Prayer Mentor Blog

Steve Gervasi Dear fellow prayer mentors, you guys are an amazing blessing both to the students you are praying for as well as your entire church family! I dare say, your potential to make a difference in the lives of your adopted students is beyond what you can imagine! That's right--because the power of prayer is beyond what you can imagine!

This prayer mentor blog is a series of my own quiet-time reflections and prayers for the students in my life. I'm hoping these will be of some help to you as you pray for the kids you're investing in.

I've been praying for several specific students for years now and I must admit the journey has seen its ups and downs but now I'm beginning to see some God-sized fruit! And it has only wetted my appetite to learn to pray with even greater effectiveness for my own kids as well as my adopted kids!

Please post a comment. I'd love to hear what you're thinking!

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Here's Our Shout!

 10/28/2010 8:55 PM
Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! – Joshua 6:16b

This was the war cry of the 50 students and adults from Fairfield Baptist Church in Centerville, Tennessee, who embarked on an adventure of epic proportions October 14-17, 2010. Their goal was to ride bicycles 473 nonstop miles across the state of Tennessee in under 48 hours. What might tempt such insanity, you ask?

The purpose of the ride, dubbed “Here’s Our Shout”, was two-fold:

1) To lift a prayer-shout for Centerville and Hickman County teens; and

2) To raise funds to begin building an alternative hangout place for Fairfield students and their classmates, as well as area youth.

Beginning in the predawn hours of October 15, the team of riders set out from Bristol, Tennessee, on the Virginia state line and made their way across the state riding in groups that rotated out every fifteen miles. They climbed the mountains of East Tennessee, braved the cold, and rode straight through the night. 40.23 hours later, the group completed their ride in Union City, Tennessee, on the western side of the state.

Throughout the Here’s Our Shout ride, a 24-7 prayer room at the church kept the flame of prayer support burning brightly. Not only did the ride flow smoothly, but city officials and leaders lent their support. Hundreds from the community surrounded the effort with financial help and encouragement. More than $42,000 has been raised so far to begin renovations of existing buildings into the alternative youth hangout.

Just like Joshua and the children of Israel, sometimes God asks great things of us, seemingly impossible things. We need to always remember that God is eager to show His great power to a watching world, and He often chooses to use His people in unexpected ways to accomplish this.

The town of Centerville is being changed as God responds to the prayers of His people, and as His people respond to His Spirit. Wouldn’t you love to see this happen in your church and in your town? Don’t be afraid to pray big prayers. God wants to answer! And don’t be afraid to make bold moves and to attempt great things when God unleashes the vision!

Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!

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Why We Pray . . .

 9/26/2010 10:23 PM
Why we pray . . .

Philippians 4:6, 13 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God...I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.
 
It is not an accident that Paul began this well-known passage of the Bible talking about prayer. In the span of nine verses he addresses joy, anxiety, prayer, peace, right thinking, right actions, contentment, and the source of the believer's power.
 
Paul is teaching the Philippian church the principle of abiding in Christ. It's the very same lesson Jesus taught his disciples the night before His crucifixion (John 15-17).
 
We can live in an attitude of rejoicing, even when we don't feel happy. We can choose not to be anxious and to surrender our worries to God in prayer. We can focus our minds in right patterns of thought and direct our steps in righteous action. We can be content no matter what our situation because we are connected to an unconquerable and unquenchable source of power in the Almighty God.
 
Why do we have this ability? Because the Lord is NEAR. He is near because His Spirit lives in us (John 14:17). And His return to establish His kingdom is near. It is soon to be accomplished.  The Lord is present to act immediately and is returning to fulfill His original purpose for Creation.
 
In a recent sermon, pastor John Piper said, "'I can't make this happen'...is why we pray."
 
When we step back and look at the state of this current generation of students, and the seemingly insurmountable obstacles they face in their everyday lives, it can be overwhelming. The difficulties in the lives of many of our students are far more than we are capable of resolving. We simply cannot make it happen.
 
But we serve the Lord who is near. Instead of allowing anxiety to overwhelm us or attempting to change this generation in our own strength, we must continue to lift our students up to the Lord in prayer. Through prayer, God moves. Through prayer God imparts the power to accomplish His purpose.
 
