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Viral videos show defiant suspects refusing to obey the simple requests of law enforcement officers all across the U.S. Although the Bible warns us about disobedience and lawlessness in the last days, we must still pray and work against this endemic lack of respect for authority.

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Let’s pray for and teach children to respect law enforcement officers.

A prayer for respect for law enforcement in our schools

In the 1950s, public school curricula included officer-friendly programs that taught students to appreciate law enforcement officers who served in their communities. Those programs no longer exist. Today, some police departments sponsor community service programs where officers visit classrooms to talk directly with the students. At a time when police approval is low, and funding is not always available many communities do not participate, leaving a void in teaching our students the value of the police who serve the community.

Prayer: Father, we ask for teachers, school administrators, and resource officers who will teach our children to respect the laws of the land and those who enforce those laws. We ask for funding for law enforcement to engage with students to promote goodwill and understanding. Let peace reign in our classrooms and the halls of our schools so that learning takes place, citizenship is prized, and respect for those in authority is taught.

A Prayer for the posting of the Ten Commandments in classrooms

In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the posting of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms unconstitutional, stating their reason for the denial that the first three commandments of the Ten Commandments violated the First Amendment freedom of religion clause. A movement now proposes overturning the prohibition of posting the Ten Commandments at the state level. Louisiana just enacted a law requiring posting the Ten Commandments in public schools.

Prayer: Father, many of our public schools no longer teach respect for law enforcement, which protects our schools, churches, streets, and neighborhoods. You said You would put Your laws in their minds and write them on their hearts, so we pray that the Ten Commandments be posted in every classroom in America (Hebrews 8:10).

Prayer for School Resource Officers

Earlier this year, the National Center for School Statistics reported 857,500 violent incidents and 479,500 non-violent incidents in America’s public schools during the 2021-2022 school year. As school violence incidents soared over the past ten years, many schools saw the need to employ school resource officers to handle severe discipline issues.

Prayer: Father, we pray for the safety of school resources officers. They walk in Your light and not in darkness. They are not surprised by a thief in the night, but they surprise thieves. They are sober, vigilant, alert, and brave. The spirit of wisdom guides as they interact with the students and staff. We pray for the safety of the officer and every student in the school (see 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8).

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Nancy Huff is an educator with a mission to equip believers to pray strategically for the Cultural Mountain of Education. She has authored Taking the Mountain of Education: A Strategic Prayer Guide to Transform America’s Schools,  Safety Zone: Scriptural Prayers to Revolutionize Your School, and Decrees for Your School. She leads prayer groups to pray at key educational locations across the US. For additional information, go to: https://takingthemountainofeducation.com/author/nancyahuff/. Photo credit: Andrew Neel on Unsplash.