The First Day Devotional — Free 7-Day Back to School Prayer Guide

You are not just sending them back to school. You are releasing them again.

Four days before, your mind is already running ahead. The first morning, your house goes quiet in a way it was not quiet all summer. The first three days, you are watching for signs, waiting for the debrief, hoping it is going okay.

This devotional was written for that whole week. Not just the first day. The days before it and the days right after it too.

Each of the seven days gives you Scripture and a declaration for the morning, for midday, and for bedtime, so you have something true to hold onto no matter what part of the day feels hardest. Every declaration is written to be prayed over your child and over yourself, because you are both walking into something new.

What's Inside

• Day One, Courage. For the fear that shows up before anything has even happened.
• Day Two, Beloved. For remembering what does not change no matter what this year brings.
• Day Three, Strong. For the strength you need that is not your own.
• Day Four, Peace. For the night before, when your mind will not stop running.
• Day Five, Be Still. For the first morning, when the house goes quiet.
• Day Six, Hope. For the ordinary second day, where hope likes to work quietly.
• Day Seven, Worthy. For looking back at the whole week and seeing what shifted.

Each day includes:

• Three Scripture readings (World English Bible), one for morning, one for midday, one for bedtime
• A reflection question for each time of day
• Space to journal your own thoughts
• A short declaration to pray over your child and over yourself

Why We Made This

Scripture is not meant to stay on the page. It is meant to follow you, into the car, into the school pickup line, into the moment you finally sit down at the end of the day. This devotional is a way to carry the Word through one of the more emotional weeks on the calendar, whether you are dropping off a kindergartner or handing the keys to a teenager who is driving themselves.

Get Your Free Copy

Enter your email below and your devotional will land in your inbox as an instant download. You will also be the first to know when we release new devotionals throughout the year.