Back-to-School Prayers

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As a dad with kids starting school in a brand new district this year, I’m feeling all the emotions: excitement, nerves, and everything in between. Whether your children are stepping into a new classroom, starting college, or you’re an educator gearing up for the year ahead, this season brings a mix of hope and uncertainty.

I’ve been praying for my own kids, their teachers, and everyone who plays a role in shaping our schools. I invite you to join me in lifting up students, families, and educators in prayer. Below, you’ll find a few written prayers to guide you, but don’t hesitate to speak your own words to our God who sees, hears, and walks with us through every transition.

If you missed the Blessing of the Backpacks on Aug 11, we still have a few prayed-over tags available. They’re a simple but powerful reminder that you’re covered in prayer, whether they end up on a backpack, briefcase, or purse.

As always, I’m here if you’d like someone to pray with over coffee, in person, or on Sunday morning.

In Christ,

Pedro

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A prayer for children going to school:

Dear Jesus, you who promise to be with me always, I pray that you would be with me today as I go to school. Bless my going and my coming. Bless my learning and my playing. Please protect my heart from fear. Please keep me safe. Please give me good friends. Give me joy this day, and thank you for loving me from head to toe. In your name. Amen.

A prayer for children schooling at home:

Dear Jesus, you who promise to be with me always, I pray that you would be with me at home today as I do my schoolwork. Please help me to do my best, help me not to feel alone, and help me to be with patient with my family. Give me joy this day, and thank you for loving me from head to toe. In your name. Amen.

A prayer for high school and college students:

O Lord, you who promise to be with me always, be with me this day as I begin my schoolwork. Keep me in health, I pray, and keep me from harm. In all that I do and say, may I love you with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength, and may I love my neighbor as myself, so that I might fulfill your purposes for me and your calling on my life as a student. In Christ’s name. Amen.

A prayer for parents:

O Lord, you who promise to guide us through the wilderness and to protect us through the storm, we ask that you would make us wise when we cannot clearly see the way forward, make us brave when we feel afraid, make us strong in the face of our weakness, and make possible what to us seems impossible, so that we might joyfully entrust ourselves and our children into your tender care in these trying and troubling times. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A prayer for teachers:

O Lord, you who are the Good Teacher, I ask that you would help me to love my students well this day and to be patient with things that don’t go according to plan. May I help my students to feel afresh the wonder of our subject matter, to be humble in the face of ignorance, to be gracious with themselves in the light of mistakes that they may make, to delight in things newly discovered, and to love the truth with all their hearts and minds, so that they might be wise and compassionate citizens of this world that you so love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A prayer on behalf of teachers:

O Lord, you who have called and equipped the teachers in our community, we pray for them today. Watch over them, provide for them, guide them, sustain them. May you be their sun and shield, so that they might do the work that you have entrusted to them and sense your care in these uncertain times. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A prayer for school administrators:

O God, you who have promised wisdom to all who would ask it, we pray today for school administrators, that you would grant them clarity of mind, unity of spirit, strength of will, a heart of wisdom and the gift of your truth-bearing Spirit, so that they might be enabled to make decisions that lead to the flourishing of their teachers, staff, and students and to the wellbeing of the whole community. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.