Prayer for the first day of school

Dear Father,

Wrap your arms around my children on their first day of school.
Turn anxiety into excitement.
Turn fear into courage.
Turn embarrassment into eagerness.
Turn shyness into hospitality.
(Read “How to Help Your Children Walk Away” here.)

Continue to transform them into the image of Jesus,
who loves everyone,
accepts everyone,
and stands for truth.
(Read “A Prayer for your College Student” here.)

I pray for the Holy Spirit to speak unimpeded into their hearts and souls,
to convict, question, confirm, and encourage.
Teach them truth, even midst untruth.
Show them inclusion, even midst exclusion.
Help them distinguish acceptance from tolerance
and innocence from ignorance.
(Read “4 Values Moms Need This School Year” here.)

Mold them into your image–
a person of grace, truth, and love.
(Read “Specific Things to Pray over your Children” here.)

Protect their hearts and minds from the enemy of their souls,
which means teaching them to guard themselves from people and situations that can hurt their spirits.
Make them shrewd as snakes but innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16).

Go before them, behind them, and with them (Isaiah 52:12).
You are our everything.
I can trust you.
My children can trust you.
And so we worship and praise your holy name,
O God, our Father.

In Jesus’ powerful name,
Amen.

“Trust in the Lord in all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways, submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”–Proverbs 3:5-6