I was convicted the other day about the amount of prayer that is happening in student ministry. I heard someone say that there is something wrong if more time, energy and resources go to giving announcements than to prayer. I was cut to the heart. I have seen times in my ministry that I have thought of creative ways to give announcements and neglected prayer. I mean teaching students how to really pray as a spiritual community. I have seen prayer in church been reduced to an action that makes for smooth transitions. It is easy to get the worship team up and down by using prayer as a method. Lord I am sorry that I have allowed prayer to be a sidebar in student ministry.
I want to thank Julia Simms for making sure the WNT was based on praying together as a family. Last January when we met together for the first time in Eire on a Wednesday night Julia said, "the one thing I want to happen is that we pray for each other every time we come together." What a word from the Lord. Over the last nine months we have seen God continue to answer prayers and I am in awe of God. He is a testimony to the power of prayer in the lives of students. Last week as we were having our family night out event a student pulled me aside and asked if we were going to pray together tonight. I said I didn't think we would she was extremely disappointed because she was in desperate need of prayer. I could see it in her eyes, she was going through a tough day and learned over the last few months that prayer is powerful and effective. On the way home in the vans Matt Simms and Corey Henderson lead students in a time of prayer.
God would you please teach me to have a deeper faith in you and your ability to answer the cries of my heart. Would you teach me to rely more on you and less on my own abilities? Lord would you forgive me for giving more time and energy to announcements than to prayer. Help me to been a man who depends on the power of prayer.
I want to thank Julia Simms for making sure the WNT was based on praying together as a family. Last January when we met together for the first time in Eire on a Wednesday night Julia said, "the one thing I want to happen is that we pray for each other every time we come together." What a word from the Lord. Over the last nine months we have seen God continue to answer prayers and I am in awe of God. He is a testimony to the power of prayer in the lives of students. Last week as we were having our family night out event a student pulled me aside and asked if we were going to pray together tonight. I said I didn't think we would she was extremely disappointed because she was in desperate need of prayer. I could see it in her eyes, she was going through a tough day and learned over the last few months that prayer is powerful and effective. On the way home in the vans Matt Simms and Corey Henderson lead students in a time of prayer.
God would you please teach me to have a deeper faith in you and your ability to answer the cries of my heart. Would you teach me to rely more on you and less on my own abilities? Lord would you forgive me for giving more time and energy to announcements than to prayer. Help me to been a man who depends on the power of prayer.
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