Starting school each year is a big step for children—so, it’s also a big step for parents (and grandparents).

Of course, you want this school year to be awesome. You want your kids to thrive, grow and be happy, but what if they struggle with difficult classes, or overly-demanding teachers or peer pressure? And if that’s not enough to worry about, this year adds extra anxiety with COVID-19, face masks and social distancing.

Here’s the truth: with each passing year, your children’s lives spin further and further out of your control. This lack of control can leave you feeling anxious (and maybe even a little tearful) during the first few weeks of school.

I have a suggestion.

Why not start your child’s school year off right by praying over it for 7 days?

You can’t do anything more powerful than that! And a dedicated time of prayer will probably relieve some of your anxiety, too.

In fact, why don’t we pray together?

To help you do this, I created Back-to-School Prayers, an annual FREE prayer guide for 7 days of purposeful prayer over school this year. Here’s the 2020-2021 version:

If you want to pray over your child’s school year, then this guide is for you! Simply request it via email at hello@maypatterson.com and I’ll send it to you.

Use Back-to-School Prayers on your own or use it as a guide to help you pray with friends, a small group or your spouse! 

Each day has a specific prayer focus, a devotional with related Scriptures, and a page for writing out your prayers. Why write down your prayers? Because it helps you organize your thoughts and provides you with insight and perspective. It gives you a written record of what you prayed for, in case you forget.

After you’ve written your prayers in this guide, save it until the end of the school year so you can look back at God’s answers—you may be surprised.

When: Monday 8/10/20 to Monday, 8/17/20. Check my Author Facebook page for encouragement for all 7 days at May Patterson, Writer.

How: Subscribe in the form below or in the pop-up box and I’ll send you the FREE download. Print the prayer guide and use it to pray over the school year for 7 days. Pray on your own or with a friend or with your spouse. Each day, the prayer guide will encourage and direct you.

Why: Because specific prayers get specific answers. And answered prayers build your faith like nothing else can. Why pray with a group? Because praying together is powerful and encouraging.

You know, prayer is totally free and easy to do and yet, it has remarkable valuable.

I know this by experience. I’ve prayed my three children through many school years. My twin boys, Will & Bryant, are pictured above on their first day of school, August 2001. (Weren’t they cute?) And I’m still praying for my children. I hope you are, too.

Set aside a week to cover your child’s school year in prayer. Please join us for Back-to-School Prayers 2020-21!

*Back-to-School Prayers is an annual event at maypatterson.com. Every year, I make an new version of this prayer guide, so get your copy for 2020-2021 today!

**This is an inspiring quote about starting school from Erma Bombeck:

“For from this day forward his world can only widen. An existence that began in a crib, grew to a house, and extends over a two-block bicycle ride will now go even beyond that.

I will share him with another woman, other adults, other children, other opinions, other points of view. I am no longer leading. I am standing behind him ready to guide [and love] from a new position.”