Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:24, NIV

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 could be challenging.

But then, after reading a book that mentioned “silencing the room” through prayer, I decided to begin praying over my library space every morning. And something shifted. Classes ran more smoothly, transitions felt easier, and starting each lesson with intention became natural. But beyond the visible changes, prayer changed me—my awareness, my approach, and the atmosphere I carried into the room.

The moment God truly revealed the impact of those prayers came a couple of months after I retired. I met a former colleague for lunch—someone with whom I’d formed a sweet, honest Muslim/Christian friendship. She was updating me on how things were going with the new librarian (and it was going very well!) when she grew quiet and said, “But, it’s not the same.”

I assumed she meant she missed our conversations or our time together, but she clarified, “The space feels different. It’s not the place of peace and comfort it used to be.”

Wow. In that moment, God gently showed me something I hadn’t fully understood: the peace she felt had been the result of all those prayers. Even though I had believed God was answering them at the time, hearing this from my precious Muslim friend felt like the Lord whispering, “See? It works.”

Lately, that library has been coming to mind again. I think the Lord is nudging me to pray over that space once more, even from afar.

Yes, Lord Jesus. Thank You for making my prayers an instrument of peace, joy, and wisdom in a middle school library. Thank You for showing me that when I pray and believe, You truly do the work.

Lord, thank You for who You are and how precious our students are to You. I pray in the name of Jesus that You silence the chaos and the negative voices that our precious children deal with daily. I pray that You keep that chaos and negativity out of my teaching space and allow the children (and staff) in this space to experience peace, joy, and wisdom. I pray this in the precious name of Jesus, Amen.

Copyright Renae Orange.

Renae is a member of Christian Educators and a retired middle school librarian who lives in Kentucky.