Leading Students to Pray with and for Their Generation (pt. 2 in our Prayer Series)
Prayer really is incredible, isn’t it? Hopefully, you have had the opportunity to read part one of this three-part series on prayer where we explored how to cultivate the spiritual discipline of prayer in the lives of the next generation. Here, we enlisted and considered three basic questions to frame our focus on developing prayer in our students’ lives including:
Why do we pray?
Why do we not pray?
How do we pray?
It is my sincere prayer that as students are led through these three questions, they may come to see and experience prayer as an essential discipline to a thriving relationship with Jesus. Now, as we seek to build on this foundation of prayer established in part one, let’s jump into part two and consider how we can effectively lead students to pray with and for their generation.
Scripture is clear that believers are to pray with one another.
Over the course of this three-part series on prayer, we will dive into this very question and explore:
Part 1: How to cultivate the spiritual discipline of prayer in our students lives. (March article)
Part 2: How to lead students to pray with and for the lost and saved of their generation. (April article)
Part 3: How to create a culture of intergenerational prayer in the church. (May article)
students praying with students
In fact, Jesus affirms his presence in the midst of two or more who gather to pray in his name (Matt. 18:20). As we look to the early church, we see the disciples’ devotion to gathering in prayer (Acts 1:14, 2:42, 12:5, 12). This time of corporate prayer was certainly powerful and effective as evidenced by the Holy Spirit’s extraordinary work in and through the early church (Acts 2 & 4).
Not only did the early church grow rapidly, but it grew exponentially (Jas. 5:16; Acts 2:47, 5:14, 6:1, 7, 9:31, 11:21, 16:5). Surely, there is power in a unified body of like-minded believers (Psa. 133:1; Acts 2:42-47; Eph. 4:1-4)! With this understanding, let us lead our students to practically respond in prayer with one another by considering the wisdom shared by student pastors in NGM’s Virtual Round Tables:
David Pinkham (Youth Pastor | Unity Baptist Church, Prince George, VA)
o Model it. Celebrate it. Teach it.
Chris Cortes (Student Pastor | Central Church, Ewing, NJ)
o Give space for students to break up in groups of 5-6 to pray together. Our students really enjoyed this and rose to the occasion.
Dakota Gragg (High School Pastor | Spotswood Baptist Church, Fredericksburg, VA)
o Encourage students to take the initiative. Every week after our midweek program, students come together for thirty minutes to pray with one another.
o Make space for corporate prayer, so it becomes the cultural DNA of the church.
Benji Hall (Student Pastor | FBC Park Street, Charlottesville, VA)
o Build time into your youth activities for prayer and go beyond prayer as an opener/closer. It is important to create the opportunity and set the table for prayer.
Richard Brown (Founder & President of NGM)
o Encourage students to gather for prayer prior to ministry events.
o Consider teaching through Acts 2 & 4 and showing students to see the power of prayer when the church gathers to pray with one another.
As students take hold of opportunities to put corporate prayer into action, they may begin to see the power of the Holy Spirit at work. With this, consider providing opportunities for students to journal and reflect on God’s activity in response to corporate prayer. Then, allow students to publicly share and celebrate God’s work with the rest of ministry. This may help students develop an awareness of God’s activity and faithfulness while also reinforcing the essential need to consistently gather with fellow believers in unified prayer.
As students take hold of opportunities to put corporate prayer into action, they may begin to see the power of the Holy Spirit at work.
Next, while God’s Word is clear that we are to pray with one another, He is also clear as to who believers are to pray for. The answer? Everyone. This includes those who profess faith in Christ and those who do not. After all, Timothy urges believers to petition, pray, and intercede on behalf of “all people” as this is “good and pleasing to God our Savior” (1 Tim. 2:1-3, ESV). Timothy goes on to call attention to the truth that praying for “all people” is the very will of God as He desires that all would be saved and come to know the absolute truth of Jesus Christ (1 Tim. 2:4, ESV). As we seek to faithfully lead students to pray, let’s first turn to praying for our brothers and sisters in Christ.
students praying FOR students
In Jesus’ final prayer, he specifically prayed for his disciples. It was in this prayer that Jesus interceded for their protection from the evil one, their complete unity, and sanctification by God’s Word before he paid the ultimate sacrifice (John 17:1, 9-17). Surely, this prayer was a demonstration of Jesus’ perfect love for his disciples to the very end (John 13:1). While this is true, Jesus also calls his disciples to love one another as he loved them (John 13:35). The Apostle Paul demonstrates his love for Christ and the church by his commitment to pray on behalf of his partners in the gospel (Phil. 1:3-6). Yet, he also requests prayer as he seeks to “fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel” (Eph. 6:19-20). As leaders, we, too, must imitate Christ as we humbly and selflessly love one another to such an extent that we intercede on behalf of our brothers and sisters personally and corporately (Phil. 2:3-8). This, however, must extend beyond us as we lead the next generation of disciples to love one another by praying for one another. To do this, consider the following suggestions, as provided in February’s NGM Round Table:
In a small group setting, pair students together as prayer partners for the school year. These prayer partners will commit to praying daily for one another.
