School Prayer

Another school year has begun. My children have new teachers, new friends, and new pressures. Christian parents can’t shield their children from the real world forever. Our children are going to meet children who drink, use drugs, use profane language, and many other things. Some of our own children will make choices to do these same things. Many parents today fail to teach their children that they should have respect for themselves and other people. Thanks to cable TV raising children and being the only role models many will receive, premarital sex is not only accepted, it’s expected. Alternative lifestyles are encouraged along with drugs, atheism and Satan worship. This isn’t just in the high schools and it isn’t just in the big cities. So what are Christian parents supposed to do? We can’t follow our children to class and hold their hands all day. Although it is fun to see the look on their face when you tell them you are! Private schools are expensive and eventually our children have to enter the secular world. Plus there’s no guarantee that they won’t see the same things in a private school. So what do you do? The courts did away with prayer in the schools in the 90s. So far the Supreme Court has not said that it is illegal to pray at home about school. (I hope I didn’t give them any ideas.) God wants us to pray! Jesus did say “ask and you shall receive” (John 16:24). While many Christians start their day with prayer, most pray alone. I suggest that families form a prayer circle, hold hands and pray. Pray that God will be with each of you throughout the day. Pray for God to fill you with hope and strength. Pray that God will keep evil away from your family. Pray that he will lead each of you away from temptation. Don’t stop with just your family though! Pray for the school! Pray that God will be with the principals and teachers. Lift them up in your prayers. Pray that God will protect the students. Pray that his Holy Spirit will move through the hallways and in the hearts of the children! Pray that those who don’t know Jesus will learn that he is searching for them. Even if you don’t have kids in school, take a moment in your morning prayer to ask these things for the children at school. God is not in schools because we allowed him to be taken out. If we all pray that His Holy Spirit once again moves through the halls, our children will once again be safe in school.

MSW