Well it is that time of the year, BACK TO SCHOOL!! Praying Scripture over your loved ones is one of the most powerful ways to pray. Here are 5 back to school prayers*
*5 Prayers resource found on Rebecca Barlow Jordan
CLICK HERE to download a PDF version of 5 Prayers to Pray for Students. We encourage you to place these somewhere in your home or office to remind you to pray throughout the day.
1. Prayers for Peace (Isaiah 26:3; Philippians 4:6-7; Romans 5:1):
Lord, I pray that our youth will experience the peace of God this year that exceeds all understanding. I pray they will not worry about things they cannot control, but that You will guard their hearts and minds and keep them trusting in You. I pray they will not only enjoy the peace of God, but peace with God. I pray they will develop a spirit of gratitude and thanksgiving as they look to You daily for their needs. I pray that You will give them the capacity for joy that bubbles up from Your peace.
2. Prayers for Protection (2 Thessalonians 3:3; Psalm 46:1; John 17:15; Psalm 91):
Lord, I pray Your emotional, physical, and spiritual protection over our youth. Keep evil far from them, and help them to trust You as their refuge and strength. I pray You will guard their minds from harmful instruction, and grant them discernment to recognize truth. I pray You will make them strong and courageous in the presence of danger, recognizing that You have overcome and will set right all injustice and wrong one day. Help them to find rest in Your shadow, as they live in the spiritual shelter You provide for them. Let them know that the only safe place is in Jesus, and that their home on earth is only temporary.
3. Prayers for Purity (Psalm 51:10; Matthew 5:8; 1 Timothy 1:5; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Psalm 19:14):
Lord, I pray that You will create in our youth a clean heart and that You would constantly renew a right spirit within them, keeping their thoughts and actions pure and motivated by love. Guard them from temptation, and let them know You are always faithful to give them a way out and help to endure. May the words of their mouths and the meditations of their hearts always please you and edify others.
4. Prayers for Passion (Psalm 42:1; Matthew 22:37-39; John 13:34-35):
Lord, I pray that our youth will develop a passion for the things of God. I pray they will hunger and thirst for You and Your Word and will love You with all of their heart, soul, and mind. Give them compassionate and generous hearts to love others as much as You love them. I pray they will always work and study with excellence, but that You will help them desire a servant spirit of greatness, rather than a worldly lust for success. I pray they will fall in love with Jesus over and over again.
5. Prayers for Perspective (Galatians 2:20; Matthew 28:18-20; Philippians 1:21; Colossians 3:1-2; Ephesians 3:17-20):
Lord, I pray that our youth will develop an eternal perspective and purpose, not an earthly one. Help them to see life–and every challenge–through Your eyes, eager and unafraid to share with others the good news of Jesus wherever they go. I pray that they will set their minds on things above, not just what’s going on here, and that they will be rooted and grounded in Your love. I pray they will come to understand the extent of Your own love for them–that it surpasses all the head knowledge they will acquire in school. I pray they will be filled up with You from morning ’til night.
Charles’ personal mission statement is to relevantly introduce the person of Jesus Christ to all generations while leaving footprints for future leaders to follow. Charles served as Youth Pastor at the Capital Pentecostal Holiness Church, in Raleigh, North Carolina for ten years before being elected to serve as the North Carolina Conference CEM Director in 2001. He served in that capacity until 2008 when he was appointed to serve the IPHC as Director of Youth Ministries. Charles is a 1991 graduate of Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs, Georgia and holds a masters degree from Southwestern Christian University. Charles and his wife, Laura, live in Yukon, Oklahoma with their son, Austin, and their two daughters, Michaela and Ainsleigh.