3 Ways we can Pray for our Students
Our students live in a time where there is more confusion and anxiety than ever before.
For many, this fight may seem overwhelming or too big to handle, and in many ways it is. Changing and protecting the minds of an entire generation is beyond our ability, and that is why we must be more dependent on God than ever before. With God, all things are possible. We stand in confidence that we can turn to the one who is our ultimate protector in prayer and petition, knowing that He cares for us and that peace that transcends all understanding is on the other side of those prayers.(Heb 4:15, Phil 4:4-9) During this month of prayer, I invite you to pray alongside Ben and I for our student ministry! Here are three ways we can pray for them.
Pray for Salvation
Pray that each student would come to have a personal, thriving, and genuine relationship with the Lord. No one is ever too young to have their eyes opened to the truth of the Gospel, and we believe that each one of our students has the ability to accept Jesus as their personal savior no matter their age. In 1 Timothy 4:12 Paul encourages Timothy with this, “don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.” We know that our students are not only the future of our church, but for those who have accepted Christ, they are the Church already. We desire for our students to not only understand the gospel, but to joyfully take the step of putting their faith in Jesus—and Praise God that we have already seen this happen with a few of our students recently!
Pray for Protection
In Mark 12:30, Jesus says “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” This statement was in response to being asked which commandment is the most important. We desire for all of our students to love God in this way, so we need to pray for protection over their ability to do so. Pray for protection over the hearts of our students. That they would personally know that Jesus is who He says He is. That their hearts would not be deceived by sin, but would be fully devoted to the God who created them, loves them, and died for them in order that they may live freely and abundantly. Pray for the souls of our students. That their identity would not be put into question. That they would walk in confidence knowing they were made in the image of God, male and female, with a God given purpose. Pray for the minds of our students. That the pressures of this world would not cause them to live in fear, to become anxious, or live in confusion. Pray that they would lean not on their own understanding but fully lean on the Lord. Finally, pray for the strength of our students. That they would grow up to be Christ followers who stand firmly on the truth of God’s word.
Pray for their Families
In our eyes, student ministry is family ministry. Our team gets 2 hours every week to pour into each student that comes on a Sunday night, but their parents bear the weight and responsibility of being at the forefront of their discipleship and spiritual journey every day. It is a role that we cannot fill, and one that greatly deserves to be prayed for. Pray that parents would have their own relationship with Jesus. That they would lean into the strength and grace that God extends, feeling confident in their ability to influence and evangelize within their home. Pray for thriving relationships between our students and their parents. That they would learn to obey and honor their parents. That they would be open and honest with them, trusting them to help in any situation that may arise. Pray for the marriages of our parents. That they would be healthy, unified, and loving. Pray for the single parents who may find themselves under more pressure than they believe they can handle. That they would know that God is with them and for them. Pray for the parents who stay at home as well as the parents who work full time jobs. That their identity would always be found in Christ, not in what they feel like they can bring to the table. We desire for our families to feel loved, encouraged, and cared for. We believe that starts with prayer.
We are so grateful for the community that can be found in Hope Church, and we cannot wait to see what God does through our church this February!