Prayers to Prepare for VBS

Vacation Bible School is a blast! The week is filled with fun activities, catchy songs, delicious snacks, and time with friends. For some, VBS can be the turning point in their faith. The volunteer who has been doing this for years walks away with a deeper knowledge of how to share the Good News of Jesus with others; the new volunteer experiences what it’s like to encourage a young one in his or her faith; the older VBS participant looking at his or her last VBS before becoming a volunteer has memories of how impactful this event can be. All these things and more are jam-packed into a five-day VBS. With all those possibilities, the best thing we can do is pray for everyone who gets to be a part of VBS!

For the Leadership Team

Lord Jesus, You have placed it on the hearts of these leaders to take on this big task of providing a space for children in their communities to learn more about You. Thank You for Your guidance as they planned, prepped, and promoted this spectacular event. Thank You for giving them the creativity they needed when roadblocks occurred, the patience they needed when things didn’t go quite as planned, and Your love for others that moved them to do everything they could to make this happen. May they remember that all this work is for Your glory so that more hearts will turn to You! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

For the Volunteers

Lord Jesus, thank You for stirring volunteers’ hearts to be part of this time! They could have filled their time with other tasks, but instead, they rose to the occasion to teach children about You. As they prepare for the responsibilities they volunteered for, may You provide them with the energy they need to bring joy to every task, the words to speak that reflect Your love to those they interact with, and the patience they may need when things seem overwhelming. Use these volunteers to be a vessel of Your love so that everyone who comes into their presence, whether it be a student or a parent, will catch a glimpse of who You are. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

For First-Time Students

Father, for some, this time together can be exciting. For others, it’s a bit scary. We pray for those who will be attending VBS for the first time. May they make new friends, have fun, and more importantly, learn more about You. We also pray that this time spent at VBS will plant a seed in their hearts that will help them seek out opportunities to participate in other activities at church. May every activity, Bible story, song, craft, game, and more teach them about You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

For Returning Students

Father, thank You for moving in the hearts of these students and their families who are attending VBS once more. Regardless of why they are attending VBS this year, we pray that they will continue to grow in their knowledge of You. May their understanding of Your love for them and the gift of Your Son be even more rooted in their lives. We pray that they will continue to have the courage to ask questions, to think deeply about the lessons, and to walk away with a little more knowledge of You than they had before. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

For Those Attending VBS as Students for the Last Time

Lord Jesus, for some, this will be their last time as VBS students. As they go into this time, we pray that they will be surrounded by people who remind them of their faith and who You are. May they carry the memories of their time in VBS and apply them to their everyday lives. We pray that they will see the value in this event and will come back to help volunteer next year so they can encourage those after them in their own faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

For Parents

Lord Jesus, VBS looks different for every parent, and we don’t need to know the reasons why they chose to send their children to VBS this year. Regardless of their motivations, we pray that they will see how VBS positively impacts the lives of their children. For parents who are not believers, we pray that You would work through their children at VBS to share the Gospel with their parents. May they have eyes to see You working in their kids’ lives, ears to listen to the lessons they heard, and hearts open to learning more about You in the process. We lift these parents up to You as well. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Explore the God’s Living Water: Covered in Jesus’ Grace VBS lessons, activities, and materials.