Praying at the start of a new school year

It’s that time of year again. Many children are about to start a new term, a new class, maybe even a new school. And Christian parents and friends up and down the land are praying hard.

Many are praying for good friendships to be formed. Others for academic or sporting success. A few are pleading for the end of bullying or a greater ability to cope with the many pressures of school life.

But over all these personal hopes and fears, it’s great to take a moment to pray through these verses.

The LORD … established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so that the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands. [Psalm 78:5-7]

They are fantastic verses that remind us of God’s priorities. So why not take the opportunity right now to think about your own children or the children in your congregation:

• Thank God for his word and for the people who have been faithfully teaching the Bible to the young people you care about.
• Ask God to help the children remember what they have been taught so that they can be confident in his sovereignty, love, faithfulness and power.
• And pray that the children will be steadfast followers of Christ – obedient to his will (and, of course, conscious of his grace when they fail) throughout the coming academic year.