constituent churches receive a ribbon then join hands in a prayer of dedication, asking that God will be glorified throughout the school year. After prayer they tie the ribbons together and place them over a cross.
Along with these activities to remind the school community of its calling is an exciting new outreach on the part of the CAA chaplain, Aaron Payne, to involve students, staff, parents and community members in a weekly morning prayer meeting called "Tent of Meeting." The Bible says Moses went to meet with God in a special tent called the tent of meeting. Moses spoke with God in this tent concerning the children of Israel. In a similar way this prayer group is meeting with God on behalf of CAA. Payne says, "When we accept the call of God to pray, we can expect to see God bless ‘exceedingly, abundantly’ because our God is faithful.”
Do prayers work? Sharon Crosby, CAA alumna, recently shared that, during her academy reunion, classmates told stories of how the prayers of a praying parent, who has continued to pray for the class to this day, had impacted their lives. “You could feel the answer to those prayers as our class went around the circle and shared how God had blessed them, been near to them in trouble, and was a huge part of the majority of our classmate's lives," Crosby shared. "Forty years later you get another perspective of your youth, and I was struck with gratefulness that I was able to spend four years in a safe environment, with mentoring teachers, great friends and now awesome memories — and, best of all, praying parents of classmates. What a legacy. Thanks CAA.”
May the legacy of a praying community and being knee-deep in prayers at CAA continue until Jesus comes.
The Columbia Adventist Academy school family prays for God to be glorified this school year.
