Parenting, in all its complexity, can often feel like floundering in the dark. We read the ‘How to’ books, attend parenting courses, share our experiences with others but still it can be a somewhat daunting task. Then, along comes school. Our children are dropped off for their most active hours to be taught, trained and encouraged to grow by people other than ourselves. School, along with its benefits socially and educationally, brings with it a variety of challenges. Parenting doesn’t stop when our kids enter the school yard, neither does our responsibility to spiritually cover them. And that’s where prayer comes in, not as a luxury, but a necessity.

The first school prayer group I was a part of met in a lounge room. Every Tuesday morning after we’d dropped our little darlings off at the local government school, the four of us would meet around a coffee table. My friend’s child was struggling with playground friendships. Another mother had a child with yet to be diagnosed health issues that were impacting his work in the classroom. My own son struggled with a strict teacher and we all faced a change of headmaster. So we prayed. We prayed for our school, for the teaching staff, our community and for our children.

Since then my family has moved towns and, as a result, schools. My kids now attend a Christian school, but I am still part of a parent prayer group. The concerns and issues are slightly different in a Christian school context, but the importance of covering our children in prayer and lifting up the teaching staff remain crucial.

For me, being part of a prayer group for my children’s school is a deliberate act of faith. It’s acknowledging that I cannot control the world my children are a part of. It’s acknowledging the Lordship of Christ over my children’s lives. I cannot protect them from everything. I cannot sort out the school yard dramas, the potentially challenging curriculum, the issues they will face if they choose to live in the way of Jesus among peers who would prefer not to. But I can approach the throne of God confidently. I can cast my cares and concerns at His feet and in doing so I lay aside worry and step into expectation.

In my next couple of posts I’ll be sharing some ideas and suggestions for being part of a prayer group for your local school. Until then, I’d love to hear if you’ve ever been part of a group like this and what your experience of it was…

Penny