LEAven Blog

The National Day of Prayer this year falls on Thursday, May 1.  When I searched for information about this day, the first thing that I read was the following:

“As America approaches the National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 1, 2025, the event stands as a testament to the power of collective prayer and its enduring significance in the nation’s history.”¹

The words “testament to the power of prayer and its enduring significance in the nation’s history” really started me thinking about the power of prayer, not only in my personal life but also in our Lutheran schools and the lives of our teachers and students. As I thought more about prayer, I started to recall what I learned about prayer and praying from my teachers in the Lutheran schools I attended.  It also caused me to reflect on how I not only taught about prayer in the schools where I was both a teacher and an administrator but also how I modeled prayer.

One of the things I liked to do when praying with students in the classroom was to write down the prayer requests from students. These requests were then prayed for either by myself or the student(s) who submitted the prayer request. I developed the habit of keeping the slips of paper on which I wrote the prayer requests throughout the year. Periodically, we would then look back at these prayer requests and talk about how God answers and the power of the prayers of God’s people.

Another example of teaching and modeling prayer was a colleague who printed prayers on notecards. She placed these in pockets on a board and labeled what type of prayer each was. Students could then use these for devotions or whenever they would like to pray by themselves.

While I know that our Lutheran schools are places where prayer is used daily, both schoolwide and in individual classrooms, we need to assess our use of prayer to maximize its power continually. Here are some questions to consider that might help do this:

• Do we pray with and for students? Their families? Other needs?
• Do we pray with and for fellow faculty and staff members?
• Do we lift up our nation and its leaders in prayer?
• Does your school observe the National Day of Prayer or Rally at the Pole, a prayer rally where students gather around the flagpole before school? (The date for this year’s is September 24, 2025).
• Do we include other Lutheran schools in our prayers?
• Do we pray in classroom devotions, before and after meals, at the end of the school day?
• Are student prayer leaders from different grade levels used during chapel worship services?
• Is a prayer section for listing prayer needs/requests included in our school newsletters and publications?
• Are faculty, staff, parent, and board meetings begun with prayer invoking God’s blessings on the meeting and the business to be conducted and asking that the decisions made be a blessing to the children and families we serve?
• Are prayers given before athletic and other interscholastic events?
• Do we stop and pray during a class or school day if something suddenly arises—concerns or joys?
• Do we teach models for prayer such as ACTS– Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication?
• Is the power of prayer emphasized when students are taught the Scriptural references to prayer and its power?
• Are we encouraging the memorization and use of The Lord’s Prayer and Luther’s Morning and Evening Prayers, as well as the use of spontaneous prayers?
• Are different types of prayers used, such as popcorn, circle prayers, or others?

As you reflect on these questions, I pray that the power of prayer may be a transformative force in your school, staff, students, and their families’ lives.

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people.”  1Timothy 2:1  ESV

Heavenly Father,  You are a loving,  gracious, and all-powerful God.  Forgive us for the times we fail to pray to You in all circumstances.  Thank you for the numerous blessings You shower on us and our schools every day. Empower us with Your Holy Spirit to boldly proclaim You and Your saving grace in all things to our students and the families we serve.  Help us to be examples of the power that prayer has in the lives of those who believe in You. We pray this boldly and confidently, knowing that you have promised to always hear and answer our prayers as we pray this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.   Amen.

^{1 Google Search National Day of Prayer}