Praying Over Our Students

Father,

O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, listen to my prayer!

Forgive me for times when I have failed to be attentive to the needs of others.  Forgive me for being unkind, impatient, curt, selfish.

You have entrusted these children to my care this year, and I am eager to serve You by serving them because Your Word tells me “when you did it to one of the least of these, you were doing it to me!”

Empower me with a discerning spirit¹ to see into the heart of each child.  What are her needs? What is he lacking? How is she hurting?  What does he need from me?  Equip me to be Your hands and feet as I serve every child every day in this classroom, for even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others.

Let me recognize their talents and encourage them to pursue their dreams.  Let everything I say be good and helpful, so that my words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.  Because we will harvest what we plant, let us sow in this classroom seeds of kindness, truthfulness, compassion, and diligence.

Grant that I may love every child and care enough to discipline each one with grace and mercy so that, having been trained in this way, they will enjoy a peaceful harvest of right living.

Father, You are the light of the world.  Let your light shine for them to see.  Let me be a lamp that gives your light to everyone in this classroom because You have made this light shine in my heart so I could know Your glory. May every child in this classroom come to know You because of the light that shines here.

In the holy and precious name of Jesus, Amen.

1 Peter 5:2

Matthew 25:40

Mark 10:45

Galatians 6:7

Ephesians 4:29

Matthew 5:14-16

Isaiah 60:1

Proverbs 13:15

Hebrews 12:11

¹1 Corinthians 12:10