And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people? —1 Kings 3:8–9
Teaching is a hard job. In recent years, our teachers have had it harder than ever. With the onset of a global pandemic, teaching has been forever changed. For many, distance and online learning are here to stay.
Because of this situation, teachers must not only know how to prepare a lesson and teach it to children who are in the classroom, they also must become skilled in presenting those same lessons in a distance or online environment.
As a college instructor, I pray 1 Kings 3:8–9 every year over myself and my sons’ teachers. In our strength, we don’t have a prayer of teaching our students well. They come into our classrooms to learn, but they are often carrying buckets of baggage from hurting homes, overwhelming situations, and other struggles. Not only do we need to adapt to different learning struggles, but technology and emotional struggles are also par for the course.
Solomon, too, found himself overwhelmed by what was required of him when he became king of Israel. In our verse today, he’s telling God that he’s not equipped to lead Israel well and asking, almost begging, for God to grant him the wisdom he needs to do the job. As we know, God answered that prayer abundantly!
God wants to do the same for our children’s teachers. Whether your children are homeschooled, online distance learners, or face-to-face in a school environment, your child’s teacher needs wisdom from God to do the job well. His Word tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5). What an amazing promise!
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
This school year, let’s ask God to give our children’s teachers wisdom and insight.
We should also be our children’s best advocates to help their teachers love and appreciate them. I know one mother of a special needs child who used to write a letter that she entitled “The World According to Zachary” for her son’s teachers. We might not have a special needs child, but sending our child’s teacher a message that tells them how much we appreciate them and gives them a few insights into how our child learns can be helpful.
This can be especially beneficial if your family is experiencing a struggle that might affect your child’s learning. I’m always telling my students, “I want to work with you if you’re struggling, but you have to let me know what’s going on.”
When we join hands with our child’s teachers and pray for them, God can “do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20) by granting the wisdom they need this school year.
Did you enjoy this blog post? Then you will love Tara Cole’s devotional Everyday Prayers for the School Year!