INTENTIONALLY PRAY

Throughout Scripture God calls his people to pray. It is an act of obedience. As you come before the Lord in prayer, He leads and guides you in accordance with His will. Through prayer He brings you peace when you are feeling anxious (Phil 4:6), strengthens your relationship with Him (Psalm 105:4) and helps you to keep your eyes on Him (Psalm 16:8). As a public school educator, you can invite God into your public school journey as you pray and look to Him to show you how to best shine His light and live out the calling He has for you.

How do you pray as educators?

1. Prioritize Prayer

You have the freedom as a Christian educator to gather with others to pray in your public school outside contracted hours.

Educator Prayer Groups - There are a variety of ways you pray together with others in your school. Teachers in Prayer , a ministry of Moms in Prayer, provides a framework and resources for teachers to gather to pray for students, colleagues, and issues that impact you and your school. Contact them to learn more!

See You at the Pole - See You at the Pole is a national effort that brings students together on a morning in September at their school flagpole to pray. Click here to learn more about how to legally participate in this student-led event.

Prayer Walks - Prayer Walks create an opportunity for believers to walk around their public school campuses as they cover it in prayer.  This can be done alone, with colleagues, as a family, as a church, or as a small group.   See prayer list above for some ideas on ways to pray for your school during your prayer walk.

2. Gather with others in your school to pray

3. Gather with others in your church to pray  

  • Father, may the students and staff of this school experience Your love through the Christians they know in profound and authentic ways. (John 13:35).

  • Lord, release truth in this school. Help students to rightly discern truth and not believe false teachings. (Ephesians 6:14, John 8:32)

  • I pray blessings on each school board member (try to pray for them by name). Father, may your will be done at board meetings. (Romans 13:1)

  • May (name of principal) recognize the God-given responsibility he/she has for the best interests of the children who attend the school. May (name of principal) walk in wisdom, integrity, grace, and truth. (Proverbs 2:1-11)

  • Lord, I ask you to encourage those children who are struggling with their studies. Strengthen their minds. Help their teachers and parents know how to help them learn. Protect them from feelings of worthlessness and shame. (1 Thessalonians 5:14)

  • Lord, stay the hand of violence against the children and staff of this school. Dismantle any plan to bring harm to them. Expose any weapon brought into the school premises and render it harmless. (2 Samual 22:3-4, Psalm 34:7)

  • Father, I pray for abundant blessings on programs that bring Christ into this public school. Help the groups who sponsor such programs function according to your Word and in harmony with each other. Bless the leaders and bring forth new and growing believers. (1 Corinthians 12:12,13)

  • Grant the Christian students who attend this school wisdom and boldness in living out their faith. Help them share effectively the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ with their classmates. (2 Cor 3:12, 2 Timothy 1:7-8)

  • Father, may those you have chosen to teach and work within this school be led by you.  Come alongside those who are weary and burdened and give them rest.  Embolden teachers and staff who know you to be ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through them. (Matthew 11:28-30; 2 Cor 5:20)

  • Lord, may there be an open door in this school for the gospel to be shared with students and staff. Allow full advantage to be taken of every opportunity to name the name of Jesus. (Colossians 4:3; Philippians 2:10-11)

10 Ways to Pray for Public Schools

Your church is likely filled with other public school educators burdened to pray for their schools. Does your church already have committed time for public school educators to gather to pray ? If not, could God be calling you to initiate this? Lead a weekly or monthly time for educators in your church to gather in fellowship, share their praises and prayer requests, and lift one another up in community.

Commissioning Services - One intentional way that local churches can show their support for public school educators is by holding a Commissioning Service at their church at the beginning of each school year.  Many churches commission missionaries as they are sent around the world to bring the gospel to the nations.  Christian educators are missionaries on the largest across the street mission field in our nation, providing light in a dark place.  Is God calling you to approach your church leadership about a similar service in your church? For an example of a commissioning service at Grace Church in Eden Prairie, MN, click HERE.

How do you pray as families?

