Prayers for Homeschoolers ~ Modeling Courage & Faith

Jen 's been writing about her upcoming homeschool year so beautifully.

This morning, before I ever read her post, I was going over something in my mind as we are about to start our 6th year homeschooling. And it was that God has called me to it....He continues to place homeschooling on my heart. The old adage, if He leads you to it, He will lead your through it has been so true for me. Like others, I too need reconvincing. We all need to bring our worries to Our Lady. Homeschooling is hardwork! The responsibility is great, the frustrations come daily....but so does the closeness....

Still, I already sense and tense up that this will be my hardest year so far. I have an 11th grader, a pivotal year AND a 9th grader, a very hard, demanding year for a boy also adjusting to diabetes. Knowing all that I need to be on top of for them, I worry for my 5th grade son and 2nd grade daughter. Will I be there, for them, enough? In a class with 30 kids, certainly brick-and-mortar school teachers have that fear, too. Anything hard (and anything worth doing) can be daunting...but meeting challenges, especially in front of our kids and showing them our courage AND faithful prayer for God's assistance is even more worthwhile.

They'll continue to see me set this goal, one that St. Ignatius knew and Barb rightly mentions. "To give, and not count the cost." I'll need to start each day in prayer and surrender. I'll need to ask for many graces...join me.

Below are the prayers I am putting into Memotome.com to be delivered into my email first thing each morning. They'll be right behind my Marian consecration morning offering and my daily prayer to St. Joseph.

Prayer To Our Lady for Homeschooling Parents ~

Blessed Mother, as you so humbly and graciously accepted God's will to bear and raise His only son, and to guide him in wisdom and virtue, help me in the instruction and education of my children. Pray to your Heavenly Son to grant me the grace and strength to assist in their learning, overcoming tiredness and discouragement. Assist me in the management of my home, so that I may be able to keep order and peace, despite the challenges of schooling within it. Intercede for me, imploring Our Heavenly Father to bestow upon me wisdom, not for my own sake, but so that I may form my children's minds and hearts, so that they may grow into strong adults, helping to shape the world for His glory, and ultimately inheriting the kingdom of heaven. Call upon your heavenly angels to stand by my side, with their great intelligence, to help me understand that which I am instructing, and assist my children in learning of same. We humbly ask this through you beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Prayer for Homeschoolers ~

Dear Lord, bless me in my decision to homeschool my children. Grant me the grace of peace and determination in this awesome endeavor. Lead me to the proper materials for the instruction each of my children, so that their individual talents and skills will be nurtured and they will grow in intelligence to the fullness of their abilities. Give me the strength to persevere when the weight of being teacher, mother, wife, and housekeeper seems too much to bear. Help me to maintain my household and family school, knowing that there will be times when one or both may seem to suffer, but confident that you will assist me in restoring harmony to both in good time. Allow me the contentment of heart and knowledge that the proper formation of my children's minds holds importance far above many of the callings of this world. Bestow on me courage to overcome the criticisms of those who disagree with me in this effort, keeping ever mindful that the growing of my children in knowledge and grace will be for your glory, and the trials I must endure are for my personal sanctification. Amen.