Introduction
September is coming, with its backpack, its planner and its to-do list. Whether you are going back to school, to university, to work or to serving at church, the new season is a good time to ask God to go with you. These 20 verses, quoted from the World English Bible, move in five steps: starting again on God's kindness, walking in the light and under protection, learning and growing, working wholeheartedly, and then living with others. Read one a day during the first weeks.
Starting Again on God's Kindness
1. Lamentations 3:22-23
"It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness."
Jeremiah writes these lines in the middle of the ruins of Jerusalem, and yet he declares that the Lord's loving kindnesses are new every morning. At the start of a new school or work year, this reminder is precious: God's faithfulness did not stop with the vacation. Read all of Lamentations 3.
2. Psalm 143:8
"Cause me to hear your loving kindness in the morning, for I trust in you. Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to you."
David prays in the morning to hear God's loving kindness and to know the way he should walk. It is a very simple back-to-school prayer: ask God to guide you before you launch in, entrusting your soul to him. You can say it in the morning before you leave. Read all of Psalm 143.
3. Ephesians 5:15-16
"Therefore watch carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil."
Paul urges us to walk carefully, as wise people and not as fools, redeeming the time. At the start of the year, it is a chance to review your schedule: what truly deserves a place in it? Plan time for God, for the people close to you and for rest. Read all of Ephesians 5.
4. Psalm 5:3
"Yahweh, in the morning you will hear my voice. In the morning I will lay my requests before you, and will watch expectantly."
David describes a morning appointment with God: he speaks to him, then he waits. Taking a few minutes before the day to pray, before the phone and the messages, sets the tone. This habit, even a short one, can change the atmosphere of a whole year. Read all of Psalm 5.
Walking in the Light and Under Protection
5. Psalm 119:105
"Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path."
God's word is compared to a lamp for the feet and a light for the path. A lamp does not light the whole road, only the next step. At the start of the year, when plans seem blurry, you can move forward one step at a time, by reading the Bible. Read all of Psalm 119.
6. Psalm 25:4-5
"Show me your ways, Yahweh. Teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth, and teach me, For you are the God of my salvation, I wait for you all day long."
David asks God to show him his ways, to teach him and to lead him in his truth. It is a perfect back-to-school prayer: ask to be guided before you choose your activities, your commitments and your priorities. God loves to answer those who listen to him. Read all of Psalm 25.
7. Deuteronomy 31:8
"Yahweh himself is who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be discouraged."
Moses speaks to Joshua before the entry into the promised land: the Lord will go before him and will not forsake him. A new school, a new job, a new city can be frightening. This verse reminds you that you are not heading into the unknown alone. Read all of Deuteronomy 31.
8. Psalm 91:11
"For he will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways."
The psalmist affirms that God commands his angels to guard the one who takes refuge in him in all his ways. On the way to school or work, on public transport or in the hallways, you can remember that you are under a protection you cannot see. Read all of Psalm 91.
Learning and Growing
9. Proverbs 9:10
"The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."
The book of Proverbs places the fear of the Lord, that is, respect for God, at the beginning of wisdom. Knowledge is useful, but it gains by being anchored in a relationship with him. This verse invites students not to separate their faith from their studies. Read all of Proverbs 9.
10. Proverbs 1:5
"that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel:"
Even the wise person still has more to learn: by listening, he increases his learning. This attitude of listening makes all the difference in class, in training or at work. Ask questions, accept correction and stay curious, without settling for what you already know. Read all of Proverbs 1.
11. Ecclesiastes 3:1
"For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:"
Ecclesiastes reminds us that there is a season for everything under heaven. The new year is a season of starting again, sometimes of finding your rhythm again. Accept that not everything will be perfect in the first week, and give yourself time to find your balance. Read all of Ecclesiastes 3.
12. Luke 2:52
"And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."
This verse sums up the childhood of Jesus: he increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. It is a model of balanced growth, intellectual, physical, spiritual and relational. A good program for a school year. Read all of Luke 2.
Working Wholeheartedly
13. Colossians 3:17
"Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through him."
Paul invites the Colossians to do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him. Opening a notebook, answering a customer, preparing a meal: nothing is too small. Every task of the new season can become a way of living for him. Read all of Colossians 3.
14. 2 Timothy 2:15
"Give diligence to present yourself approved by God, a workman who doesn’t need to be ashamed, properly handling the Word of Truth."
Paul encourages Timothy to be diligent to present himself to God as a worker who has no need to be ashamed. Work done well is a form of witness. Whether you study or work, it is an invitation to rigor and honesty. Read all of 2 Timothy 2.
15. Galatians 6:9
"Let’s not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we don’t give up."
Paul calls us not to grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. The new season has its enthusiasm, but lasting takes perseverance. This verse helps you hold on in October, when tiredness sets in. Read all of Galatians 6.
16. 1 Corinthians 15:58
"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."
After a long chapter on the resurrection, Paul concludes by inviting us to be steadfast and to work for the Lord, because this labor is not in vain. When you doubt the usefulness of your efforts, this verse assures you that nothing you do for him is lost. Read all of 1 Corinthians 15.
Living with Others
17. Proverbs 13:20
"One who walks with wise men grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm."
This proverb affirms that walking with the wise makes you wise, while being a companion of fools brings harm. The friends you choose at the start of the year matter. Look for people who lift you up and who share your faith, without looking down on those who are different. Read all of Proverbs 13.
18. Hebrews 10:24-25
"Let’s consider how to provoke one another to love and good works, not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."
The author of the letter to the Hebrews asks us to consider one another and not to neglect meeting together. The new season is the right moment to take up again the rhythm of church gatherings and house groups. We hold on better together. Read all of Hebrews 10.
19. 1 Timothy 4:12
"Let no man despise your youth; but be an example to those who believe, in word, in your way of life, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity."
Paul tells Timothy that nobody should despise his youth, but that he should be an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. This verse encourages young people to live their faith with confidence, without waiting to be older to count. Read all of 1 Timothy 4.
20. Matthew 5:16
"Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."
Jesus tells his disciples to let their light shine before men, so that they may see their good works and glorify the Father. At the start of the year, you can show kindness to a student who is on his own or to a new coworker. A simple gesture is worth a thousand speeches. Read all of Matthew 5.
Further reading
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Bible verse should I choose for back to school?
Lamentations 3:22-23 is a good choice: the Lord's loving kindnesses are new every morning. For a pupil or a student, Proverbs 9:10 and James 1:5 are also very fitting, because they speak of wisdom and knowledge.
How can I pray at the start of the school year?
Thank God for the vacation and ask him for direction in the new year. Pray for your teachers, your classmates or your coworkers, and entrust your worries to him. A short prayer in the morning, like the one in Psalm 143:8, is enough to begin.
How can I restart well after the summer with faith?
Take up the rhythm gently: a moment of Bible reading each day, the church gathering on Sunday and a time of prayer with a friend. Do not try to catch up on everything at once. God meets you where you are.