“The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT
The start of a new school year is more than fresh notebooks and sharpened pencils — it’s a fresh season for our children and for us as parents. But along with the excitement can come a tangle of emotions: Will my child make friends? Will they be challenged or supported? How will we handle the early mornings, homework, and schedules? And if we’re honest, the unknowns can feel heavy.
Yet God’s Word offers us this steadying truth: we and our children are never walking into a school year alone. The Lord Himself goes before them — and before us. He’s already in the classroom, the cafeteria, the playground, the library. He’s already alongside their teachers, guiding hearts and minds.
He’s already in the moments we can’t see, working for their good.
As parents, we can anchor our hearts in Scripture, reminding ourselves daily that God’s presence doesn’t stop at the school doors. He will be with our kids when we can’t be. He will strengthen them when the work is hard and comfort them when the day is long. And when we feel the ache of letting go — whether it’s preschool drop-off or sending a young adult back to campus — He is our comfort, too.
To every teacher stepping into another year, know this: your work matters deeply. You are seen, loved, and strengthened by the same God who called you to this meaningful role. We love, esteem, and appreciate you so much!
Transitions aren’t always easy, but with Jesus, we can walk into the school year full of hope, knowing that the One who goes before us also goes with us every step of the way.
A Prayer for the New School Year:
Lord, thank You that You are already in every classroom, hallway, and heart. We entrust this school year to You. We trust You to care for and guide our children, their teachers, and all who will shape their days. Fill our homes with peace when worries rise. Give our kids courage to try, resilience to grow, and kindness to share. Strengthen every teacher with wisdom, patience, and joy. Remind us, Lord, that Your presence goes before us, stays beside us, and will never leave us. We place this year in Your hands and choose to trust You with what we cannot control. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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In Courage,
Teachers understand that God has entrusted the minds of your students to you. You are shaping the future of our country. Guide these minds & hearts. Thank you for all you do for the students & their families. May we all have a successful school year.
Blessings 🙂
what a sweet devotional for the beginning of school, but the Deuteronomy verse can also apply to those of us who are in our 70’s and above. I wrote it down as I am going to use it as my Life Verse for the beginning of the next year. It is perfect for me and I did pray the prayer for the school openings as my husband was a school teacher for 37 years before retirement. He was a very good teacher. Unfortunately he now lives with a violent form of dementia and does not even recognize me after having been married for 54 years. He tried to kill me several years ago so the doctors said for my safety I needed to get him somewhere else where he would have more care. I pray for him too even though he did not follow the doctors orders and was a heavy drinker that did not help things. He still thinks there is nothing wrong with him, but I did stay with him for 3+ years to try and convince him to do what the doctors said, but to know avail so I went back to my favorite Serenity Prayer and realized for sure I had to accept something I could not change, but I did try. Love to all the parents that have children in school, all the teachers who face far different circumstances that my husband did and all the aides and employees in the school as there are far too many sad, sad things that have been happening in places. My love to the (in)courage women as well as all of you help us young or old to guide us through this world we live in. You are teachers in a way that do really teach us things that gives us hope and I pray for all of you as well……………Betsy Basile
Soo soo beautiful and meaningful, thank you!
We, our children and grandchildren will walk through those doors reminded that God not only goes before us but with us too and he is already there
Thank you for this gentle reminder and prayer.
Blessings and gratitude
PRAYERS for children in Minneapolis and for OUR Gov’t. to have GUN Control. BAN Assault rifles and loads of bullets for guns!