PLYMOUTH – Dear Lord of All,
My heart is pulled to pray for all the children that are headed back to school for the new year. God, you know each one of them by name. You know their anxieties and worries about returning to school. Maybe they are feeling scared about not being smart enough for the next grade, not making friends, having a difficult teacher, or not wearing the right cool clothes. God, Psalm 16:8 assures us that you are always with us, so we won’t be shaken because you are right beside us. I believe your promise and want our children to cling to your Word for their foundation.
The greatest thing we want for our children is for them to accept you as Lord and Savior of their life. Understanding who they are in Jesus Christ, makes all the other decisions fall into place. Gaining confidence in being a child of God and made in His image answers many questions that the world is throwing at them. Please God, guard their hearts and minds in you.
For the young Christian children that are going back to class, I pray for them to show beautiful fruits in their reactions, words, kindness to others, attention to their studies and homework, and godly control over their attitudes. Father, your Word in Galatians 5:22-23 explains what the Holy Spirit living in us produces (knowing that He comes with our salvation). Help these results of loving and spending time with you show through in the way we love others, find joy, exude peace, give patience, share kindness and goodness even in difficult situations, they way we’re faithful, and are always gentle, and use self-control when we’re tempted not to. Let your Spirit lead our children in the way that honors You, Holy God.
Help our children be serious about learning and disciplined to do their homework, but let them also find time to play, laugh, and have great conversations with other kids. Let them be friendly and make friends easily. Guard their hearts from the hurts that will most likely come their way. Show them how to wisely choose their friends and activities. Lead our children to believe Proverbs 13:20 that tells them to walk with the wise and become wise; but being companions of fools will experience harm.
Lord, help us as parents of school age children, to take the time necessary at the end of the day to encourage our children in their homework and to listen to their stories of the day at school. Spirit, lead us to ask questions and point them to you in response to how to handle tough situations and relationships.
Let this school year be one of spiritual growth for our children as well as book knowledge. Thank you, God, for loving us and showing compassion for our children. In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jamie works as Executive Assistant for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. Her greatest joy is serving Jesus Christ. Her husband, Tony, their three children, and nine grandchildren are gifts from God that fill Jamie's life to overflowing. Mentoring young women in the Lord is a ministry of delight. Jamie and her family served 13 years with the IMB international mission work in Niger Republic, West Africa, and Paris, France.