As children’s ministry leaders—and as parents, volunteers, and those who love the next generation—I think if we’re really honest with ourselves, we’d admit that back-to-school season is a mixed bag of emotions.
As wonderful as routines can be, there’s something even sweeter about the extra time we get with kids during the summer. There’s naturally more space for discipleship, fun, and meaningful relationships. And it is so sweet.
As followers of Jesus, sending kids back to school also comes with its share of fears. We wonder: Will they have friends? Are people kind to them? Will they be kind to others? Are they finally going to be able to meet those learning goals? Will their teacher understand them? Will they make wise choices? The questions seem endless.
If I’m being very honest as a mom, I’d tell you I wish I could keep my kids safe and secure all the time. I would love for them to never encounter a bully, a teacher who misunderstands them, or a problem that’s too hard to solve. But that doesn’t actually prepare them for life in the real world. My job isn’t to remove every obstacle. My job is to prepare them—and the children in our ministries—to walk through those obstacles with Jesus.
Back to School Prayers for Kids: Praying Intentionally
So instead of trying to control everything around them, I focus on what I can control. I release them into God’s care while praying intentional, specific prayers over them.
I’m a foster and adoptive mom. My adopted son came to live with us when he was seven years old. He carried significant trauma, an incredibly hard story, and the cutest speech impediment you can imagine.
I’ll never forget the first time he came home and told us someone had made fun of the way he talked.
In that moment, I instantly understood the phrase mama bear. Everything inside me wanted to find that other child and give them more than just a piece of my mind.
Instead of taking action against another child, which admittedly would have been a poor choice, I focused on what I could control. I could remind my foster son who he was, I could speak truth over him, I could pray. And I could trust that God loved him even more than I did.
Children’s ministry leaders, I want to pause here and invite you into this same posture. You may not be the parent of every child you serve, but you absolutely carry a shepherd’s heart for them. You know their stories, their laughter, their struggles, and their growth. As we send kids back into classrooms and hallways, we can do something powerful—we can send them back to school with prayer.
When fear begins to creep in, these are the truths I preach to my own heart—and the ones I want to speak over the kids in our ministries as well.
I focused on what I could control. I could remind my foster son who he was. I could speak truth over him. I could pray. And I could trust that God loved him even more than I did.
1. I remind myself that they do not go to school alone.
The God who created them sees them, loves them, and walks into that building with them every single day. I may not be there, but He is. When praying for kids going back to school, we do well to remember this.
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” — Isaiah 41:10
2. I remind myself that God loves them even more than I do.
As much as I love the kids in my home and in our ministries, God’s love for them is deeper, stronger, and more faithful than mine could ever be. He sees every classroom, every conversation, every lonely moment, and every victory.
3. I remind myself that hard things can actually strengthen kids and draw them closer to Jesus.
I can’t pray for a life without hardship because many of these kids have already walked through more than most people realize. Instead, I pray for faith that grows as they discover God’s faithfulness in every circumstance.
66 Short Bible Verses Perfect for Kids to Memorize
66 Short Bible Verses Perfect for Kids to Memorize
66 Short Bible Verses Perfect for Kids to Memorize
What We Can Give Parents and Caregivers
One of the most practical things we can do as ministry leaders is equip families with words they can actually use at home. Simple truth spoken consistently shapes identity over time. Include these in your back-to-school prayers for kids.
Let’s remind our kids over and over again who they are:
- You were created for a purpose.
Ephesians 2:10 - God did not make a mistake when He made you.
Psalm 139:14 - You are unique and wonderfully made.
Psalm 139:13 - God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9 - You can be a light to others by the way you act and treat people.
Matthew 5:16 - You are deeply loved.
1 John 3:1 - Jesus will never leave you.
Hebrews 13:5
We pray. We speak truth. We send them covered in prayer and anchored in Jesus.
Back to School Prayers for Kids: Prayers for Parents and Caregivers
- God, surround these children with people who see them for who they truly are. Bring friends into their lives who encourage them and help them become that kind of friend to others.
- God, give them teachers who encourage them, understand them, and help them become the best version of themselves. Give them a teachable heart and a willingness to learn.
- God, I pray protection over their ears. Help them hear truth spoken over them. Guard them from lies, cruel words, and labels that don’t come from You. May Your voice always be louder than every other voice.
- God, grow discernment in them. Help them recognize Your voice and respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit, even in the middle of an ordinary school day.
- Jesus, help them become agents of Your love, grace, and kindness. May they notice the lonely student, include the overlooked child, and reflect Your heart everywhere they go.
- Lord, I pray protection over their eyes. Guard them from things that would pull their hearts away from You. Help them fix their eyes on what is true, honorable, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.
A Simple Prayer for on the Way to School
- Jesus, thank You that You are with (insert child’s name) at home and at school. As they go to school today, help them be aware of Your presence with them all day. Help them be kind in their words, brave in their choices, and attentive to the people around them. Let them be fully themselves—the way You created them to be—and may Your love in them spill onto others. Help them receive kindness and extend kindness wherever they go. Amen.
We aren’t raising children who never struggle because we all know struggle is a part of life here on earth. We’re raising children who know where to turn when they do. We’re discipling them to turn to the God who always loves them and in all circumstances.
We can’t walk into every classroom with them—but we can help them recognize and be aware of the One who does.
So we pray. We speak truth. We send them covered in prayer and anchored in Jesus.
More from Melissa
Read more articles by Melissa J. MacDonald here.
