You've savoured summer, stocked up on supplies, and braced yourself for a time of transition. The school year is about to begin. Whether you're sending your little one off to nursery or helping them pack for their college dorm room, there is a sense of "letting go."
Rest assured: they aren't going alone. You can lift your child to God as back-to-school season begins.
May these 5 prayers taken from 5 Things to Pray for Your Kids by Melissa Kruger be a starting point.
Pray that your child will…
“The LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).
Praise God that he will be with your child wherever they go. While we are limited and cannot be everywhere at once, God is everywhere, and he neither slumbers nor sleeps. Pray that your child will experience the security of God’s presence in the midst of change and uncertainty.
“The righteous choose their friends carefully” (Proverbs 12:26).
Our children are easily influenced by those around them. Pray that the Lord would give your child wisdom from a young age to choose friends carefully. Pray also that he would provide friends who encourage them in faith and help them to make wise decisions.
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:10).
We often look at our children, noticing how they reflect us. However, they are created to reflect Jesus more than anyone else. Pray that as your child grows, they would increasingly shine Jesus to the watching world.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love” (Galatians 5:22).
Praise God that by his Spirit he gives us a new heart that bears good fruit. Our hope as parents is that our love for our children reflects God’s great love for them. Pray that as they experience the love of God, they would love others—that they would share their toys, comfort those who are hurting, and look out for others who may be lonely.
“The LORD will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life” (Psalm 121:7).
While we want to keep our children safe, we know we are often powerless to protect them from skinned knees, harmful gossip, and their own mistakes. Pray that the Lord will use the trials they endure to draw them closer to himself, and that he will keep them from all that he sees is harmful.
Keep praying with 5 Things to Pray for Your Kids by Melissa Kruger. This short book features 21 key areas of spiritual growth and character development. For each one, there are 5 short prayer prompts drawn straight from the Bible.
Bethany McIlrath loves to get lost in a book and to help others discover their next read in her marketing role at The Good Book Company. When she's not reading stories, she's usually writing them or dreaming about them as she comes up with real-life creative adventures for friends, her husband and a doorbell-like dog named Indy. Serving in children's ministry is also one of her greatest joys.