God calls us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and we never stop praying as parents. As we work to, “train up our children in the way they should go,” (Proverbs 22:6) we need to be seeking the Lord in prayer. Look to Him as you determine the educational path for your family and, if He calls you into the public schools, walk into this journey committed to prayer with complete reliance on Him.

As you intercede on behalf of others within your schools you will see the power of God at work. Prayer is foundational as you surrender everything to the Lord and trust Him in your public school journey.

Ways to come together in community to pray for our schools:

Moms in Prayer is an international organization made up of moms who pray. Groups gather throughout the school year to lift up their students, teachers and staff, as well as the school at large. Contact MIP to join a group already praying in your school or learn how to start one.

Community Prayer Efforts - Community Prayer provides an opportunity for all those within the same community who feel led to participate in corporate prayer for our schools to do so.  These efforts often include prayer coverage for all schools in the district and meet on a regular basis.

Prayer Walks - Prayer Walks create an opportunity for believers to walk around their public school campuses as they cover it in prayer.  This can be done alone, as a family, as a church, or as a small group.   See the side panel for ways to pray for your school during your prayer walk.

Family Prayer - Your family can commit to praying together in your home.  God has given your family a circle of people in your school you are most connected to. This could include your bus driver, teachers, paras, office staff, principal, superintendent, security guards, lunch staff, classmates, teammates, etc. As you lift up these people, modeling prayer in your home, you can see, together, how God faithfully answers our prayers.

See You at the Pole is a student led national prayer effort where students meet at the school flagpole before school in the last Wednesday of September to lift up their friends, families, teachers, school, and nation to God. Encourage your students to be start or join a SYATP effort at their school!

  • Father, may the students and staff of this school experience Your love through the Christians they know in profound and authentic ways. - John 13:35

  • Lord, release truth in this school. Help students to rightly discern truth and not believe false teachings. - Ephesians 6:14 & John 8:32

  • I pray blessings on each school board member (try to pray for them by name). Father, may your will be done at board meetings. - Romans 13:1

  • May (name of principal) recognize the God-given responsibility he/she has for the best interests of the children who attend the school. May (name of principal) walk in wisdom, integrity, grace, and truth. - Proverbs 2:1-11

  • Lord, I ask you to encourage those children who are struggling with their studies. Strengthen their minds. Help their teachers and parents know how to help them learn. Protect them from feelings of worthlessness and shame. - 1 Thessalonians 5:14

  • Lord, stay the hand of violence against the children and staff of this school. Dismantle any plan to bring harm to them. Expose any weapon brought into the school premises and render it harmless. - 2 Samual 22:3-4 & Psalm 34:7

  • Father, I pray for abundant blessings on programs that bring Christ into this public school. Help the groups who sponsor such programs function according to your Word and in harmony with each other. Bless the leaders and bring forth new and growing believers. - 1 Corinthians 12:12,13

  • Grant the Christian students who attend this school wisdom and boldness in living out their faith. Help them share effectively the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ with their classmates. - 2 Cor 3:12, 2 Timothy 1:7-8

  • Father, may those you have chosen to teach and work within this school be led by you. Come alongside those who are weary and burdened and give them rest. Embolden teachers and staff who know you to be ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through them. - Matthew 11:28-30, 2 Corinthians 5:20

  • Lord, may there be an open door in this school for the gospel to be shared with students and staff. Allow full advantage to be taken of every opportunity to name the name of Jesus. - Colossians 4:3, Philippians 2:10-11

10 Ways to Pray for Public Schools…

Church Prayer Efforts - Another way to bring together a community of believers to pray for our schools is to provide an opportunity for public school focused prayer within your church. Ask your church leadership about an event focused on praying for your school.

  • Pray for our Public Schools - Set aside times before or after church services on Sunday mornings or during the week to pray specifically for our public schools as a church community. Prayer is a fundamental part of Compass’ Public School Family Connection meetings held at the local church. We are encouraged as we seek the Lord with others on the public school journey!