Back to School!

It's "Back to School" day at our house! We've been doing a little bit this summer (though not for the past three weeks or so) but today each of them begins their new grade level. Fun! I made a back-to-school basket for each of their desks, which they will find waiting for them when they go into the school room. I thought they turned out pretty cute. And it's all stuff I picked up at Dollar Tree!

I like to pray through Stormie Omartian's The Power of a Praying Parent, praying one prayer each day corresponding to the day of the month. Well, today's prayer (chapter 14) was "Instilling the Desire to Learn" which couldn't be more appropriate as we begin our school year. (It's written for an individual child, so I have rewritten it to include both my kids):

Lord, I pray that my children will have a deep reverence for You and Your ways. May they hide Your Word in their hearts like a treasure, and seek after understanding like silver or gold. Give them good minds, teachable spirits, and an ability to learn. Instill in them a desire to attain knowledge and skill, and may they have joy in the process. Above all I pray that they will be taught by You, for Your Word says that when our children are taught by You they are guaranteed peace. You have also said, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction" (Proverbs 1:7). May they never be fools and turn away from learning, but rather may they turn to You for the knowlege they need.

I pray they will respect the wisdom of their parents and be willing to be taught by them. May they also have the desire to be taught by the teachers You bring into their lives. Handpick each one, Lord, and may they be godly people from whom they can easily learn. Take out of their lives any teacher who would be an ungodly influence or create a bad learning experience. Let them find favor with their teachers and have good communication with them. Help them to excel in school and do well in any classes they may take. Make the pathways of learning smooth and not something with which they must strain and struggle. Connect everything in their brains the way they are supposed to be so that they have clarity of thought, organization, good memory, and strong learning ability.

I say to them according to Your Word, "Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge" (Proverbs 23:12. "May the Lord give you understanding in all things" (2 Timothy 2:7). Lord, enable them to experience the joy of learning more about You and Your world.

Amen.

Now I'm off to make chocolate chip muffins for my class. Have a great back-to-school... whenever you begin!