As a middle school librarian, my schedule was always flexible. Each day brought a different mix of students and teachers into the library. And unless the visiting teacher had excellent classroom management, settling a class long enough to start a lesson was usually challenging. Too often, I found myself frazzled, dreading certain periods of the day, and irritable toward my colleagues and students.

Then one day, I read a line in a book about “silencing the room” through prayer. And it stuck with me.

So the next morning, before anyone arrived, I stood in the center of my library and prayed. I prayed over the space, the books, and the students and teachers who would fill the room throughout the day. I asked God for His peace, wisdom, and protection. 

And, something shifted. 

Classes ran more smoothly, transitions felt easier, and starting each lesson with intention became more natural. But more than anything, prayer changed me—my awareness, my approach, and the atmosphere I carried into the room. I realized I was no longer managing a room. Instead, I was stewarding a space God had entrusted to me.

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A couple of months after I retired, I met a former colleague for lunch. We had formed a sweet, honest friendship over the years. Even though she was a devout Muslim and I was very open about my Christian faith, we enjoyed the bond we had formed through our mutual respect for one another. As we chatted and caught up, she told me that the new librarian was doing a wonderful job. 

Then she paused.

“But it’s not the same,” she said.

I assumed she meant that she missed our friendship, laughter, and conversations.

But then she explained, “The space feels different. It’s not the place of peace and comfort it used to be.”

Her words caught me off guard.

And in that moment, God revealed to me that the peace she felt had been the result of my prayers. Even though I experienced God answering them at the time, hearing this from my precious Muslim friend felt like the Lord whispering, See? It works.

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Lately, that library has been on my mind. I believe the Lord is nudging me to pray over that space again, even from afar.

Educators, I encourage you to consider the impact prayer can have in your school building. I truly believe the most powerful work I did during all of my years in education happened in the presence of God before anyone else arrived.