Encourage prayer partners to check in with one another once a week outside of ministry events. This check-in could include texting a prayer or recording and sending prayer via audio message.
Create space for prayer partners to meet with one another for twenty minutes during small group time. Each student can spend five minutes sharing praises or requests with their prayer partner. Then, students can spend the remaining time praying with and for one another.
Gather the entire student ministry regularly to pray together for their protection, unity, and sanctification for the sake of the gospel (John 17:9-17).
Select one student each week and end the student gathering by praying over them. (Matt McClay | Student Pastor, Lewis Memorial Baptist Church, Huntington, WV).
“Our student leaders decided to dedicate a part of the back wall where we gather as a prayer wall – students can provide prayer requests and others can go back and spend time during the evening praying together over these individuals and their requests.” (Fletcher Abbot | Grace Community Church, Frederick, MD)
When a student asks for prayer, do not put it off. Pray then and there with them. (Rich Brown)
When you see this, what comes to your mind?
Prayer is one of the greatest treasures we can ever give another human being.
students Praying for their lost generation
Last but certainly not least, we must lead our students to pray for those who do not yet profess Christ as Lord and Savior. Jesus makes clear over the course of his earthly ministry that he came to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Indeed, it is this great love for the world that God sent Jesus to rescue and redeem those who believe in Him from the death of sin (John 3:16). While many long for Christ’s promised return, Peter affirms that the Lord is actually being patient, “not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9. ESV).
Surely, there is an abundant harvest and believers are to “pray earnestly” that the “Lord of the harvest” would send workers (Matt. 9:37-38). Once again, the Apostle Paul demonstrates an immense desire for the salvation of the lost and earnestly prays that they may know who God is in accordance with the truth of Christ (Rom. 10:1-4). Thus, as disciples of Christ, we, too, must long for the salvation of the lost and pray earnestly on their behalf as we pursue living out the mission of making disciples in fulfillment of Jesus’ Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20). With this understanding, we must lead the next generation to not only recognize and embrace their mission, but to earnestly pray and long for the salvation of the lost. To do this, contemplate the following.
Have students create a prayer wall with unsaved friends (first name only). Then, devote time praying as a ministry on behalf of these individuals.
Designate time to regularly pray privately and corporately that the “Lord of the harvest” would send workers (Matt. 9:37-38).
Encourage students to see how they, too, can respond in obedience and serve as a worker who seeks to share the Good News with the lost.
Extend the opportunity for Christian students to gather prior to a ministry event to pray together over the lost who will be in attendance.
Encourage Christian students to go on prayer walks. Some students have shared that they view their school as a mission field and regularly pray over lockers as they walk the halls or pass vehicles in the parking lot as they walk into school.
Consider a Bible study that focuses on Paul’s requests for prayer for the sake of the gospel. While all things are to be covered in prayer, this study may lead students to develop an eternal perspective that informs their prayer on behalf of the lost.
Without question, there is great need to create intentional space for our students to pray with and for their entire generation. As you consider how you can lead students to do this in light of the previously mentioned action steps, be encouraged to implement just one step the next time you have the privilege of leading students. Then, it is my hope that you will come back for the final part of this three-part series on prayer as we consider how to build upon students praying with and for their generation to include all generations.
For now, I would like to impart one final piece of valuable insight that resonated with many student leaders during NGM’s February Round Table. During this Round Table, Shane Muszall (Youth Pastor | Harmony Church, Sumter, SC) shared that he calls his students to “reject passivity” as he places great emphasis on encouraging them to step up and pray. With this, be encouraged to call your students to do the same.
While prayer may be awkward for some students at first, may we help these young disciples push past their comfort zone to actively pray with and for their generation out of a deep concern not for themselves, but for others (Phil. 2). In turn, may students experience God at work through the power of prayer as disciples of the next generation are strengthened and the lost are found for the glory of God.
~ Sara
