Prayer in Our Schools
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
-Matthew 6:5-6 I used to be a superhero - by that I mean I was a school teacher. I spent 6 years in public schools, 10 years in a Christian school, and many years as a substitute in both.
And prayer was present in ALL of those schools. There was prayer for the little boy who colored everything in black crayon, punched anyone who was near him, and announced one day that he wanted to grow up to be a criminal because his dad was a criminal.
There was a prayer for the little girl in foster care who told me all about mom’s “punishments.”
There was prayer for all of the children who didn’t quite fit in, who struggled, who were hurting, and who were scared. There was prayer for the everyday, run-of-the-mill heartache of navigating the world as a child.
There was prayer in the schools when my kids were young. When I volunteered in the school library, I prayed for the child who had on the same dirty clothes every day I saw her. When I helped in the classroom, I prayed for the student that was angry every single day. Evening activities were covered in prayer when I took my children and the neighbor children to movie nights and reading nights. There was a lot of prayer as I sat on rickety school buses bound for some field trip adventure.
I prayed for calm nerves during concerts, marching band, and plays. I prayed for the injured players on the field who were not my own. I prayed for the fundraisers and award ceremonies.
Prayer existed at all of these schools and at all of these school events because I was there, as were parents and teachers of many different faiths. It wasn't led by the teacher or the principal. It was not seen or heard by others. It was just me and maybe others like me, quietly lifting up our cares to our God.
School prayer is a hot topic, especially at the start of a new school year, but I believe we should not insist on prayer IN the schools. Instead we should COVER the schools with prayer.
'Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.' I Thessalonians 5:16-18 Prayer is a call to action. If you are one who believes that prayer should be in the schools then YOU need to be in the schools. Volunteer to help struggling readers. Get involved in the parent organization or boosters. Organize a food drive, a coat drive, a shoe drive, etc. to assist families in need. Help oversee pick up and drop off time or recess times so that overworked teachers have more time for planning. Donate to local schools and activities. Go to the games and the plays and the concerts. God is already there, in the building, so wherever YOU are, prayer will be there too.
Becky Long
Becky Long is the partner, in ministry and in life, of Pastor Don Long Jr. of Wesley United Methodist Church.
