31 Scripture-Based Back-to-School Prayers {Free Printable}

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If you’re going through all the feels sending your kids back to school this year, the best things you can do for them (and you) is pray! Here are 31 focused prayers you can pray for them, all of them using Bible verses to pray God’s Words back to Him. Free printable cards available! 

The Power of Praying Parents

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As a new school year approaches, there’s always a mix of nerves, fear, and excitement.

When I was teaching (seven years ago now), it was mostly nerves and excitement.

But times have changed. More than ever, I feel the enemy working to steal this next generation. I’ve prayed many times, “Lord, I feel like we’re losing them.”

The days feel uncertain and heavy—but our prayers matter.

I’ve been reading Moving Mountains by John Eldredge, and it’s inspired me to pray more intentionally. With school starting soon, I’ve put together these back-to-school prayers to help us cover our kids, teachers, and schools in prayer from day one.

The Power of Praying God’s Word

I’m not usually a fan of scripted prayers, but I love praying Scripture—God’s Word back to Him—because it guarantees my prayers align with His will (1 John 5:14). That’s a win-win for powerful, effective prayer.

These prayers work for kids in any setting—public, private, homeschool, preschool through college, in-person or virtual.

From elementary to college, our children need covering as they step into a world that’s often the enemy’s territory.

As they face new experiences, friendships, and challenges this year, let’s pray God’s peace over them and trust Him to watch over them.

A new school year may bring uncertainty, but prayer is our most important key to their peace and success.

31 Powerful Prayers for Your Kids, According to God’s Word

I’ve compiled a collection of prayers – 31 different ones you can pray, according to Scripture, a month full of prayers. You can repeat these each month if you’d like. Feel free to put your child’s name in the blank and personalize it.

I’ve also created a free printable you can download as well. You can fill out the box at the end of the post to get your free instant download PDF!

It’s a new day, a new year, a time of excitement where our kids will probably encounter all sorts of things for the first time – our prayer covering is one of the best gifts we can give them.

1| For Wisdom and Discernment

Dear God,

Dear God, Please give ____ wisdom & understanding, just as You gave Solomon, gave Daniel & his 3 Hebrew friends. Help him not to forget Your words, to have a wise & discerning heart. Help him know the difference between right & wrong & to make wise choices. Give him a supernatural spirit of wisdom beyond his years. You tell us if we lack wisdom, we should ask. Thank you for hearing & answering. (1 Kings 4:29, Daniel 1:17, Proverbs 4:5-7, James 1:5) 

2| For Physical Protection

Dear Jesus, May __________ dwell in the shelter of the Most High & rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I pray that You would be his refuge, fortress, covering, & shield. I ask that no plague or sickness would come near his body & that You would keep him from hurt & harm, with angels guarding his way from the presence of danger. Thank You for guarding all of his comings and goings. (Psalm 91. Ps 121:8) ( Note: I love this book on Psalm 91 for really digging into the power of this chapter for divine protection! It really helped me when I was dealing with a lot of fear during Covid.)

3| For Spiritual Protection

O Lord, O Lord, Protect __________ from the snares & traps the enemy has laid out for him. Help him to be clothed in the full armor of God, to stand against the devil’s schemes. Do not allow anyone to lead him astray & help him to do what is right. Protect him from the evil one. Teach him to submit to You, to resist the devil & be confident that he will flee. (Psalm 141:9, Ephesians 6:11-18, 1 John 3:7, James 4:7)

4| For Good Friends

Dear Lord, I pray for ______, that he would choose his friends carefully. Surround him with friends who will sharpen him like iron, not ones who will lead him astray. Keep him so that he will not walk in the counsel of the wicked but with the godly. Bless him with friends & help him to be a friend to the friendless & to love at all times. Bless him with wise & loyal friends this year. (Prov. 12:26, Prov. 27:17, Psalm 1:1, Prov. 17:17 Prov. 13:20)

