Starting Strong:

The supermarket shelves are heaving with back-to-school stationery, and the clothing aisles are awash with every iteration of grey and white school uniform! Back-to-school fever has begun.

Some parents commit to the preparation with military precision, whilst others just dread September’s credit card bill. There are colours and cardigans, bottles and bags, shoes and sharpeners… just so much to do.

Yet, amidst the hustle and bustle, it’s easy to forget one of the most critical areas of preparations as we anticipate the start of a new academic year: prayer. Often left off the back-to-school list, prayer may seem less practical and tangible, but it is an essential discipline that we must commit to for our children and young people. The privilege of bringing our children to the Lord God in prayer is immense, how foolish we are to think we can prepare our children sufficiently for all that lies ahead without bringing all our hopes and fears to the One who knows them intimately and has every resource available to prosper and protect these precious ones.

“pray without ceasing”

1 Thessalonians 5:17

The Bible encourages us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and this undoubtedly should include praying for our children’s academic year. After all, it is where they’ll spend a lot of their waking hours in the coming months. As we pack their school bags, let’s also pack their spiritual lives with the power of prayer.

Where do we start?

Well, how about with thanksgiving for the privilege of education and the provision of dedicated teachers. Pray that our children would enjoy and benefit from strong relationships with their teachers and flourish under their care. Pray that patience, gentleness and wisdom would be evident in the lives of teachers as they nurture the growth of our children and young people with compassion and care.

Let’s also pray for the friendships that our children will develop or continue. For relationships filled with joy and encouragement, that will endure through the ups and downs of the fickleness of childhood and the cancel culture of adolescence. Be bold to ask that our children might have the significance of a Christian friend at school—someone who shares their beliefs and worldview and who can be an ally in the culture wars. Above all, let’s pray that all relationships in the educational setting allow the Christian faith of our children and young people to develop and mature.

And then there are our kids—how do we pray for them? As the heart is the centre of all being, how about we start there? Pray that their hearts would be protected from negative influences, peer pressure, and misleading philosophies. Let’s plead that at all times their minds would be transforming rather than conforming to the patterns of this world. Pray that they would have a clear remembrance of who they are in Christ and that in all ways and at all times they would be concerned to point their peers to Him.

May they always trust that the right fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Let’s endeavour to help our children to know and believe that God is the infinite source of all knowledge and pray that as they acquire knowledge day by day they would have the capacity to integrate and assess what they’re learning with what they know of God’s word and ways. May they always trust that the right fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7).

Let’s pray

And finally let’s pray that their attitude and posture towards learning may glorify God, that they would see their education as a way to honour God and serve others daily. May they have a great love for learning and the ability to apply their knowledge in ways that reflect God’s wisdom and grace.

So, as we embark on those laborious tasks of uniform labelling, book covering, and shopping for school supplies, let’s transform them into powerful times of prayer. Each name label stuck in, each piece of stationery chosen, and each checklist item completed can become a moment to lift our children before the Lord. Let’s commit to praying every time we see a back-to-school advert or purchase another bit of kit, letting these triggers remind us to cover our children’s academic year in prayer. May our children see in us a steadfast, prayerful commitment to their education, and may this dedication be a testimony to them of God’s faithfulness and our trust in His provision. Ultimately, let every preparation we make be for the glory of God, as we entrust our children’s learning and growth into His hand.

Perhaps a specific time to pray for children and young people could be included in your next church family prayer meeting or maybe you could even host a dedicated prayer meeting for parents as the new year begins?