Pray for Your School

If you haven’t already heard, school is back in session! Backpacks, notebooks, calendars, planners, pens and pencils, lunchboxes, laptops … all signs of the new school year and of the learning that comes with it. What if another sign of the new school year was all of us praying for our schools and the people leading them?

1 Timothy 2:1-4 says “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Just as God has called us to pray for those who govern over us, He has also called us to pray for “all who are in high positions.” I believe that this includes those who are administrators and who teach children in our schools. Whether they love Jesus or not, they need our prayers so that they can do their jobs well, and hopefully work as unto the Lord. They are people who have been given authority and thus they deserve respect. They also need wisdom from God to do their jobs well.

Here are a few things to pray for as you bring your children’s school before the Lord. Firstly, pray for the salvation of those who teach and those who are in administration. God is powerful and can move in miraculous ways and we know that while education is important, the most important thing is making ultimate peace with God through the blood of Jesus Christ. There most likely is a mix of believers and non-believers employed at your children’s schools, so praying for God to save those who don’t know Him is important. Pray also for the believers who are in positions of authority at your schools. Pray that they would be bold in their faith and share the Gospel fearlessly.

Secondly, pray for your children to be lights in their classrooms. Pray that their love of Jesus would shine through them, and that their fellow students and teachers would be curious as to why they are different from everyone else. Pray that when they are asked, they would be bold and clear as they explain the Gospel. Pray that they would have influence among their peers and set a good example for others to follow. Pray that as they work hard at their studies, they would be learning for the glory of God. Pray that they would see all of life as worship, including their classes and their homework. Pray that they would enjoy their work, and that they would grow in their knowledge as a foundation for their future of serving Christ with whatever He has for them.

Thirdly, pray for wisdom for the teachers and administrators. For teachers, they need wisdom in how to manage children who are acting out. They need kindness and gentleness for students who come from difficult backgrounds. They need perseverance to show up daily with everything they have to teach well. For administrators, they need wisdom to make healthy choices and to lead in a way that promotes safety, learning, and growth. They need to choose who will teach, assist, and speak into the lives of the children who attend. They need to decide if and how they will change the curriculum that will be taught to the students. They need to decide what will be most important as they lead the school forward. They need godly wisdom for all of this and more.

Even if your children are homeschooled or go to a Christian school, pray for their school nonetheless. Pray that God would keep their educators (maybe it’s you!) firm in their faith and grounded in the word of God. Pray for the administration (again, maybe it’s you!) to make wise decisions about how schooling will look. Pray that God would be glorified in all that happens in their school.

God has called us to pray for all who are in high positions. As this new school year kicks off, let us be a church who pray for our local schools. May God be lifted high in our schools. May students find Christ and commit to living the rest of their lives for Him. May He be glorified through the truth that is taught in schools. Let’s make this school year a year of prayer! Even when things look hopeless, God is able to break through the darkness and shine his light!

In Him,
Daniel Cable
Youth Minister: Outreach