It's back to school time and if you're like me, you are eager to get those precious little people scrubbed clean and loaded up with new school supplies, hugged and kissed, and out the door, and off to school. The return to a "normal routine" is welcome this time of the year.

But as you send your people back to school, you do so with a bit of sadness over the fact that they are another year older, there are less marbles in your jar (have you seen the marble and parenting illustration?), and other people are about to be pouring into the minds and lives of your cherished offspring.

Unless you're homeschooling. If you're homeschooling you are giving yourself pep talks as you gear up for another year of pouring out and in to the children who call you "Mom" and/or "Dad." 

I've written on this topic before and decided today to simply give you links to the blogs and podcasts that provide you encouragement as you commit to pray your students through this upcoming year in school.

Don't think for one minute that prayer has been banned from our schools. The great thing about prayer is that you can do it anywhere at anytime without anyone knowing it! 

So when the government decided to take prayer out of our public schools, they simply couldn't do it! If we were privy to God's ears I've no doubt we'd hear countless prayers wafting heavenward from teachers, students, administrators, custodial staff, lunchroom personnel, volunteers and even bus drivers! 

And aren't we glad God made prayer to work in such a powerful and undercover way? I want to share with you 3 amazing prayer ministries that impact our kids academic worlds. These ministries make our job easy, for they not only encourage students and parents to pray but they also provide the resources! 

1. Moms in Prayer, International

This past week I had the privilege of interviewing Sally Burke who is president of Moms in Prayer, International. WHAT A DELIGHT! I can't wait for you to get to...

Don't you love the back-to-school pictures? Here's ours.

My granddaughter, Misty is starting 2nd grade, and River is going out into the world to conquer her preschool class. 

  I think I love the return to school NOT because I am eager for summer to end, but rather because I love the return to a routine. I don't know about you, but at the McCoy house, we just seem to get more done when we are living in a routine.

  What if, this school year, you got in the routine of praying for your children and their teachers. I got a diagram out of Misty's backpack, that showed me where each teacher taught her class. It was complete with the names of the staff members who serve at her elementary school. I am going to take that diagram and put it in my prayer journal so that I can pray over each staff member by name throughout this school year.

  One of the great Pray-ers from days gone by, said this: 

"God has promised to hear prayer, and he will perform his...