Teacher, Could You Use Some Prayer?

Every Sunday school class faces a variety of struggles. Children’s behavior isn’t the only challenging issue—attendance, low staff, and curriculum decisions are just a few of the many struggles that you can’t solve without prayer.

But who should you ask to pray?

You!

While prayer seems like a fairly obvious first step, it is easy to overlook in the rush of preparing your lessons and packing your materials. You should be the first person praying for your Sunday school. How are you going to lead God’s children effectively, if you aren’t talking to God throughout the week about the work you are doing and telling Him about the struggles you face? God is the ultimate provider, and although He knows your every need, it is important to maintain communication with Him. Make time in your week to pray for your class, and lead by example.

Your Team

Not every Sunday school ministry has more than one teacher, but if yours does, ask your small group leaders and fellow teachers to pray regularly for each child and specific difficulties you face. As part of the ministry, your team should be at the top of your prayer partner list. Get together and pray with them before and after you teach the kids. If you do not have a team of Sunday school teachers, you can gather regularly to pray with teachers of the other classes, whether they are teaching children or adults.

As part of the ministry, your team should be at the top of your prayer partner list. Get together and pray with them before and after you teach the kids.

Parents of Your Students

Parents appreciate the investment you are putting into their kids every Sunday and would be more than happy to pray for the ministry. You can pray with the parents as they bring their child to Sunday school. Some parents may even involve their kids in praying for the class. Praying with the entire family before the child comes into Sunday school is a great way to build a relationship with the families in your church and establish strong prayer partners. Parents will be more engages in your Sunday school class, and up to speed with what their kids are learning each week. They can help teach kids to build consistent prayer lives centered on the Kingdom mission.

Small Groups

Your church’s small groups are ideal prayer partners. Don’t be shy about inviting people who don’t have kids yet, empty nesters, or families who don’t attend your church outside of small groups to be praying for the ministry in which you serve. Building their interest in this way may even inspire them to get involved as Sunday school volunteers.

Building their interest in this way may even inspire them to get involved as Sunday school volunteers.

Your Pastor and Congregation

Ask your pastor to be praying for your Sunday school class, and inquire about making announcements to the congregation on Sunday mornings. Asking the congregation to be praying for a solution to the obstacles in your Sunday school class is a great way to recruit prayer partners.

Be Sure to Communicate

Create a short list of prayer requests to send home with the kids every week. Ask parents and prayer partners for contact information then send a weekly email or text update or create a Facebook closed group page that parents can follow to see prayer needs. It’s important to keep communication open, so your prayer partners can pray effectively.

Pray with your partners

If time and space allow, praying by the doorway to your classroom with families as they arrive is a fantastic way to keep people involved and build a culture of prayer. If you have prayer partners in your small group at church, pray with them during your small group time. Or pray with others in your church family over coffee in the fellowship area.

Teacher, could you use some prayer? The answer is an unequivocal, yes! When teaching Sunday school, you will run into issues only prayer can solve. Be sure to enlist prayer warriors to help you!