Heartprints

Back to School Prayers

It’s been a little over 3 weeks since my firstborn started Kindergarten.

I am happy to report that for the most part, things are going great. Of course, there were a few meltdowns at first about bringing a lunch from home versus buying food in the cafeteria, but I am thinking this just goes with the territory, right?

Life transitions can be tricky to navigate. And, sometimes we get so busy navigating them that it’s easy to forget one of the most important things—prayer.

A year ago, I did a “Back to School Prayer Challenge” for the ministry where I work. Looking back on the posts, they’ve felt timely and encouraged my soul as I reread my own advice.

Many of us worry about political strife, racial tension, family issues, helping our kids avoid pornography, and a whole host of other things. The apostle Paul encourages us to bring all our concerns to Christ and then rest in His amazing peace that defies human logic.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:6–7)

For the “Back to School Prayer Challenge” I created a prayer acrostic using the word “school” for ease of memory. Here are the words I associated with each letter:

S = Safety — Pray for God to deliver students/teachers from the wicked (2 Thess. 3:2)

C = Confidence — Pray for God to grant students/teachers boldness in speaking the Word of God (Acts 4:29)

H = Hope — Pray for students/teaches to be prepared to share the hope of the gospel (1 Pet. 3:15)

O = Opportunities — Pray for God to open many doors of opportunity for His Word to go forth (Col. 4:3).

O = Obedience — Pray for students/teachers to be obedient to Christ’s “Great Commission” (Matt. 28:18–19).

L = Love — Pray for students/teachers to show God’s love to all (1 Thess. 3:12).

(For more prayer ideas or to utilize my infograph, see original post on EvanTell’s blog.)

Sarah is the author of Bathsheba’s Responsibility in Light of Narrative Analysis, contributor to Vindicating the Vixens, and contributing editor for The Evangelism Study Bible. Some of her previous ministry experiences have included teaching and mentoring of adults and children in a wide variety of settings. Her small claim to fame is that she has worked with children of every age range from birth through high school over the past 20 years. She and her husband Ben reside in Richardson, Texas with their four children.