Why you should be praying for your local schools

Praying for our schools has never been more important than it is today.

More than 95% of young people are not engaged in a local church, yet 99% of them are in mainstream education. As we head into a new academic year, what an opportunity schools give us to show the Christ’s love to the next generation!

Across the country, more and more churches are beginning to catch the vision for investing in their local schools. For many Christians, schools are no longer viewed simply as educational institutions, but as opportunities to support our young people at the heart of every town, city, and village. The words of Jesus feel particularly relevant: “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field”. (Matthew 9:37-38)

Alongside these opportunities come significant challenges. Around 45,000 Christians work in education across the UK, and many report growing uncertainty around expressing their faith in school settings. At a time when children and young people are asking important questions about identity, purpose and belief, Christian teachers and school staff need our encouragement and prayer more than ever.

National Day of Prayer

Christian organisations, churches, teachers, young people, and families are joining together for the National Day of Prayer for Schools on Tuesday 9 September, and are encouraging Christians across the UK to set aside time to pray for the schools in their communities: for pupils, staff, leadership teams, and Christian workers.

Wherever we are, we can all play our part.

Schools sit at the centre of almost every community in the nation, and they play a vital role in shaping the lives of children and young people. As the new school year begins, let's commit to bringing them before the Lord in prayer.

Do you want to get involved? There are several ways you can do so. You could join one of the national online prayer gatherings, organise a local prayer meeting in your church or community, make use of the prayer resources being shared throughout the day, or gather others to prayer walk around your local school. To find out more and access resources / Zoom links, visit: www.message.org.uk/prayforschools