By Melissa McLaughlin
Dear God,
Please fill me.
Fill me with the joy of learning again.
Fill me with the wonder of new questions.
Fill me with enthusiasm for accomplishments large and small.
Fill me with patience, finding new ways to explain once more.
Fill me with love for each precious child, each miracle of life standing before me.
Fill me with energy to meet each day fully alive.
Fill me, oh God.
For without You, I will just be
another number on a data sheet,
empty words in a big room,
ideas lying dead with no heart,
the babbling voice of Charlie Brown’s teacher,
thoughts evaporating in the morning mist, long gone before the day is done.
Fill me so I can be more, more than just me.
Fill me so I can give and give and give again.
Fill me with Your heart, oh God.
For without You, there is not enough of me.
Without You there is
not enough love,
not enough grace,
not enough patience,
not enough passion,
not enough hope,
not enough strength.
So, fill me, oh God, fill me.
Fill me with Your soul, Your breath, Your Spirit, Your love.
Fill me, so I can teach again.
Photo © Melissa McLaughlin
Additional Resources
Should be the prayer of every teacher.
Amen. We need the touch of God’s Spirit running through us, or we will never be able to touch others with the love they need.
Amen! This could be a mother’s prayer too. What age do you teach?
Wow, you are right! Parents are every child’s first teacher! I have taught K-8 in various roles, teacher, reading specialist, special needs teacher, teacher facilitator, at-risk student coordinator, homebound instructor, tutor. Each age group brings their own unique joys and challenges. But what joy when you can connect with a student’s heart and mind, help them learn something new today along with renewed desire to learn something new tomorrow! Regarding this present moment, I have recently suffered a health issue and had to take an early retirement from teaching. But God has still been good, as this unexpected position allowed me to begin writing. So I thank God even for this. I will always be a teacher at heart as much as a writer. Both of these are wonderful gifts from God! Sorry that was such a long answer!
Teacher to teacher! I know what you mean. I was a middle school language arts teacher before my kids came along. There are days when I profoundly miss the classroom- one reason I am so eager to start my own. I am thankful you are seeing God consistently at work in your life even now.
I remember that, too. It is very hard to leave a teaching position. As a Christian, we use all of ourselves. I admire and respect you for staying home with the kids to do the home schooling. It will be much harder than running your own classroom at school, because you don’t get to change environments. But you are giving your kids a gift for all eternity. No one else can teach them like a Christian parent. I pray it will go well for the kids and for you!
I am thankful for your prayers and encouragement. It’s a dream come true to be able to teach my own children.
I love hearing about it, too. Thank you for sharing your dream come true!
I’m a retired high school teacher from California. This prayer is on target!â¤ï¸
Thank you, Jan, for stopping by and sharing your feedback! Congratulations on your many years of teaching and for your retirement from teaching. Your comment means so much to me! I was just thinking this week, if a person was not a teacher, they might not understand this poem fully. You blessed me. God bless you!