Back to School Prayer for Your Special Child and Family

Heavenly Father, I am excited and grateful but anxious about this new schoolyear for my child with disabilities or other extra needs.

If I’m honest, I am relieved to have some respite. It’s been a long summer. We all need a break from each other. And I need some rest. Plain and simple.

I am grateful too. The school situation is not always what I want it to be for my child. But I am thankful that you see it all and have it under your care. You know what is needed. Yes, much better than I do. So, I am choosing today to thank you in advance for bringing about much good this year for my child and for our family.

Thank you that we have some precious memories from this summer too. Bring them to mind often so I can praise you for your faithfulness and trust that more of your mercies are still coming. Help me to look ahead without regret or any bitter root. Give me compassion for myself and my family as we recognize our limitations and take joy in each other when things don’t go as we expect. Help us to trust that your Kingdom purposes are prevailing despite our challenges.

I see my child’s excitement — frustrations and fears too — in going back to school. Help me to celebrate that excitement with my child. Help me to show generous empathy and encouragement. Show me opportunities to reassure my precious child that even when I am not there to help, You are always with them. Your power, presence, and love are all they need. You will hold them in peace while they are learning, playing, exploring, riding buses, and making friends.  

Please surround my child with a positive, supportive, and wise team equipped to unlock the potential. Surround my family with community where we can engage for Your glory.  

No schoolyear will be perfect on this side of heaven. Help me and my family to stay focused on the eternal things that matter most. We belong to You.

Thank you for using disability to get our attention. In the midst of temptations to stare at our circumstances and limitations, keep us paying attention to You, oh Lord! Draw our affections to You. You delight in seeing our family learn and grow together. Please make this a year of newness for me and for each person in my family — new discoveries, new growth, new perspectives, new thanksgiving, new voice, new healing, new hope, new rest, new confidence, new trust in You, new fruit, new life.

Multiply what you have already started in my family, Lord!

Can I hear an Amen?

He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.
Psalm 40:3

LisaJamieson

Lisa Jamieson is a caregiver consultant, pastoral counsellor and author of popular books and Bible studies including Finding Glory in the Thorns and Jesus, Let’s Talk. She leads a weekly online discussion group welcoming caregivers in families living with disability. Lisa and her husband, Larry, are co-founders of Walk Right In Ministries, a non-profit organization building faith and community with special needs families. They live in Minnesota with the youngest of their three grown daughters, Carly, who has Angelman syndrome.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *