By Cherie Werner
Do you have your No. 2 pencils, your three-ring binder, and your scented markers ready?! It’s time for the first day of school!
The first day of school is always exciting, but as the days go on, kids (and parents!) can easily grow weary. Let’s build these families up in prayer and ask for God’s help in every area related to school!
Take the next 30 days to pray for your schools and all the workers who are a part of those schools. As you pray, think about and pray specifically for the schools and education professionals in your area.
Day 1 Praise God for Christian schools where the Word of God can be taught. Ask God to use them to shine a light into their communities.
Day 2 Praise God for public schools. Ask that Jesus would shine his light through the Christian children there.
Day 3 Ask God to bring godly men and women to work in public schools and to give them boldness share God’s love with others.
Day 4 Pray for all teachers. Ask God to give them wisdom, strength, compassion, patience, and guidance.
Day 5 Pray for new teachers. Ask God to put other teachers in their lives who can mentor and encourage them.
Day 6 Ask God to raise up prayer warriors in each school.
Day7 Thank God for school janitors and maintenance workers. Ask God to help them see that, although their work is often taken for granted, they are an important part of the education process.
Day 8 Pray for schools with class sizes that are too large.
Day 9 Ask God to keep our schools safe from violence, drug abuse, and gang activity.
Day 10 Pray for Christian teachers who work in public schools. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide them in building relationships between churches and schools this year.
Day 11 Pray for teachers and other school staff who feel unappreciated.
Day 12 Pray for teachers who struggle with discipline. Ask Jesus to guide them in finding tools and mentors to help them gain control of their classrooms.
Day 13 Pray for school personnel who have had to work through the summer. Ask Jesus to give them his strength and renew their joy for the days ahead.
Day 14 Thank God for teachers who work hard, agonize over how best to help their students, and spend their own money on classroom supplies.
Day 15 Pray that parents and teachers would work together. Ask God to help them recognize that they are on the same team and both want what is best for the child.
Day 16 Pray for families who are homeschooling.
Day 17 Pray for teachers who are feeling frustrated or burned out. Ask Jesus to give them a renewed sense of purpose and passion.
Day 18 Pray for schools that are short-staffed, out of room, or lacking resources. Ask God to provide for their needs.
Day 19 Ask the Holy Spirit to work in hearts and raise up new teachers who want to share Jesus’ love with children.
Day 20 Thank God for bus drivers. Ask God to keep them and their students safe each day as they travel back and forth to school.
Day 21 Pray for school administrators and principals. Ask God to give them wisdom to know how to lead and the ability to do their jobs well.
Day 22 Pray for schools that are in danger of closing or need to downsize. Ask God to give them wisdom and direction to know what to do and how best to do it.
Day 23 Thank God for teacher aides, secretaries, and volunteers. Ask God to bless them for the many jobs they do and the ways they help make things run smoothly.
Day 24 Pray for teachers who are struggling financially.
Day 25 Thank God for the people who plan and make lunches every day. Ask God to bless their work and keep everyone healthy and nourished.
Day 26 Pray for teachers dealing with difficult students. Ask God to give them wisdom, direction, insight, patience, and grace to help those students in the best possible way.
Day 27 Pray for substitute teachers.
Day 28 Pray that God will protect the religious freedoms that students have in the public schools and that teachers and administrators will not be afraid to let those freedoms continue.
Day 29 Pray for teachers who have to deal with angry parents. Ask God to give them wisdom, compassion, and the right words to help diffuse a difficult situation.
Day 30 Thank God for librarians. Ask God to help them find good books and give them ideas to help children learn to love reading.
How are you praying for your schools this year?
