Your Back-to-School Blessings Box

Have you ever heard of a blessings box? I’m sure you have. A blessings box is often a container of some sort filled with groceries or other necessary items for families or individuals in need. But have you ever thought of a blessings box as a place to focus prayers for your children?

Dictionary.com defines “blessing,” as “God’s favor or protection,” so when we ask God for his blessing, we are asking Him to show divine protection and support.

As our children head back to school for a new year of laughter, lessons and cafeteria lunches, they need God’s blessings. They need his protection and strength while facing the rigors of academic study, peer pressure and even bullying situations. Our children also need the hand of God on their daily decisions, including deciding when to study, how to study, how to avoid cheating and so on.

For the 2018-2019 school year, let’s prioritize partnering with our children for a focused prayer effort. We will focus these prayers with a back to-school blessings box. A back-to-school blessings box should hold your child’s specific prayer needs around all things school-related.

Perhaps you want to pray for God’s favor or protection with homework, new friendships, opportunities to witness and more. The sky is the limit for the areas that you and your child may lift up to the Lord.

Write each prayer need on a strip of paper or an index card and place them inside your newly decorated box. Any box will do: a shoe box, tissue box or even an oversized envelope. Join your child in decorating the box with images, words or ideas that speak to you and remind you of God’s mighty wisdom and strength. Once the box is decorated, place your prayer needs inside and find a special place for it.

Make it a habit to pull out the box once weekly with your child and spend time praying over their needs. As you pray, ask God to specifically put a hand of favor on these areas. As you see God at work in each prayer need, take the time to document how God worked. What a celebration it will be at the end of the year when you look back and see how God showed his favor or blessing in so many different ways. Now go find some crayons and stickers to help your child decorate the box!

Dr. Lori Brown is a Southern writer and educator who enjoys inspiring families to live faithfully with the Lord.

This article originally appeared at just18summers.com