I just needed a place to walk…or so I thought.

When my husband and I first moved to Houston, Texas, I remember living in close proximity to two neighborhood schools—a high school and an elementary school. Both schools had a nice walking trail/track that was open to the public.

My initial reason for even setting foot on the school property was to find a place where I could get in some daily exercise and walk off some stress. But one day the Holy Spirit prompted me to begin praying over the schools—the students, teachers, and administrators—as I walked. I did not know them personally or their specific needs. However, I found that as I opened my heart to those two schools and began to intercede on their behalf, the Holy Spirit led me in what I should pray.

About a year after embarking on those prayer walks, I was invited to speak to the students of the high school. God gave me a public platform to speak into their lives because I had first been faithful in praying for that school privately.

A few years later I remember walking our 5-year-old nephew into the elementary school for his first day of class. Little did I know that God was using my prayers to prepare a place of purpose for our own nephew.

Are you utilizing the power of prayer to the fullest to pray over your schools? You can do this by investing five minutes a day to pray for your schools and teach your students how to adopt this healthy practice of prayer.

Five Minutes that Make All the Difference

1. Drive-By Prayer: Be intentional about driving by the schools in your neighborhood. As you do, take a few moments to pray for the school, students, staff, and administration. Teach your students to do the same. Teach them how to be on the lookout for schools and, anytime they drive by one, to pause and take a moment to pray over that school.
   
2. School Prayer Walk: Reach out to the school counselor and ask if there is anything you and your children’s ministry team can pray about. While they will not divulge confidential issues or information, they usually have a pretty good idea about the climate of their school and can help provide you with general topics for prayer. Commit time to walk around that school on your own, with your team, or even with the students in your children’s ministry and pray over those specific needs.
   
3. School Spot Light: Take time in your children’s ministry service/class each week to highlight one of the schools in your neighborhood. Have students participate in leading prayer for that school. Include that school in any take-home handouts, social media announcements, etc., so that parents can also reinforce school prayer with their students at home. Your handout or social media announcement can include Bible verses, specific prayer needs, and/or sample prayers for students.
   
4. Sidewalk Encouragement: With school permission, schedule a day to go out with your students and have them write encouraging messages on the school sidewalk with colored chalk. Let every word and message of encouragement remind your students that they are speaking life and hope over the students and teachers of that school.

 Bottom Line: In order to see optimal growth in your students, it is important to invest care, discipleship, and prayer in all aspects of their life. Make it a priority to pray over your schools and invest five minutes a day that will make all the difference!