5| For Your Child’s Teachers

Heavenly Father, Heavenly Father, Help ________ to obey his teachers & submit to their authority, knowing You will hold them accountable. Give my child teachers with godly values, & do not allow anyone take him captive through deceptive philosophies & ideas based on the principles of this world & not on Your Word. I pray that he would have a good relationship with them, that __________ would be an example of speech, conduct, love, faith, & purity. (Heb. 13:17, Col. 2:8, 1 Tim. 4:12 )

6| For Peace

O God, There are so many things that can rob our peace. I pray for Your peace that passes all understanding to guard __________’s heart & mind today in Christ Jesus. Remind him that You give peace not as the world gives. Help him to trust You with all his heart & not lean on how he understands or sees things. Give him Your perfect peace as he fixes his mind on You, because he trusts You. (Phil. 4:7, John 14:27, Prov. 3:5, Isaiah 26:3)

7| To Overcome Fear and Anxiety

Lord God, There are many things to be afraid of today. Please remove _______’s spirit of fear, which is not from You, & give him power, love, & a sound mind. Let him would know that there’s no reason to be afraid because You are with him. Remind him of Your presence when he feels overcome with fear. Let Him know You are standing right beside him. Wrap him with Your love that casts out fear. Help him to cast his anxieties on You because You care for him & are the only safe place he needs. (2 Tim. 1:7, Isaiah 41:10, 1 John 4:18, 1 Peter 5:7)

8| For Courage

Dear Lord, Help __________________ to be strong & courageous this year because he knows You are with him. Help him to stand up for what is right & not bow to the world; let him be brave to help those who need help, to speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves, to defend the weak. Help him to know he can do hard things this school year – to stand firm in the faith, to be courageous & strong.  (Josh. 1:9, Daniel 3:12, 18, Prov. 31:8, Psalm 82:3, 1 Cor. 16:13)

9| For Identity in Christ (to Combat Peer Pressure, Bullying, etc.).

Dear God, Please help _______________ to know he is fearfully & wonderfully made – chosen, fully loved, & set apart. Help him to not conform to the ways of the world & remind him that he is Your workmanship, special & unique, created for a purpose. Help him not to give in to anything less. Let him be rooted & grounded in Your love & secure in who he is in You, filled with all the fullness of God. Remind him he does not have to be afraid of anyone; he only needs to please You. (Psalm 139:14. Col. 3:12, Romans 12:2, Eph. 2:10,Eph. 3:17-19, Prov. 29:25, Gal. 1:10)

10| For Character Development

Dear Lord, In a dark world, help _________ to grow in the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, & self-control. Help him to be a leader in his character & point others to you. Let him remember that You are not impressed by outward appearances but look at the heart & desire him to have a heart after You, that obeys you. Let him always treasure the gift of Your truth above all things & remember that his struggles are producing character, which is so valuable in Your sight. (Gal. 5:22-23, 1 Sam. 16:7, Acts 13:22, Romans 5:3-4)

11| For Salvation

Jesus, Help __________ to come to know the full fruit of salvation, that You love him & through his faith in believing in You, he is saved. I pray he would personally come to know & experience the grace that saves him & enables him to live a godly life. Help him to share that Good News with others, in his words & by his deeds. (John 3:16, Eph. 2:8,  Acts 16:31)

12| For Creativity and Ingenuity

Lord, _______________ will face all kinds of challenges & obstacles this year. You tell us that if we lack wisdom, we should ask. Please give ___________ creative ways to solve problems this year. Help him not to be anxious about anything, but to ask You for what he needs in every situation that feels above his head. Help him to lean not on his own understanding but to look to You. Give him creative ideas, skills, & solutions to the problems he faces this year. ( James 1:5, Phil. 4:6, Prov. 3:5-6, Exodus 35:35)

13| To Love Others

Lord, help _______________ to look for the unlovely to love today. Help him to see those who are overlooked by others, to love his enemies, to treat others how he wants to be treated. Help him to model Your love to hurting classmates. Remind him what true love is & to give it generously as a way to point others to You. (Matt. 5:44, Matt. 7:12, Gal. 5:14, Luke 10:29-37, 1 Cor. 13:4-7)

