At this start of a new year of education and ministry, we give thanks for the many ways that You are a loving teacher of us all. Your love reminds us that we are all Your children, and students under Your tutelage. You guide us toward a life of wholeness and decency, instruct us with the principles of holy living, and correct our missteps with grace and forgiveness. We are grateful for the lessons You teach us, which in turn guide the children who learn from our example.
We pray for our area schools and all our teachers, who have the noble task of educating the most impressionable among us. Grant them patience in the classroom, wisdom in their counsel and endurance for the year ahead. May they receive from us the affirmation they richly deserve but rarely receive.
We pray for school administrators and staff. Lead them through the challenges of underfunding, understaffing, and rapidly changing technology. We pray for the current election of school board members. Guide our leaders in providing the courage, wisdom, and resources our schools need.
We pray for the families of our community. Call them to a deeper level of involvement in the education of their kids and in support of their schools. Help them find a balance between busyness and family time. We pray for those facing financial hardship during these unsteady economic times, especially those experiencing poverty. Guide this church in ministering to them.
We pray that all our school campuses will be secure and healthy. Stem the tide of gun violence and reduce the presence of bullying. Surround our children with role models that encourage decent behavior and healthy choices. May our children flourish in an environment that is safe, fun, and intellectually energizing.
We pray for all our children and youth, including the preschoolers of Sunrise Early Learning Center, that they would each find their truest identity in the grand, ongoing story of Your love.
We pray for those involved in higher education. Thank You for the students that are engaged in learning and the families that support them during this exciting season of life. Thank You for the faithful work of faculty and staff and grant them the wisdom and love that will make a deep and lasting impact.
God, You have placed a sense of eternity in our hearts, that we cannot fully see all that You have done from the beginning to the end. Help us rise to the great responsibility of being faithful stewards of our children. May they forge ahead into the bright future You have envisioned for them.
In the name of Jesus Christ, our rabbi, teacher, and Lord,
Amen.
- adapted from Hyde Park UMC (Tampa, Florida)
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