7 Back-to-School Prayers for the New School Year
A band of blue jays awakens the dawn with a cacophony of cackles. It’s early, and I’m not ready to begin the day. Nevertheless, I brew the coffee and gather the kids for devotions. We talk about going back to school and embracing the last days of summer. We offer our back-to-school prayers and pray for God’s peace to go before us into the new school year.
Back-to-School Prayers
As I process a dozen different scenarios for what this year might look like, I thank the Lord for going with us.
The kids name their greatest fears, and we pray through their fears. Later in the day, I put together a list of back-to-school prayers to guide me at the start of this new year. I invite you to join me in praying these prayers for our students and communities.
7 Back-to-School Prayers for the New Year
1. Pray that challenges will help your family develop a deeper trust in God.
Pray that every challenge this year will help your family develop a deeper trust in God.
Our family has learned that difficult times are God’s signposts indicating that we’re about to grow in our faith.
Use challenges this year to remind you to lift your eyes to the hills, where your help comes from. Acknowledge God’s sovereign hand over the upcoming months, and trust that he will use this time for his good and his glory. Your role is to follow him one small step at a time, one day at a time.
Here’s a prayer:
“Lord God, thank you for going ahead of us into this new school year. We pray that the challenges we face will help us grow in faith and trust. Help us remember to turn to you first in times of distress and trouble.”
2. Thank God that he knows what lies ahead.
We don’t know what’s coming next, but God does. He will use this school year to accomplish his shaping work in your heart if you will live yielded to his plans.
Remind your children that God won’t miss a minute. He will go with them into every new situation this year.
Pray together and thank him that nothing will surprise him this year.
Here is a prayer:
“Dear God, thank you for being faithful to us. We don’t know what awaits us this year, but you do. We trust that nothing will come our way that you have not ordained. Help us find peace as we follow you.”
3. Pray every struggle will send you running to the arms of Jesus.
Every school year, my back-to-school prayers begin with praying that every struggle will send my children running to the arms of Jesus (for a full post on this subject, join me here).
Whether education takes place in a building down the street or in our dining rooms, there will be struggles. There will be moments when all is not well, patience is tested, and frustrations arise.
Pray these struggles will send your children to Jesus as they seek answers, wisdom, and comfort. Pray this prayer for yourself as well. Lastly, pray that the challenges of the year will prompt you to press closer to the Father and rely more closely on his guidance and love.
Here is a prayer:
“Father God, thank you for inviting us to turn to you in life’s difficult moments. We often try to rely on our human strength instead of running into your arms. Help us remember to turn to you first, pressing close to you and trusting in your guidance and love.”
4. Pray you will find your safe place in the shelter of the Most High God.
As we begin the new school year, let’s remember where we find our security. Let’s stand on these words:
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”
For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
And from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with His pinions . . . Psalm 91:1-4
Keep returning to the promise that when you abide in the shadow of the Almighty, he covers you in protection and delivers you. These are more than thoughtful poetic words; they are truth and life. Trust in the One who shields and covers you as you walk with your children into this new school year.
Here is a prayer:
“Dear Lord, thank you for being our shelter, deliverer, and strong tower. We ask you to reveal yourself to us in these ways as we seek you this year. Thank you that when we feel anxious, we can turn to you and find protection and refuge.”
5. Pray for the teachers and staff in your local schools.
Let’s shift gears and also pray for the teachers and staff in our schools. Pray for believers to share their faith in Christ. Pray for open hearts to receive these words.
Let’s also thank God for these local servants who invest in this important work. Pray for endurance, encouragement, and a vision to carry God’s love to their students.
Here is a prayer:
“Lord God, thank you for the teachers and other staff in our local school. We pray you will give believers the boldness to share their faith with their coworkers. Please open and prepare the hearts of those who don’t know you to receive your love. We also pray for encouragement, endurance, and vision to carry our teachers through this year.”
6. Pray for spiritual hunger in your local schools.
Pray that a hunger for God will invade your local school district. Also, pray for believing students to point other students to Christ and for adults to encourage one another in this same way.
Thank God that he is working in your school district.
Here is a prayer:
“Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the longing you put in our hearts to draw near to you. We confess that we sometimes turn to other sources of comfort and solace. We know this is true of others, too. Today, we pray for a deep hunger for your presence to fill our local schools. Use your body of believers to help lead those who experience this hunger into your presence. We pray for revival to sweep over our schools.”
7. Pray for God’s Kingdom to come to your local schools.
Last, pray for spiritual forces of darkness to leave your school and pray that Christ will reign. Pray for an increase in spiritual awareness and ask God to bring his Kingdom to your schools.
Here is a prayer:
“God, you are the King of kings and Lord of lords. We long to live in a world in which you rule and reign. In the name of Jesus, we pray against any spiritual forces of darkness that are invading our schools. We command these spirits to leave in Jesus’ name. We pray that your Kingdom will come into our schools, God. Fulfill your divine plan as only you can.”
Thank you so much for praying. May your prayers continue to lead you to the Father’s heart this school year. For a list of eight additional ways to pray for the start of a new school year, join me here.
Pray that every challenge this year will help your family develop a deeper trust in God. #back-to-schoolPrayers #PrayersforSchool #SchoolPrayers #PrayersforKids Share on XCalling all moms and daughters—and parents of boys!
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Devotionals for Girls
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
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