14| For Integrity

O God, remind ____________ of the blessings of walking in integrity. Help him to know that he will walk securely as he chooses right, even when nobody sees or is watching. Let his integrity be an example to his classmates & cause him to have a clean heart & right spirit before You. Let integrity guide his path in the right direction. Help him to see the benefit of having a clear conscience & cause those who speak against him to be proven wrong & put to shame. (Prov 10:9, Psalm 51:10, Prov. 11:3, 1 Peter 3:16)

15| To Not Love the World

Jesus, we know how alluring the world is. I pray that You would help _______________ not to love the world or the things of the world. Expose the evil & darkness behind the world so that it will not even be appealing to him. Remind him that the world & its desires will pass away, that what is seen is temporary; Help him desire what is true, godly, beautiful, & wise – to value the things of God over the things of the world. Help him to be in the world but not of it. (1 John 2:15-17; 2 Cor. 4:18, John 17:15-16)

16| To Be a Servant

Father, in a world where everyone is striving to be first & to be seen, show ______________ the value of serving others & living how You lived. Help him to put others before himself & to truly serve. Remind him that we are not greater than You, & that You came to serve & not be served. Give him courage to be a servant, even when others do the opposite. Give him a generous heart to serve others in humility. (John 13:16, Mark 10:45, Matt. 10:26, Gal. 5:13)

17| For Boldness

Heavenly Father, it takes courage to not go along with everyone else. Help ___________ to be bold as a lion in standing for truth, in speaking truth. Allow the strength of Your Holy Spirit to rise up in him when he needs to be bold & take a stand for righteousness. Help him not to be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ & to share it boldly. Remind him that when he calls to You for boldness, You will answer & strengthen him. (Prov. 28:1, Romans 1:16, Psalm 138:3)

18| For Blessing and Favor 

God, blessings & favor are part of our inheritance as your children, & I ask that You would give ______________ blessings & favor today in school. I ask that Your goodness & mercy would follow him, that Your favor would surround & protect him like a shield. Be gracious to him today & let Your face would shine on him. Grant to him all the spiritual blessings You’ve ordained for him today. (Psalm 23:6, Ps. 5:12, Numb. 6:24-26, Eph. 1:3)

19| For Endurance and Perseverance 

Dear Jesus, In the face of our weakness, we need Your strength. Please give _______________ the power to endure & persevere in the all the obstacles he will face today. Help him to have strength to do hard things, to not give up, to fight discouragement, to run his race with endurance. Help him know that You will enable & strengthen him to do everything he needs to do, in Your power. As he grows in character, help him to value the perseverance he is gaining. Help him to not grow weary in doing good, knowing he will reap a harvest for his efforts.  (Heb. 12:1, Col. 1:11, 2 Peter 1:5-6, Gal. 6:9)

20| For Health and Healing 

Father, I pray that ______________ would be physically well as he goes through his day. Let him be in good health & prosper, even as his soul prospers. Protect him from sickness & injuries; heal any infirmities that might be attacking his body. We know You took our sickness on the cross & by Your stripes we are healed. Sustain him when he is sick & restore health to his body. Protect him from disease, virus, & illness, in Jesus’ name.  (3 John 1:2, Is. 53:5, Psalm 41:3, Psalm 91:5-6)

21| To Proactively Do Good 

Lord, we live in selfish culture. Give ____________ insight into how he can proactively do good today. Let him not miss any of the good works that You’ve ordained for him to do in advance. Cause him not to give up or grow weary in doing good, even when he thinks it’s ineffective. Help him to show God’s love through his action, adding concrete & tangible works to his faith. Let those good works & acts of kindness point others to You. (1 Tim. 6:18-19  Eph 2:10, Gal. 6:9, 1 John 3:18, James 2:17-18)

22| For Provision

Father, You are God of the universe; everything in it is Yours. Remind ____________ that You’re able to supply him with everything he needs, according to Your riches in glory. Remind him that You’re able to bless him abundantly with everything, in all times, in all things. Prompt him to ask You for what he is lacking, right at his moment of need, & You will provide it. Remind him that You promise to give us everything we need for life & godliness. (2 Chron. 29:11, Phil. 4:19, 2 Cor. 9:8, 2 Peter 1:3)