We pray to the Lord who is near enough to hear, loving enough to listen, and mighty enough to infuse His strength into our lives and the lives of the students who we bring before Him.
 
Pray. Petition God on behalf of your student. Lavish Him with thanksgiving for who He is, what He has already done, and what He is going to do. Rejoice in all that can be accomplished through God's strength flowing through us as we abide in Him.

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Harbor of Refuge . . .

 8/16/2010 4:05 PM
Prayer is one of God’s greatest gifts of grace.

God understands the weight of cultural darkness pressing down on our redeemed souls. The battle between kingdoms rages within. Our fallen flesh is made bolder and stronger by its alliances with the world and the Devil. Sometimes the pressure to succumb seems to be more than we can bear.

Yet, even in the heat of the battle, God has provided a means of imparting his overcoming grace:

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (I Corinthians 10:13)

Paul reminds us that God is always faithful to provide a source of strength, a way to resist the temptations we face. One of our escape routes is through prayer. Prayer gives us an outlet to express our deepest secrets to our Wonderful Counselor. What we keep on the inside defines who we are on the outside. If we allow the struggles of life, the pain we are facing and the sins with which we are dealing to dwell silently within and never express them before God’s gracious throne of mercy, they become the things that shape the thoughts and attitudes of our hearts.

In His infinite grace, God provides a way to dispel the darkness so that he can fill us with light. He knows we are dust. He created us to need intimacy with him, and he created the way to fulfill that need.

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. (Psalm 62:8)

We can safely place our trust in God, and we have access to him at all times. His grace welcomes the outpouring of our hearts and provides a harbor of refuge from our flesh, the world and the Devil.

As you continue to lift up your student in prayer, pray that he or she would recognize the way out of temptation that God has provided. Pray that he or she would resist the urge to internalize struggles and would instead pour out his or her heart to a gracious and forgiving God in prayer.

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A Royal Priesthood . . .

 6/16/2010 12:07 PM
1 Peter 2:9  But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Before Christ came to earth, communication between God and his people required a human mediator--someone who was ceremonially consecrated to appear before God on behalf of others. In the Jewish community, these special people were the priests. They maintained the Lord's Temple where ordinary believers, through sacrificial offerings, could come and worship near the presence of the Living God.

The book of Acts speaks of the church's formation. Beginning at Pentecost, believers-men and women, young and old-all received the indwelling presence of Holy Spirit. Everyone who believed on Jesus Christ the Lamb of God became a temple. (1 Corinthians 6:19).

But not only does the believer become a temple of the Lord, each becomes part of a royal priesthood. Imagine that, everyone, young and old, become like the priests of old sanctified and gifted with the privilege of coming directly before God in prayer--no human mediator needed!

This is why YOU can make a difference by praying over your student, because you have a direct connection to the All Powerful God! Your prayers are acceptable and pleasing to him!

This also means that when your student becomes a follower of Christ, he or she also has direct access to God in prayer, and his or her prayers can make a powerful difference as well!

As you pray this month, if your student is a believer, pray that he or she will recognize the incredible gift of direct access to God as a member of the priesthood of believers. Pray that your student's prayer-life will become powerful.

If your student is not a believer, pray that he or she will experience the God who desires to make his or her heart HIS home!

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And Afterward . . .

 5/17/2010 4:46 PM
And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. --Joel 2:28

The Old Testament prophet Joel proclaimed the message of the Day of the Lord. The major theme of his prophecy revolved around “God’s special intervention in the affairs of human history.” Joel foretells of the events leading up to the final coming of God’s kingdom to earth.

According to Joel, one of the signs that would show that God’s coming is near would be the outpouring of His Spirit on all people. It is important to understand that before Jesus came, only specific men were given a Word from God and were charged with the task of being His message bearers. These individuals were the prophets, like Joel.

Did you catch that Joel 2:28 begins with “and afterward”? After what? Joel 2:12-27 describe a scene of prayer and repentance followed by praise for God’s healing and blessing. It is in the context of prayer and praise that God pours out His Spirit.

