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I found these back-to-school prayers on a website called ConcordPastor.blogspot.com, and thought they were lovely. I hope you enjoy them and use them. There are prayers for students to use, prayers for parents and grandparents to use, and prayers for teachers to use. If you are none of these things, please just spend this week in prayer for our teachers, staff, and students in District 140 as they begin a new school year.
A Student’s Prayer:
Dear God, help me remember that you’re always by my side at school and all day long. Help me be the best student I can be, using all the gifts and talents you’ve given me. Help me study well and often—especially when I don’t feel like studying at all! Help me finish all my homework – on time. Help me listen to my teachers and coaches.
Help me play fair and play safely. Help me be honest when I’m tempted to cheat. Help me always tell the truth. Help me be kind to everyone at school and to treat others as I’d want them to treat me. Help me make good friends, and help me be a good friend to others. Help me know how I can help others and to ask for help when I need it myself.
Help me love and respect, trust and appreciate my parents—and to be honest with them.
Help me remember that you’re with me always, Lord, and that you’ll never leave my side. Amen.
A Parent’s/Grandparent’s Prayer:
Dear God, as my children leave for school, I pray that you will keep them in your care. Send your Spirit to open their minds to all that is true and beautiful and good. Help them to see the gifts and talents you have given them and to use them well. Help them to grow in knowledge and wisdom. Help them to be kind to others, and lead others be kind to them. Give their teachers patience and understanding, and help them teach what is just and true. Send your angels to guide and guard my children and to keep them from all harm. Open their young hearts to your presence, and enfold them in your peace and protection. Hold them in the palm of your hand, and bring them home safely at day’s end. Amen.
A Teacher’s Prayer:
Dear God, a new school year has begun, and my classroom door is now open to the students you’ve assigned to my care. Open my mind and heart to each of them and especially to the ones who will challenge me the most. Help me challenge my students, all of them, to study, to learn, to grow in knowledge, and even a little wisdom. Help me remember, Lord, how young my students are: give me patience to help them grow up and insight to know the help they need. Help me to understand that sometimes my students may not understand me: may I be clear in the things I say and do, and in how I say and do them. My students don’t know the burdens and worries my heart brings to the classroom, so help me remember, Lord, how anxious and heavy my students’ hearts may be. Keep me from favoring any particular students, except for those who most need my help. Let my decisions in the classroom be fair and just, honest and true. Send your Spirit to fill me with gifts of knowledge and understanding, counsel and wisdom. Open my mind and heart to my students’ parents, especially those who will challenge me the most. Help me challenge parents to challenge their children to study, to learn and to grow. Help me to teach as you would, Lord: help me be understanding when I need to be firm, gentle in all things, and patient until the last bell rings. Amen.