23| To Be Respectful of Others

Lord, thank You that _____________ bears Your image. Remind him that everyone he encounters, whether they know You or not, are made in Your image & has intrinsic value. Because of that, help him to treat every single person, young or old, male or female, every race, every religion, with respect. Help ___________ to be an example of respect to the school administrators & teachers this year. Remind him to treat everyone in the same way he would want to be treated. (Gen. 1:26, 1 Peter 2:17, Luke 6:31)

24| For Future Plans

Jesus, there is so much uncertainty surrounding the future. Watch over Your word to perform it in _______’s life. Your Word doesn’t come back void but accomplishes everything You determine. We know the plans You have for him are good, & You cause everything to work for good in his life. Let Your Word guide his future – to be a lamp to his feet & a light to his path. Lead him to the good works You prepared for him. Prompt him to submit to You in all his ways so You may direct his paths.  (Jer. 1:12, Isaiah 55:10-11, Jer. 29:11, Romans 8:28, Ps. 119:105, Eph. 2:10, Prov. 3:6)

25| To Be a Godly Witness 

Dear Lord, You call us the light of the world. Help ________ to shine through words & actions. Help others to see the light that is in him & be drawn by Your Spirit. When he can’t articulate all the answers or doesn’t know what to say, I pray his conduct would be different than those around him. Provide opportunities to share the hope he has & help him to be ready to give an answer as the Holy Spirit gives him the words at the right time. Let his life proclaim the good news of Jesus & help him not be ashamed; let his life be an example in speech, conduct, faith, love, & purity. (Matt. 5:13-16, 1 Peter 3:15, Luke 12:12, Romans 1:16, 1 Tim. 4:12)

26| For a Strong Mind

Father, We are to love You not just with our hearts & souls, but with our minds. Help ___________ to have a strong mind to learn academically this year & grow in his knowledge of Your ways & Word. Let his mind be renewed with truth & transform him as he puts Your words into practice. Give him clarity as he studies, analyzes, & discerns. Prompt ______ to fix his mind on things above, not things of the earth. Help him set his mind to gain understanding & to the fear of the Lord. Teach him to think on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable & excellent, filling his mind with life-giving thoughts. Help him to discern truth from lies, revealing that a mind governed by the Spirit is life & peace. (Matt. 22:37, Romans 12:2, Col. 3:2, Daniel 12:10, Prov. 9:10, Phil. 4:8, Romans 8:6)

27| For Contentment

Jesus, There’s so much pressure to keep up & be ruled by comparisons. Please keep _____________ from the temptation to compare himself to others – in his intellect, looks, abilities, or talents. Help him to be content with what You have provided for our family financially & not be envious of others. Help him to see that every good & perfect gift is from You, & You give us everything we need for life & godliness; we lack nothing in You. Let ___________ have a grateful heart & teach him that godliness with contentment is great gain; we can be content because You are always with us & give us exactly what we need. Protect him from the love of money & materialism & teach him to give thanks always, for everything.  (Phil. 4:12-13, James 1:17, 2 Peter 1:3, 1 Tim. 6:6-8, Heb. 13:5, Luke 12:22-23, Eph. 5:20)

28| For Humility

Lord, While I want ______________ to know who he is in You, help him to not think more highly of himself than he ought & to honor others above himself. Teach him to value others & look not just to his own interests but to their interests. Help him to have a humble heart & spirit. You are King of the Universe, yet You came as someone gentle & lowly. Help him to humble himself before You, to clothe himself in humility, & trust You to lift him up in due time. Guard his heart from pride – help him to be secure in You while protecting him from the dangers of being puffed up. Help him to know when to apologize, when to repent.  (Romans 12:3, Romans 12:10 , Phil. 2:3-4, Eph. 4:2, Matt. 11:29, 1 Peter 5:5-6, Prov. 29:23)

