We are beginning to come to the end of the Summer season and are anticipating the start of another school year. The older my kids get, the more quickly it seems the school years are passing! The past few years of parenting school-aged kiddos have been particularly hard. We have all had to improvise, determine the best way to protect our children, and learn new levels of resilience, and we are still figuring out what this next season will hold.
Life is feeling more “normal,” but the memory and repercussions of the past three years have not yet passed.
Thankfully we serve a God that offers us wisdom, grace, and the strength we need for every season of this parenting journey. We can turn to Him to give us peace, even as we may be experiencing worries, doubts, and burnout at the start of this new year.
Jesus invites those of us who are weary and burdened to draw closer to him (Matthew 11:28-30). Many of us feel tired out by the ups and downs we have had to navigate these last few years. I invite you to take a moment to cast your cares upon the Lord. Ask him to ready your heart with the grace and patience you need to love your children well through another school year.
Here are some verses and prayers we can use to jump-start our prayer life as we seek God’s presence to be with us as we walk through the school season.
1. A Prayer for Peace
1 Peter 5:7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
God, it is hard not to feel burdened by my worries around this new school year. I wonder if my child will be safe, if they will have what they need, if they will make the right friends, and if I can love them well through it all! Please give me the strength I need to give all my worries and cares over to you.
I thank you that your word reminds me to come to you when we are feeling weary and that you promise to bring rest to my souls (Matthew 11:28-30). Help my family to walk in your rest - to be able to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13). Remind us of all the ways you have been faithful to our family in the past so you can look forward with confidence, knowing you will take care of them!
Help my children and me to trust you with every detail of our lives. Your word says that you know every hair on our heads (Luke 12:7). You care about the big things in their lives. Help us to know that we do not have to be afraid! You are our safe place. Allow us to find the strength they need to move forward with you. Amen.
2. A Prayer for Protection
Psalm 121: 7-8
The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
Lord, would you go with my children, every place they go! Go before them and also be their rear guard. Protect our home, school, and loved ones from sudden danger, sickness, bullying, confusion, hurt, and evil plots. Be their strong tower and fortress, and keep them safe.
I pray that you would touch the hearts of the lost and hurting in our community and bring your healing to our world so we can enjoy more peace and safety here in the land of the living. Give each of my child’s teachers eyes to see and protect my child when I am not with them. Give my child’s friends a heart of love for my child, so they will maintain loving interactions. Help me be wise in how I monitor my child’s heart, mind, soul, body, and academics. Give me the eyes to know when they need assistance and wisdom to know when it’s better for me to give them space. Be with them each day. Amen.
3. A Prayer of Hope
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
God, I stand on your promise that my child has a hope and a future! I pray that you would remind them that you have made them for a unique purpose. I ask that you show them how much you love them. Let hope rise up in their hearts!
I pray that you would make a way forward for them, even when the path ahead feels difficult. Give them the strength to navigate the obstacles they face in their lives. I pray that they will be blessed with a bright future.
I pray that you would give them the eyes to see you working even in the midst of their challenges. That even in the hardest seasons, they could find comfort and hope in you. Remind them that you are at work on their behalf at all times. They never have to face anything alone. We thank you for your hand in my child’s life. Amen.
4. A Prayer for Diligence
Proverbs 12:24 The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.
God, would you comfort me as I worry about my child’s ability to learn. Give them a diligent heart and hands. Inspire them to desire to learn more about your big and beautiful world! May their teachers be filled with creativity and plans that engage my child. Help me to encourage and model hard work, perseverance, grace, and grit for my children. Would they see that you desire to use their unique talents to make a difference in this world. Motivate them to reach their potential in every setting, working hard to do their best in every setting. Amen.
5. A Prayer of Refuge
Psalm 36:7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
God, ultimately let us find refuge in the knowledge that you love us. May our home be a place of refuge, where your presence resides, especially when our schedules get so full! Remind us to turn to you, to pause, and take time to be in your presence when the weight and pace of the world start to overwhelm our hearts. May my child know your unfailing love. May it be something that they can share with their community. I thank you for the refuge our home enjoys under the shadow of your wings. Amen.
The Bible tells us that the prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective (James 5:16)! Meaning that anyone who has accepted Jesus as their Savior has the ability to go to Him in prayer. As we begin a new routine, send our kids out, or begin schooling at home, let’s not neglect our prayer lives. Our prayers are a vital part of seeing God’s best unfold in the lives of our children. It’s in the presence of God that we experience his amazing peace too!
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Inside Creative House
Amanda Idleman is a writer whose passion is to encourage others to live joyfully. She writes devotions for My Daily Bible Verse Devotional and Podcast, Crosswalk Couples Devotional, the Daily Devotional App, she has work published with Her View from Home, on the MOPS Blog, and is a regular contributor for Crosswalk.com. She has most recently published a devotional, Comfort: A 30 Day Devotional Exploring God's Heart of Love for Mommas. You can find out more about Amanda on her Facebook Page or follow her on Instagram.