The education of the next generation shapes the future. We want to express our deepest gratitude to every educator in Arkansas who selflessly gives of themselves to invest in the next generation. All of us can think back to teachers who had a positive influence on us at critical times. Students, families, and educators are facing new challenges every day. We hope this guide will help fuel your prayers and support for the many great educators in our communities.
Prayer for Students
Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. – 1 Timothy 4:12
- Pray that the individual talents and giftings of every student would have the opportunity to flourish during this school year.
- Pray for the provision of every material need and for protection from any injury or illness that would interrupt their school year.
- Pray that every student would have an active support system around them, including access to needed counseling and mentoring.
- Pray for young leaders that would set an example in their speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.
- Pray that our students would care for each other and be quick to reconcile in their relationships.
- Pray for the healthy emotional and mental development of every student and that the character of Jesus would be formed in them.
- Pray that our students would make good choices, be resilient against peer pressure, and that every school would have a zero rate of teen pregnancy and drug/alcohol use.
- Pray that every student would be filled with the hope of their calling in Jesus.
- Pray that the mind of every student would be sharp and receptive to their learning material and that they would set a new example of academic achievement.
Prayer for Parents and Families
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23
- Pray for the critical needs of every family to be met with a strong support system around them.
- Pray for family stability and healing, specifically for a drastic decrease of fatherlessness, illness, drug/alcohol use, neglect, abuse, crime, and incarceration.
- Pray that parents would build positive, cooperative relationships with their student’s teachers, and for greater parent involvement in their children’s education, school activities, and parent groups.
- Pray for the health of every marriage and that every home would be a positive and safe environment for every student.
- Pray that the hearts of fathers would be turned to their children, and the hearts of the children would be turned toward their fathers.
- Pray for new generational blessings to be passed from parents to their children.
- Pray for the economic stability of every household and that parents would make wise decisions for the provision and education of their children.
- Pray that our families would be strengthened in their faith and that parents would lead in the spiritual and moral formation of their children.
- Pray that the core value of family would be upheld in our society and that our communities would be filled with flourishing, vital families.
Prayer for Faculty and Staff
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. – Philippians 1:9-11
- Pray for the provision of every need for our teachers, both personally and for their classrooms, and that they would be protected from any illness or injury that would interrupt their schoolyear.
- Pray for the right placement of every teacher with the right school, and for the right placesment of every student with the right teachers as classrooms are assigned.
- Pray that every teacher would be filled with hope, love, and renewed energy for the next generation.
- Pray that our teachers would quickly build meaningful and constructive relationships with their students and demonstrate the character of Jesus to them.
- Pray for good relationships among teachers and their administration.
- Pray that our teachers would have abounding patience in difficult circumstances and that this schoolyear would be a joyful experience.
- Pray that the Holy Spirit would guide each teacher in how to invest in each student.
- Pray that our teachers would be able to effectively communicate their learning material with creative wisdom in their strategies.
- Pray that our classrooms would be filled with what God calls excellent and true.
Prayer for Education Leadership
And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy. – Colossians 1:9-11
Join us in praying for the following education leaders:
- The legislative members of the Arkansas House and Senate Education Committees
- Cabinet Secretary John Kelley of the Arkansas Department of Education
- The members of the Arkansas Board of Education
- The district board members and administrators of your local public and private schools
- Pray for the multiplied strength of the efforts of our education leaders to ensure a safe and excellent education for Arkansas schools.
- Pray for the blessing of every endeavor to instill righteousness and justice in our education system.
- Pray for the provision of righteous leaders in positions of education leadership and for the provision of every school budget.
- Pray for constructive and cooperative relationships at every level of educational leadership.
- Pray that the conduct of our education leaders and administrators would foster productive and healthy school cultures.
- Pray that the character of Jesus would be formed in our education leaders.
- Pray that our education leaders would have clear vision for the future of Arkansas.
- Pray that every meeting of the Education Committees, Board of Education, and district leadership would be filled with wisdom, cooperation, and productivity.
- Pray that your local administers would lead their school campuses with clear direction in a way that is pleasing to God.
Prayer for the Church
For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me. That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. – 1 Corinthians 4:15-17
- Pray that the vital families of our churches would be empowered to lead the spiritual and moral formation the next generation.
- Pray for a great spiritual awakening in our schools and in the children and youth ministries of our churches.
- Pray that our churches would build strong relationships with our schools, specifically that every school would have multiple highly-engaged church partners.
- Pray that our churches would be a strong support to marginalized families and communities.
- Pray that our churches would be filled with spiritual fathers and mothers for the next generation.
- Pray that our churches would demonstrate the character and power of Jesus in our communities.
- Pray that our churches would be a catalyst of community transformation that can only be achieved together.
- Pray that every church would be filled with fresh vision for the next generation.
- Pray that our church leaders would be filled with wisdom as they rally around the critical needs of the next generation.
CityChurch Network Resources For Your Church
There are several ways that CityChurch Network can help your church strengthen families in your community! We have an exponential impact when our churches work together to address key community issues.
Your church can become a Vital Families in Schools church-school partner and can be connected and equipped with other church-school partner leaders in your community! Email Mary Carol Pederson ([email protected]) to get started!
Your church can become a marriage champion church with the Central Arkansas Marriage Initiative! Email Jason Ancarrow ([email protected]) to learn more!
Your church can grow in prayer and connection with other churches covering your community in 24/7 prayer with Arkansas Prays! Email Logan Bloom ([email protected]) to get the quick-start packet!
