Last Updated on October 19, 2023 by Emma
The administration of a school takes a lot of work and having the right people in the right positions. The people in those positions are referred to by many names: principal, administrator, headmaster (usually only at private schools), assistant principal, or the leadership.
They may report to a school board or a school system superintendent, but they answer to every parent, student, staff member, and community in which their school is located. They have many stakeholders, which means they may often feel like they are juggling many balls in the air.
Do you recall the last time you prayed for your community’s school? Or prayed for that school’s administrators? Between budget cuts, a quickly changing political climate, and a clamoring for resources, they have a difficult job. It doesn’t matter if they’re the head of a major university or the local pre-school, the work is still difficult.
Do you know the names of the administrators at your local school? Have you met them? Perhaps you could take a moment in the coming days to contact them. When you do, you can let them know that you will be praying for them and the staff and the school. Ask them if there is anything specific you can pray for them about.
They may be surprised when you ask and not have an answer for you. Not to worry, just pray for them anyway.
The seven focused prayers that follow are a way for you to begin praying for the administration of your school. As you pray these prayers, you can change the details to match up to your specific situation. You don’t have to tell the person you are praying for them if you don’t want to.
While principals are not kings, they are leaders in their area and so we should pray for them, as the Apostle Paul reminds us:
“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Timothy 2:1-2, NIV).
Anyone who has influence over other people–a school administrator, a boss–needs to be prayed for regularly. Why not start praying today?
Prayer for a New Principal
Dear Lord, our school is getting a new principal this week. Our previous one, (person’s name) is moving away and she will be missed. She has done so much to build up the culture in the school, so I hope the new administrator doesn’t rip it all up as soon as he starts.
We don’t know much about (new principal’s name), just that he was an assistant principal at the school on the other side of the city. I hope he does his homework and seeks to understand who we are here in this community and how he fits in.
I pray for his move here and that he has a smooth transition. I pray he will ask the right questions and spend much of his time listening and observing. I pray that he will continue all the good programs and initiatives we have started here in our school.
Help me to be a resource to him if needed. Help me also to be a welcoming presence, because at the moment I’m worried about how much change is happening. I pray this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Prayer for an Outgoing Principal
Dear God, our latest principal is being promoted up to the main school district office after so many good years here. He is going to be missed greatly here in our close-knit community.
I pray for him as he goes to a different kind of job and responsibilities. I pray that he will be happy there. I’m glad he’ll still be in the area but our school won’t be the same without him. That’s why I’m praying, Lord.
I’m worried about who the new person will be. I’m concerned that they will get the right person to fit in here. We’ve withstood some major challenges in the last few years and are now in a more stable place, but now we’ve got this upheaval of one principal leaving and another one coming. I’ll have to trust in you for that.
I pray for (outgoing principal) to know he’s made a positive difference here–in the school itself, in the community, and definitely in the students. Help him remember all of the good things that happened under his leadership. I pray for all of these things in the name of Jesus, our Hope, Amen.
Prayer for a Headmaster
Dear Lord God, I can’t believe the headmaster of our little private school is departing. We all thought he would be here for quite a long time. But he is moving away to another state to be closer to his family.
We all understand his circumstances and we wish him well as he departs. But his departure is going to be tough to deal with. I know we will move ahead with your guidance and direction, for that is what I pray.
Help (departing headmaster) to finish up well here. Help him receive all of the good comments and encouragements he will hear in the coming weeks. Help him with the details of leaving and the actual moving to a new place. I pray also for his family as they go. I pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Prayer for a Retiring Principal
Dear Jesus, I pray for (name of principal) who told the school board that she is retiring at the end of this school year. It was sort of a surprise as she is in good health and has had such great success in the last several years. I guess she wanted to leave on her terms and her timeline, which I can understand.
I pray you bless her with a wonderful retirement. I pray you bless her with deep-seated memories she can call upon after she is not here at the school. May she be encouraged in these last several weeks and months with all of the good wishes and positive comments she will hear. Help her to open her heart and mind and take in all of that goodness so she can see what a wonderful and wide impact she has had in the lives of so many people.
We are thankful for her leadership and kindness and strategic influence. We are all better for knowing her and I pray she feels that as she retires. I pray this in the loving name of Jesus, Amen.
Prayer for School Administrators
Lord, I want to lift up all of our school administrators. There has been so many things that have happened this last year, from threats of violence and a wave of sickness, to possible budget cuts. I pray for their mental and emotional health and for their families.
I pray that you strengthen them each day as they seek to lead. I pray you guide them as they make hard decisions. I pray you encourage them as they look at, in some cases, what are dire circumstances. I don’t know all that they face but I wanted to lift them all up to you, in the name of our Strength, Lord Jesus, Amen.
Prayer for an Assistant Principal
God, I pray for our assistant principal. She works so hard but frequently does not get noticed for all that she does to make our school run smoothly. Because she’s not the head person, she has to handle some of the most trying situations–the ones no one else wants to handle.
But she does it with skill and dignity, even though it tends to be mostly the negative stuff–misbehavior, cheating, and other problems. I pray she gets some positivity in her work from time to time. I pray she ultimately get promoted to being a principal because she’d be a great one. I pray for her health and well being. I pray all these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Prayer for School Administration Support Staff
God in heaven, I wanted to ask you to watch over the staff at our school. I pray for the principal and the assistant principal too, but especially I wanted to focus my prayer on the school administration support staff.
Most people rarely see them or know their names unless they have to interact with them directly. But each of them shows up consistently and does their job with skill and a smile on their face. I pray for them to be encouraged, as what they take care of makes the whole school work for the teachers and students.
Without them there at the school, things at the school would not run smoothly and a whole lot of important stuff would fall through the cracks. I pray for them to be paid well and be blessed in their daily lives. I make these requests through the name of Jesus, Amen.
Concluding Thoughts
It takes a lot for a school to run as it is intended. The parents and students work in conjunction with the teachers and paraprofessionals, who, in turn, work with the support staff and administration. The principal is the person at the head of it all. They are the one people see, the one who gets their name in the paper, the one who gets the comments about how the school is doing.
As a leader they have a great responsibility- and it’s worth praying for all our leaders whether they’re managing our local school board or our national government. Which is why we should be praying for them on a regular basis. A school administrator needs all of the help and guidance they can get, so that they can make good decisions on behalf of the whole school. The wise writer in Proverbs reminds us of this truth:
“Without good direction, people lose their way;
the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances” (Proverbs 11.14, The Message).
You may not have considered praying for the principal or other school administrators at your local school. Perhaps you could start with this simple method. Each time you drive by the school, lift a pray for them. You connect with God more regularly, and people you may not even know get prayed for regularly. What a good prayer habit!