29| For Self-Control Against Temptation

Dear Lord, I pray that You would give _____________ the discipline he needs for self-control. Help him to guard his tongue & use it to speak words of life; guard the words of his mouth. Teach him to resist the impulses of the flesh & to say no to sin. Help him to resist temptation & give him the strength to do right. Empower him to walk in the Spirit so he does not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Remind him that sin always leads to death & that You can empower him to overcome any temptation he faces & give him an escape. (Gal. 5:23, James 3:5-10, Prov. 18:21, Gal. 5:16, Romans 8:6, 1 Cor. 10:13)

30| To Mature Emotionally and Spiritually

Heavenly Father, as ____________ goes through this year, help him to mature as even Jesus did: in wisdom & stature, in favor with God & man. Help him to grow up into all things, to mature emotionally & spiritually, to make spiritual progress this year. Give him wisdom beyond his years as he becomes the person You’ve created him to be – conformed to the image of Christ more & more. Help him to move on to the more mature things of God & grow through all of the challenges he faces, lacking nothing.  (Luke 2:52, Eph. 4:15, Romans 8:29, Heb. 5:14, James 1:3)

31| For Protection of Innocence

Sweet Jesus, Children are a blessing from You! Protect the innocence of _______________. Guard his eyes & conversations; protect him from exposure to ungodly, immoral, or inappropriate things. Keep him free of the knowledge of evil that someone his age should not be exposed to. Shield him from sexual perversion, predators, those who would seek to harm him, dealing fiercely with those perpetrators. Protect him from the hurts, injuries, & satanic attacks that would damage him mentally, emotionally, & spiritually. Put a hedge of protection around him & command Your angels to guard his way. When Satan comes as a roaring lion one way, let him flee 7 ways.  (Psalm 127:3 Gen. 2:17, Matt. 18:6, John 10:10, Psalm 91:3, Job 1:10 Psalm 91:11, 1 Peter 5:8, Deut. 28:7)

How to Use These Prayer Cards

Use these as a guide, but don’t just “read the script.” Let the Holy Spirit lead you to pray specifically for your child—their needs, challenges, and school environment.

There’s a month’s worth of prayers you can start anytime—before school begins or throughout the year.

Print the cards, cut them out, and put them on a binder ring. Follow them in order or choose one at random.

Pray over your child at the bus stop, in the car line, or while driving.

Share the cards with grandparents, church members, or other prayer warriors who want to cover your kids in prayer.

Faith-Filled Prayers for a New School Year

Of course, back-to-school prayers are just the beginning of the prayers we will be praying over our kids for the course of a lifetime, but this is a great time of year to start.

Prayer is one of the most effective and best ways to see that your child has the best year. Not without challenges, but equipped for all the new adventures that will face him this school season.

Prayers using God’s Word are powerful prayers, and you can expect to see God honor His Word and show up in personal ways.

So as we face this upcoming school year, with so many new beginnings, we can move in the right direction by getting in alignment with God and His Word.

In light of the unpredictable realities they will face this year, our prayers will do so much more than worrying and fretting.

Father, thank you for hearing our prayers and that Your Word does not come back void.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Grab the Free Prayer Cards Here!

Be sure to grab your free printable cards below by filling out the box! The cards are available in an instant download PDF, 6 pages. There are 31 cards, plus 5 blanks that you can use to write in your own prayers.

For best results, download from a desktop or laptop and print on cardstock.

Note: all the cards are written with masculine (he/him/his) pronouns. No particular reason – it’s was just bulky to keep trying to put in he/she, him/her, etc.  Of course, pray as it applies to your child!

 

Thoughts? I’d love to hear them! Leave a comment below!

More Back to School Resources

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20 Immune Boosting Foods for Kids {That They’ll Actually Eat!}

10 Crucial Things Teachers REALLY Want Parents to Know

 

P.S. If you love Scripture cards, check out these  25 Psalms of Thanksgiving & Praise free printable cards! And if you are looking for a resource to study Scripture, check out the Spiral Bible – it’s amazing!

I also have other Scripture-based cards in the Etsy shop. You can check them out here!