By Steve Horn
Since 1975 when I started kindergarten, every August has meant “back to school.” Every August, I have either been a student, the husband of a school teacher, the pastor of a church with a school, or the parent of a student. That is a lot of back to school prayers (and a lot of tuition).
For those of us with children, I’m convinced that the first day of school marks the beginning of a new year more so than January 1. As we begin another school year, let me give you a couple of reminders about praying for your child and your child’s teachers.
When praying for your child’s teachers:
- Pray for the teacher’s salvation. This is the most important prayer we can offer for anybody. Pray that your relationship with your child’s teacher can lead to spiritual conversations.
- Pray for a good relationship with that teacher. Pray that you will model Christ in all of your dealings with your child’s teacher.
- Pray that the teacher will always be fair. This is not always easy, because they, like you, are human.
When praying for your child:
- Pray that your children will learn this school year. After all, learning is the reason they are going to school. Don’t pray that they will make good grades; pray that they will learn what they need to know at this point in their lives.
- Pray that your child will grow spiritually this school year. There is nothing more important than your child’s spiritual well-being.
- Pray that your child will grow relationally with others this year.
In a former community where I lived, a group of parents informally met once a week to pray for their children while at school. The group called themselves Wall Builders. The name came from the idea that in prayer they were building a “wall of prayer” and therefore protection.
Often, I find myself praying—Lord, give our administrators, teachers, and students safety at school—both physical safety and spiritual safety.
Would you carve out some time today to join me in this back to school prayer?
Steve Horn is executive director for Louisiana Baptists. This editorial first appeared on his blog site on the Louisiana Baptists website.
