Readers shared their prayers and devotionals for the start of a new school year | Opinion

We asked people of all faiths to send devotionals for the start of the school year. State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters has directed the Bible be taught in all school districts in Oklahoma.

Here are the prayers readers put forth for Oklahoma students and educators for the 2024-25 school year:

A welcoming prayer

May our students’ voices be heard, their questions welcomed,

And space held for silence when no answers are adequate.

May our students see light in those who lead.

May they be met with open doors and inviting rooms.

May they find laughter and learning in equal measure,

Delight and discovery in each new day. 

May their smiles be mirrored.

May their wounds be tended.

May we who lift the lamp of learning offer plenty of heart and plenty of hope,

And continue to walk on the way of wisdom with one another.

Karla Winslow, of Edmond, is in her 38th year as an educator. She is a member of the Oklahoma City First Church of the Nazarene.

‘You must teach them all’

I pray that Ryan Walters will be replaced so that schools may focus on teaching children all of the information they need to know that will prepare them for the next year.

The Supreme Court will end up telling him, “If you teach one religion, you must teach them all.”

Gene Stewart, 94, is a Baptist in Oklahoma City.

A Methodist’s prayer

God, please talk to me directly, in a way I can fully understand your words, without an interpretation from others.

Richard Prawdzienski, of Edmond, is a Methodist.