Emily’s #2 Post: 5 Prayers to Pray Over Your Kids Before School

Over the holidays, we are running Emily’s Top 5 posts of 2012. These are the posts that glo girls, like you, have viewed the most. Today’s post is #2. How we pray that it will bless and encourage you!

This morning marked a huge milestone in the Ryan House – our oldest son, Gideon, started Kindergarten!

I’ve been through all of the typical emotions that moms have when they drop off their “babies” at school for the first time, but the truth is, I’ve been a bit nervous about this all summer. Until now, I’ve been able to keep Gideon in this safe, secure, protected bubble in which the only outside influences he’s had on his life have been through family members or church friends. So there’s a part of me that halfway expects him to come home from his first day outside the safe bubble (you know, public school!) cussing like a sailor, fighting with his brother, and asking about sex.

Irrational. Illogical. Dramatic… I know. But it’s still enough to make a first-time school mom hesitate.

But rather than allow these irrational fears to fester, I’ve spent the last few months trying to channel them into something productive instead. Yes, we have to let our children go. Yes, parenting is a journey in which you guide another individual toward independence. But thankfully, God gives us instructions on how we should do this.

You (and I) don’t have to send our children out into the scary world of public school empty-handed. In fact, there are two essential things we can send with them, and here’s what makes them so powerful: they’re both weapons!

Have you ever seen this sign at a school before:

Well, just disregard it! Because weapons are exactly what your child needs!

“Take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” (Eph. 6:17-18)

When Paul talks about the Armor of God in Ephesians 6, he mentions two offensive weapons that every believer is to equip himself with:

1. The Word of God.
2. Prayer

We need to equip our children with these weapons as well, and one of the best, most practical ways to do this is by praying God’s Word over your child.

So here are five ready-made prayers straight from Scripture that you can use to pray over your child. I suggest doing this out loud, in the presence of your child, so that he or she can hear you praying. This can be done at bedtime the night before school, or in the morning on your way to school. You can also repeat these prayers on your own throughout the day.

(Note that the prayers include verses of praise in addition to requests for blessings. This was very intentional. By hearing you praise God for who He is, your child will not only learn more about God, he/she will be more likely to develop a spirit of praise and thanksgiving him/herself. To use the prayers, simply insert your child’s name in the blank and specify the correct gender.)

Blessings to you and your kiddos!