Start Your Year with a Homeschool Prayer Walk

Last year, I decided to start our school year a little differently. As usual, we took first day pictures like many of our public school friends. And we always try to start with a light day and fun learning. But this time, we started with a homeschool prayer walk.

For years, our church and youth group have participated in a prayer walk for our local public schools. We gather at the school, walk down the halls, and pray at each classroom. Usually we leave little notes for the teachers and staff, letting them know we prayed for them. It is a meaningful way to support and bless our school teachers and staff, as well as the students.

Although we support our local public schools, especially within our local church, God has led our family to homeschool. We’d begun in different ways over the last twelve years, but we had never had a Homeschool Prayer Walk in our home. I know prayer is a vital part of our success and often of just making it through the day, so what better way to kick off the homeschool year!

Here are some of the ideas and scriptures we used for our homeschool prayer walk in each area of our home, as well as more I’ve added for this year. I pray they will be a blessing to your family as you prepare for the new school year.

Doorway

Pray that our hearts will be an open door, ready to receive what God has to teach us this year.

Ask God to bless all who enter our home and give it an atmosphere filled with the love of Jesus.

Pray that our family will ask, seek, and knock in order to know and share Jesus more. (Matthew 7:7)

Dining Room

Thank God for providing our daily meals.

Pray that our family will be grateful for each meal and eat without complaining.

Ask that breakfast will give us energy and alert minds, and prepare us to begin the school day well.

Pray that the lunch break be a time of harmonious fellowship, refreshing, and renewed energy for afternoon work.

Ask for a peaceful evening meal together in which our family can enjoy spending time together and share things God is teaching us.

Kitchen

Pray those who prepare the meals and help set the table will have a servant’s heart and good attitude.

Ask God for wisdom in choosing healthy food, as well as food our family will enjoy.

Living Room/Den

Pray that family time together will be glorifying to God .

Ask God to give your family unity and a willingness to be on mission together for the spread of the gospel.

Ask for wisdom in choosing media that will please God, as well as help grow in education and character.

Pray that the atmosphere in your home will make everyone feel welcome and loved.

Laundry Room

Thank God for providing clothing to wear, ask Him to help us take care of them well. Ask God to clothe us with compassion, humility, and love.

Toy Room

Pray that the things we play with will help us learn more about the world God created. Ask God to help us play fairly and use play time to learn to share and be considerate of others. Thank God for toys and the money He provided to buy them or friends and family who gave them.

School Room

(If you don’t have a designated room, pray wherever you choose to do the majority of your lessons. We use the dining room for the older ones and living room for the littles.) Thank God for the privilege of learning together as a family. Ask Him for wisdom in prioritizing each homeschool day. Thank God for the opportunity to learn about His world and Word. Ask Him to give all of you teachable hearts and diligent efforts in school work. Ask God to help you love Him with all of your mind through the way you approach school. Pray for patience and understanding for teachers and submission, curiosity, and desire to learn for kids.

A Few Suggestions for Success

If you have many little ones, you may consider spreading your homeschool prayer walk throughout different times during the day or just praying through a room or two each day. Adjust your plans as needed to keep it special instead of boring or frustrating as you try to keep the kids focused on prayer. Take turns praying and get the kids involved as much as possible. You may want to say a few words of prayer and let little ones repeat them. Older kids can pray on their own with a little direction on what to pray for in that particular room. Encourage everyone to pray specifically for their own school struggles, as well as praying for the whole family.

Be forewarned: Satan does not want you to pray for your homeschool.

After your homeschool prayer walk, he will challenge your family with the temptations of conflict and bad attitudes. He will try his best to convince you that it didn’t “work” and you wasted your time. Don’t listen! Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:7) Trust God’s word. He is listening and answering. Through Jesus we have the privilege to come boldly before the throne of grace.  

Whether you are just getting started or are continuing your year round lessons, fall is when we usually start anew. What better time to stop and ask God’s blessings and guidance with a homeschool prayer walk!

It’s okay if you missed praying at the beginning of the school year; you can have your homeschool prayer walk any time throughout the year. When you are struggling or need to regroup, take time to pray through your home and trust God to hear and answer.

When the days are long and hard, only He can give us the strength to continue to follow the call He has placed on our lives.

Remember, it is God who works in you (and your children) for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13), and, like any good father, our Heavenly Father loves to give good things to those who ask Him (Matthew 7:11).

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