The Strength of Prayer

If you’re like most youth leaders today, whether part-time, full-time, or volunteer, you’re super-busy with school getting back into session and your ministry back into full swing! Unfortunately, one of the first things to go when we get busy is prayer. When it’s up early, crazy all day, and drag into bed exhausted and late, it gets tough to find the time to lay your cares before the Lord. As a pastor, you not only have your own needs, but the added prayer needs of those you minister to.

We all know that the power we witness in our ministries is directly connected to the level of prayer for our ministries.

That said, this article isn’t intended to create any guilt for you. Actually, the goal here is to give you some practical help to enlist others to pray for your students and ministry.

Most churches today are separated into age groups, but there is great value in connecting the generations. Go to the senior adult classes and invite them to pray for your students. You can ask for a senior adult class to adopt a youth class. Like the 70-75 age class prays weekly for the 9
th grade boys. Or you might want to give class members a list and ask a member to adopt a student, so that person will pray specifically for that student. Get creative. You can come up with even better ideas once you start thinking through relationships.

Does your church have a prayer list or a prayer ministry? Put your students on that list. If you’re at a small church, then just give them every name. If you’re at a large church, maybe give the prayer chain one class at a time per week, or divide up however you know will work for your church’s situation.

Don’t forget your students’ parents. Invite them to pray for you and the students. You might even want to have a regular parent prayer gathering specifically for the students. Nothing can touch a parent’s heart quite like hearing other adults pray for their child.

Lastly, encourage your students to pray for each other. Give them frequent opportunities to intercede for other students. One of the best ways for them to get “outside of themselves” is by praying for the needs of their peers.

Don’t forget See You at the Pole is September 28
th! 7:00 a.m. at the school flagpole. This is a Global Day of Student Prayer with people praying all over the world. Encourage your students to stand with their peers and pray for their world. www.syatp.com.

Whenever two or three of you come together in my name, I am there with you.