Prayers for a New School Year

Dear Lord,

Today begins a new school year for my husband's district, and several of my districts.  By the end of the week, all of my districts will be back in session.  Thank you for a new school year.

Thank you for the children at each and every school where my husband and I teach.  Thank you for the students we will see every day and get to know very well, and thank you for the students who we will go through the entire year never meeting.  Thank you for hand-picking each individual student at every school.

Thank you for the teachers with whom my husband and I get to work.  Thank you for teachers who have taught many years, from whom we have so much to learn, and thank you for new teachers with new ideas and fresh, optimistic outlooks.  Thank you for the team of teachers with whom my husband works closely and please create in them a wonderful sense of support and teamwork.  Thank you for the teachers with whom I get to work this year, and please help us to find patterns that work for us, and help us maintain strong lines of communication despite my traveling so much.

Lord, I pray for the students starting a new school today.  I pray for strong, solid friendships to be discovered and created.  I pray for students to minister to students this year and I pray for the students who will come to know You this year.  I pray against cliches, bullying, gangs, drugs, bitterness, and discouragement.  I pray for teachers and parents to use their influence to strengthen and encourage students this year.

I pray with expectancy for all the great friendships that will be made, teams that will be formed, hobbies that will be found, subjects that will inspire, and accomplishments that will be delighted in.  I pray for the students getting braces, glasses, new haircuts, new sneakers, contacts, and pierced ears.  I pray that students will learn quickly that beauty is an inner-quality.

I pray for the challenges ahead, for there will be challenges, but I pray that the students and teachers will face them with a positive attitude.  I pray that students and teachers will rejoice in the opportunity to learn instead of groan at the requirement to learn.

I pray for parents as they send their most precious children out into another school year -- or maybe a first school year.  I pray comfort for the parents and great comforting words to speak to their child.  I pray that parents will tell their children how much they will get to learn this year, and how smart they are for working so hard and learning so much.  I pray over homework time in each of their houses, and I pray that it would not be a nightly struggle.  I pray for a spirit of helpfulness and encouragement over houses that have previously held feelings of anger and frustration.

I pray for collaboration between parents and teachers, and teachers and teachers, and teachers and administrators, and parents and administrators.  I pray for ears to listen before reacting, for all parties.  I pray that students will come to see their parents and their teachers are on the same team -- we all want engaged, happy, hard-working students who are challenged and excited about learning.

Lord, Thank you that You are everywhere.
The United States government doesn't have to recognize Your presence in schools -- You are there.  The students do not have to pray at the start of each day for You to lovingly watch over every interaction and conversation they will have each and every day -- You are there.  The teachers don't have to be wearing a cross around their necks for you to be present in their classroom -- You are there.
You created every human being in each and every school.  You know the number of hairs on every student and teacher's heads.  You hear every whispered plea and desperate prayer from every mouth and every heart.

Lord, as teachers, my husband and I have such a long list of things we are hoping and planning to teach our students this year.  Father, please let this be a year they learn more about You.  However You can reach them this year, through friends, family, circumstances, music, stories, examples... Their relationship with You is the only Eternal lesson there is.  Let this be the year so many students, teachers, parents come to know You and Your beautiful sacrifice for them.