4 Critical Back-to-School Prayers for Our Kids

A new school year is right around the corner for our family, and we are potentially facing some big changes.

Like you, I want my kids to transition well into a new school year. I want my kids to love learning, to excel in their endeavors, and have an enjoyable year. I want my kids to like their teacher and get along well with other kids. I want them to have ease and safety and be A-okay.

I really do want my kids to have an easy life — so much so, that sometimes I forget the importance of allowing my kids to experience natural consequences, the growth that comes through facing life’s struggles, and the satisfaction of success after failure.

The protective Mama in me wants to control my children’s circumstances and grant them a trouble-free year, but far more than that, I desire God’s plans for my children, even if that means unexpected circumstances, unwanted struggles, and new experiences.

I don’t want to control or manipulate, demand or impose. I might think I know what is best for my children, but God is the One who sees their hearts and knows their feelings. He is the One who understands them better than they do themselves and loves them more deeply than I ever can. He has a plan, and He knows what He is doing.

God has a plan for my children — for their good and His glory, and I want to join God in the work HE is doing in my children’s hearts and lives.

Here are 4 critical areas of prayer for our children as they head back to school this fall.

{Parents, if you’re up for the challenge, come join me on my Instagram or Facebook page where the community has committed to praying for our kids every day through the month of September.}

Faith

One of my deepest desires is for God to be working in the hearts of my kids, drawing them to Himself, compelling them by His love, convicting them of wrong, comforting them through struggles, strengthening them in all of life’s varied circumstances. I desire for my children to know and walk in the truth!

For two of my kids, that means that I pray regularly for their salvation first, and then, along with my other two, I pray that my children will know they are loved and live a life of love (Ephesians 5:1-2). I also pray for my kids to know, love, and obey God’s Word and that they will be sensitive and responsive to the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives. One of my deepest longings for my children comes from Ephesians 4–

Prayer: By the riches of Your glory, Lord, strengthen ______ with power through Your Spirit in her inner being so that You may dwell in her heart through faith. May she continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and may she be rooted and grounded in love, knowing the extravagant dimensions of Your love for her, this love that surpasses understanding, and may______ be filled with all the fullness of You! (Ephesians 4:16-19, 2 Peter 3:18)

Character

Good character comes through training and practice, and we work toward that in our family, but more than having “good” kids or moral human beings, I want my kids to be changed from the inside out! I so desire God’s Spirit to transform the hearts and lives of my kids, making His fruit evident in their lives as they remain in Him.

Prayer: This is my prayer, God: that ______’s love will abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight so that he may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ. May ______ not look at the things that man looks at, but open his eyes to see the world through Your eyes and respond to it with Your wisdom and love. May ______ trust in you with all of his heart, not relying on his own understanding but acknowledging You in all his ways and walking the straight paths You have prepared for him. (Philippians 1:9-11, 1 Samuel 16:7, Proverbs 3:5-6)

Relationships

Our relationships with others affect our hearts and our minds — our very lives, in fact. We pray for our children to have healthy relationships, and we must guard carefully the influences to which we submit. There are times, however, when we have little choice over those who are in authority over us or our children. In those times, especially, we must pray specifically that our kids will be protected, discerning, and cling to truth.

Prayer: Lord, I pray that ______ will show proper respect to everyone. Strengthen her and help her to love others, fear You, and honor those in authority over her. But, Lord, protect ______, too. Don’t let any teacher or authority figure take her captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. Rather may ______ be discerning and destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. (1 Peter 2:17, Colossians 2:8, 2 Corinthians 10:5)

Pray with us as we make our children’s friendships a matter of prayer, too!

Safety

We all want our kids to be safe, but even more than I desire physical safety for my children, I long for spiritual safety. I want my kids to be saved by the blood of Jesus and to walk through all of life’s circumstances with Him.

In this world, my kids will have trouble (John 16:33). They will face disappointments and challenges and temptations, and even persecution. Of course I want my kids to be safe physically, and I do pray regularly for their physical safety, but even more so, I want my kids to be saved and to know the presence, peace and power of our Savior Jesus Christ as they walk through these challenges.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, that you have redeemed ______ and called him by name. He is Yours! When______ passes through the waters — through ups and downs and struggles and suffering, through disappointments and betrayals and bullies and pressures, through insecurities and fears and temptations and heartbreak — be with him! When he passes through the rivers, do not let them sweep over him. When he walks through the fire, do not let him be burned. May ______ take refuge in YOU and be glad. Let him ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over my boy, that he may rejoice in you! (Isaiah 43:1-2, Psalm 5:11)

We have an incredible opportunity to strengthen and support our kids by praying for them! Join us as we pray God’s Word for our kids daily through the month of September.

Praying with you,

Erika // erikadawson.com