Praying through the School Year

Sharpen your pencils parents because a new school year has just begun! How do you feel at the beginning of a new school year? Maybe you’re a homeschool mom who feels overwhelmed by the to-do list or maybe you’re feeling anxious as you send your child to a new school with unfamiliar teachers and peers. Wherever you find yourself in this season, remember that Jesus wants to meet you right where you’re at. Jesus has peace for you, and he has peace for your children. The question is, are you willing to go to Him and receive his gift of peace?

Last week I went and saw a new movie titled “The Forge” at a local movie theater. I cried through most of this movie – it was that good! “The Forge” is about a single mom who is trying to help her 19-year-old son Isaiah become a man. This mom goes to her friends and says, “It’s hard for a woman to call out the man in her son. I just need some prayer support.” As this mom and her group of friends begin to pray over Isaiah, God does amazing things in and through his life. This movie was a beautiful inspiring story and I encourage every mom to watch it.

The movie “The Forge” really inspired me to pray for my kids this school year. Parenting can be hard especially if you’re homeschooling your children, and it has not been smooth sailing for me. But as I watched this movie, I realized that the only thing this mom changed in parenting her son was the way she prayed for him and that was what made all the difference. We as parents can put in our best effort, but it’s not going to matter if we don’t include Jesus in our journey of motherhood.

Whether you homeschool your kids or send your children to school, praying over your children is going to make all the difference in how their school year goes.

But how do we pray for our children and what do we pray for? I believe praying scripture over people is the most powerful kind of prayer as we unite our words with the words of God. There are many scripture verses that are great for praying over our kids and I encourage you to search through the Bible for scriptures you would like to use, but for today I would like to use Ephesians 1 as an example.

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. -Ephesians 1:4-6

My Prayer

Lord Jesus, I praise you and thank you for choosing my children to be holy and blameless in your sight. I praise you for adopting my children as your own and I am so grateful that you find pleasure in my children. I surrender my children to you Lord Jesus because they were yours before they were ever mine. I praise you for your glorious grace and ask that you continue to give me and my children grace as we face the school year ahead. Lord Jesus, I ask that you guide my children towards your will this school year and I pray that they will do what is pleasing to you. Thank you for loving my children well, help me to do the same.

I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spiritof wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. – Ephesians 1:16-19

My Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for the blessing of my children! I pray that you give my children the Spirit of wisdom as they enter a new school year. Reveal yourself to my children Lord God that they may know you better this year. Touch the hearts of my children Lord Jesus that they may know the hope to which you have called them. Strengthen my children this school year through your mighty power. Help my children to lean on you. Strengthen their faith in you and use them as a light for your glory. I pray for all these things in your mighty name – Amen!

Now it is your turn! Search through God’s word for scriptures you would like to pray over your children and make it a routine to pray over your children throughout the school year. I believe you will be amazed at how God works in your child’s life this school year as you continue to seek Jesus on behalf of the people you love most in this world.

Jesus loves your children! Are you willing to surrender your children to Him in prayer?