KayleArlaus_EDAS740_PrayerReflectionReport
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Liberty University *
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Course
740
Subject
Philosophy
Date
Jan 9, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
5
Uploaded by karlaus
PRAYER REFLECTION
1
Prayer Reflection Report
Kayle Arlaus
School of Education, Liberty University
Author Note
Kayle Arlaus
I have no conflict of interest to disclose.
Any issues regarding this reflection should be addressed to Kayle Arlaus.
Email:
kdarlaus@liberty.edu
PRAYER REFLECTION
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Prayer Reflection
In the last thirty days, I have embarked on a new journey of beginning a prayer journal,
which has become a part of my nightly routine. This opportunity has provided me with the
intentional time to hold close conversation with God while gaining a better understanding of who
I am, more insight into who my colleagues are, and their impact on mine and others’ lives. I
focused on members of the Academic Services team I am currently a part of as well as my chief
academic officer, and both principals I work closely with in support of our English as a Second
Language (ESL) program. We speak with each other daily and remain in contact through
different mediums about important matters that impact our students. Since the time I began the
prayer journal, I can see some changes in the lives and decision makers of the leaders I work
with and mine. This unique experience of tracking prayers for those around me and reflecting on
the prayers has been eye-opening, and I am hopeful that I will remain committed to continuing
this process after this final reflection.
At the beginning of this assignment, I did a quick inventory to see what my prayers were
like, and I found that although I do pray regularly, they tend to be unfocused and selfish in me
asking for things. I was excited to try a more intentional type of prayer but found that I was
treating it like a checklist at first instead of a genuine attempt to ask God to guide those around
me. As time went on, I found my prayer sessions transforming through my intentions while
praying. For example, at work I found myself shifting the way I paid attention to our
conversations. This gave me the opportunity to get to know the whole person instead of just the
aspects I thought were important to glean from a particular conversation. My chief academic
officer confided in me that her child whom she was worried about had finally decided which
college to attend and if she should study abroad her first semester. This weighed on my
PRAYER REFLECTION
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colleague, and her daughter made her feel more secure and less worried about her as these life-
changing decisions were made. This reminded me of my prayer journal entry from day eleven of
praying for the children of our leaders. This was an interesting day for me because I decided to
pray for the spouses and children of my colleagues from that point because those relationships
are heavily impacted by leadership roles. It felt good to be able to reflect and see results and
acknowledge that prayers were answered and pray from a thankful heart. God tells us, “Is anyone
happy? Let him sing songs of praise” (
New International Version,
1978/2011, James 5:13-18). I
felt happy and joyous that my colleague was comforted in her daughter’s choices and that God
had answered prayers for good decisions to be made.
This has been a transformative process in that I understand more of what a privilege it is
to be a part of others’ lives. Really looking at how I felt and what I saw happening around me
made me realize that with prayer, “Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always
be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God” (
New
International Version,
1978/2011, 2 Corinthians 9:11). Praying for my colleagues made me feel
joy and thanking God for what he provides for my work environment and those involved made
me feel even more joyous and thankful. It is a wonderful feeling to be thankful. Something I will
take with me from this experience is that with leadership come many hardships that others may
not be aware of and sometimes may seem to increase personal suffering. During the school year,
our chief academic officer had to make a lot of difficult decisions that were not always popular
with everyone. She remained patient and took the time to explain the reasoning behind the
district’s decisions.
This reminded me of my prayers on day 17 when I prayed for our academic leadership
team to make the right decisions for the best interest of our students and for those in our district
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PRAYER REFLECTION
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who feared change to be able to adjust accordingly. Ephesians 5:10 helped with this by
reminding us to “...try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord” (
New International Version,
1978/2011) so we could provide the best education for our students and feel good about the
decisions we make. My chief academic officer has done an excellent job of researching and
trying to make the best-informed decisions on behalf of the students in our district. She has been
a wonderful example of God’s patience and understanding as well as how to handle demanding
situations when others lack wisdom.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with this assignment. While praying for those I
interact with daily I have begun to understand a unique way I can provide support to others and
through this I am more thankful. I can see how God touches everyone around me and how prayer
impacts life in a positive way. I am thankful for the opportunity to continue to “rejoice in hope,
be patient in tribulation, and be constant in prayer” (
New International Version,
1978/2011,
Romans 15:13). I am thankful for this assignment’s ability to strengthen my faith in His work
and presence in my life and those around me. I have learned how to be a better understanding
colleague through prayer and more engaged in the well-being of others.
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References
New International Bible. (2011). Zondervan. (Original work published 1978)