Prayer is one of the most powerful weapons God has given us.
When we pray, He moves, and when we turn to Him, He listens.
As kids have begun trickling back to school for the 2022-2023 school year, we want to be a church that covers our students, teachers, parents and administrators in prayer as they go out to where God has placed them.
May they have eyes to see the lost and ears to hear His voice in the midst of a chaotic world. May they have hands willing to do the work He has called them to do and may their feet move them into love and compassion.
Below are 20 verses of Scripture with corresponding prayers that you can join us in praying this year!
PRAYERS FOR STUDENTS
“The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.” Proverbs 18:15
God, give our kids a thirst for knowledge and wisdom. Open their ears and help them to learn what You would want them to learn.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17
God, you created us to be in relationship with You and with others. Help our kids to be a friend that sharpens and builds others up. Give them solid friendships that flourish in Your name and a community that strengthens one another.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
Protect and shelter our kids as they leave our homes. Whether they have left us for the day or for longer, God, thank you for being with them. Help them to be strong and courageous in Your name, and to trust that You are always there with them.
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Colossians 3:12-14
May our kids be a vessel of your kindness and love. God, help them to show compassion, gentleness and patience to all those around them. May they be known by their love and may it point directly back to you. Help them to speak life and show forgiveness to others, as you have forgiven us.
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
In a dark world, may our kids be the Light. God, shine through them and make Yourself known. Help our kids to have eyes to see the divine opportunities around them to show kindness to others, to do a good deed, to share Your love.
PRAYERS FOR PARENTS
“Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.” Isaiah 33:2
God, thank you for being gracious to me. Thank you for Your strength and Your salvation. Guide me today and help me to walk with peace in whatever lies ahead of me.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
Lord, I bring my anxiousness and fears to you and lay them at your feet. Help me to focus on you so I can walk in your peace day-by-day. Guard my heart and my mind, and keep me fully in tune with Your voice and only Your voice.
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
When I am weak, You are strong. Thank you for carrying me today and every day. God, help me to feel Your presence and Your power, especially in those moments where I feel inadequate. Thank You for your grace.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23
God, may I be known by the fruit of the Spirit: your love, your joy, your peace, your patience, your kindness, your goodness, your faithfulness, your gentleness and your self-control. Help me to cling to these as I go about my day.
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23
The days can be long, hard, and tiring, but you are a gracious God. Thank you for your unfailing love and your compassion towards me. You are faithful and your mercy is new every morning. Thank you, God.
PRAYERS FOR TEACHERS
“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” Psalm 143:10
Lord, I pray for discernment and wisdom for our teachers. Help them to know Your will and to stay rooted in You. May your Spirit be the guiding force of their life as they follow their call to teach.
“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91:1-2
God, protect our teachers and strengthen them with your power. If they do not know You, may they dwell in Your shadow and put their trust in You as Lord and Savior. You are a refuge and fortress, a place where they can find peace and rest.
“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:16-17
Thank you for our teachers. God, help them to carry your message to a hurting world and to students who desperately need to know about Your hope and Your love. May the hearts of our teachers be tuned to you as they go about their day. Give them Godly wisdom and direction as they pour into the lives of those around them.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
God, fill our teachers with Your hope, Your peace and Your joy. Help them to trust in You, so that You may then flow out of them to students that need to know You. Draw close to them so that they may feel Your presence and share it with those around them.
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9
God, help our teachers to not become weary. Fill them with your strength and your endurance as they go about their days. Help them to love their students as you have loved them.
PRAYERS FOR ADMINISTRATORS
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. “ Matthew 6:33-34
As our school administrators make decisions, God, I pray that their first act would be to seek You and Your kingdom. Tune their hearts to You and help them to know what Your will is.
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:1-2
God, as the world feels heavy and confusing at times, help our school administrators to focus on You and You alone. May they be Kingdom-minded, making decisions based on things above.
“And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8
God, I pray that those in positions of leadership would know you and seek you. Help them to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with you.
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” Jame 1:19-20
Through the myriad of complex situations our administrators must face, God help them to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger. You desire righteousness, so help them pursue this in all that they do.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2
Lord, may the administrators at our schools not be conformed to patterns of this world but may they seek Your will – Your good, perfect and pleasing will. Transform their minds and help them to make decisions that will glorify and honor you.