BACK TO SCHOOL

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Back To School With God

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Lord, we pray for pupils, teachers, staff members, heads, chaplains, schools’ workers and Governors and School Board Member at the start of this academic year. Please supply all their needs, help them to grow in wisdom and work well together. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

MON 4 Loving God, we pray for all teachers who are under stress: from mental health issues, heavy workloads, lack of resources, Ofsted inspections, poor classroom behaviour, and pressure from new reforms and initiatives. Strengthen them and cause those in authority to recognise the need to take effective action to support them. In Your mercy. Amen.

TUES 5 Heavenly Father, please may prayer for our schools increase in communities across the UK. Please encourage Christians who do this - as individuals, in groups and at church, as they focus on their local schools. We ask that many will participate in Pray for Schools’ town-, city- and area-wide events during September. In Jesus’ name. Amen. (prayforschools.org)

WED 6 God of grace, please grant wisdom to everyone who works with children with additional needs, pupils in special units or at home because they are not able to attend school, and refugees newly arrived in the UK who need a huge amount of extra support. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.

‘The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road. The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy. The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes.’ PSALM 19:7,8 (MSG)

THURS 7

Holy Spirt, please teach and guide the children and youth in our schools so that the unique gifts and potential that You have placed within each one may blossom. We pray for many to understand the gospel and give their lives to Christ. Amen.

FRI 8 WORLD LITERACY DAY

O God, thank You for every initiative, particularly in the developing world, to teach children and adults the literacy skills needed at this time: reading, writing, numeracy and the ability to use information technology. We pray especially for those who find learning difficult. In Christ’s name. Amen.

SAT 9 Lord, please equip and inspire the thousands of children, youth and schools’ workers who, along with chaplains, regularly visit their local schools to deliver assemblies, RE lessons and prayer spaces, mentor individuals and groups, support Christian groups and serve in other ways. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Recent World Health Organisation research shows 74 per cent of girls and 63 per cent of boys aged 15 in England experience pressure from schoolwork - third-highest rate out of 45 countries. An NHS 2021 survey identified 15 per cent of 5-16-year-olds as probably having a mental health problem, an increase from 11 per cent in 2017. 9