A Back to School Litany of Blessings
—
Dear God, we pray that you bless our children. They come with their backpacks and their hearts full of hope for a school year that will promise them a learning environment full of safety, health, and happiness, while including the friendship and camaraderie of their classmates.
As they embark on their new journey this school year, order their steps with energy, and guide them in perseverance to follow your lead.
Today, and in the days to come, hold them fast, and surround their hearts in your abiding and abounding love.
Dear God, please bless our children!
Dear God, we pray that you bless our teachers, administrators, school staff, and volunteers. We pray also that you bless the First School and First School teachers, staff, and volunteers here at FBC Decatur. As this school year unfolds, we pray you would send a Spirit of energy, revival, compassion, perseverance, patience, and love to all these adults who teach and care for our children.
Order their steps in grace, self-care, and steadfastness to follow your lead.
Today and in the days to come, hold them fast, and surround their hearts in your abiding and abounding love.
Dear God, please bless our teachers, staff, and volunteers!
Dear God, we pray that you bless our college and graduate school educators and students. As this year unfolds, we pray that you would send a Spirit of open-mindedness, curiosity, enthusiasm, and grace to all these educators and students as they embark on a new year of study, writing, publication, and performance.
Order their steps in centeredness, self-care, hard work, patience, grace, and compassion.
Today and in the days to come, hold them fast, and surround their hearts with your abiding and abounding love.
Dear God, please bless our college and graduate educators and students!
And Dear God, we pray you bless our families. We pray for parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, foster parents, and guardians who love, support, shape, and care for our children and students. We pray also for the church family of FBC Decatur and our Decatur community family members who also shape, support, and care for our children and students. Send them a Spirit of joy, service, understanding, and grace as the students they know, love, and care for set out on yet another year in their journey of education, working their way towards the adult lives they will soon live out in your creation.
Order their steps in service, support, gratitude, and compassion to follow your lead.
Today and in the days to come, hold them fast and surround their hearts in your abiding and abounding love.
Dear God, bless our families, church families, and community!
Dear God, we thank you for your love and for the wonder that we know your Spirit will inspire in the hearts of our children, students, staff, teachers, professors, families, and community this year, and in all years to come.
Order our steps in your ways of love and make space in our hearts through the grace and compassion of your Holy Spirit to love all creation in the ways of your abiding and abounding love.
Dear God, hear our prayers and bless us now, and always, AMEN!