So God’s Spirit comes to all people who offer prayers and praise to God through Christ!

And when God’s Spirit comes on His people they are able to prophesy (declare with divine power the truths of God to men) and they receive visions (to see the face of God) and dreams (to be divinely inspired, to have special insight into God’s will). All of these carry the same idea: God will give His people a special calling based on who He reveals Himself to be.

This month ask God to give your student a clear vision of who He is. Pray that out of that vision would grow a dream for what role your student can play in bringing God’s kingdom to earth.

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Whatever you ask in my name . . .

 4/19/2010 10:19 PM
(Story adapted from S.D. Gordon’s Quiet Talks on Prayer)

The 19th century American evangelist Dwight L. Moody told a story of a London revival of which he played a part.  Moody was asked by a pastor to preach at his church one Sunday morning. “It seemed the hardest talking ever I did,” said Moody, “There was no response in their faces. They seemed as though carved out of stone or ice.”

"At night it was the same thing: house full, people outwardly respectful, but no interest, no response. And I was having a hard time again. When about half-way through my talk there came a change. It seemed as though the windows of heaven had opened and a bit of breath blew down. The atmosphere of the building seemed to change. The people's faces changed. It impressed me so that when I finished speaking I gave the invitation for those who wanted to be Christians to rise. I thought there might be a few. And to my immense surprise the people got up in groups, pews-full.”

“Well," Moody said, "they misunderstood me. I'll explain what I meant." So he announced a meeting after in the room below, explaining that only those who wanted to be Christians should come. Then he dismissed the service.

To Mr. Moody’s surprise, people crowded into that lower room filling all available space. Moody talked for a few minutes and then asked those who wanted to become Christians to stand. This time he knew he had made his meaning clear. They got up in groups, by the fifties!


This church’s revival continued for ten days and resulted in four hundred conversions.

Recognizing that these events were not of his doing, Moody set out to discover what had happened to cause the people’s hearts to turn toward God. Eventually he discovered that a woman from the church had become seriously ill and bedridden for several years. She decided that she would not waste her time doing nothing for God and instead determined, "I can pray. I will pray." So she began to pray for her church.

 

Week after week she patiently prayed for revival. After reading a printed message given by the American evangelist D.L. Moody, she felt impressed to pray that God would send him to her church in London. This prayer went on for two years without her ever saying a word to anyone about it.

When she heard that Moody was speaking at her church, she said, "There's something coming to the old church. Don't bring me any dinner. I must spend this afternoon in prayer." And so she did. That very night while she fasted and prayed, God moved in the service.



In John 14:13 Jesus says, “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father” (NIV).

No matter what our life circumstances, no matter our age or health, we can always pray. Though it may take a long time, very wonderful and specific answers to our prayers will surely come.

As you pray for your students, don’t grow discouraged if you don’t see immediate results. Remember, God promises to answer every prayer truly prayed in Jesus name in a way that will bring glory to the father! The Father desires to get glory through your student’s life, so keep praying and God-sized, specific answers will surely come!

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That man should not think he will receive . . .

 3/29/2010 5:53 PM
Charles Finney was one of the key figures of the Second Great Awakening. He has been called the Father of Modern Revivalism. Before his conversion, Finney wrestled with Christianity, in part, because of the seemingly unanswered prayers of the believers around him. He wondered, if what the Bible said about God was true, then why did He not answer the prayers of His people?

As Finney began to explore the teachings of the Bible on prayer he discovered a key that unlocked his understanding of the relationship between God, believers and prayer.

"They did not comply with the revealed conditions upon which God had promised to answer prayer," said Finney of these Christians. "They did not pray in faith, in the sense of expecting God to give them the things they asked for."

For example, in the Epistle of James, God promises to give wisdom generously to anyone who asks for it-but only if they ask in faith.

"But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord."  - James 1:6-7 (NIV)

Prayers from doubt are a reflection of where we are spiritually. Our level of faith may be an indication of how closely we're walking with the Lord. The more intimate we are with His heart's desires, the more our confidence will increase as we make His desires our pursuit in life and prayer.

In addition to James 1:6-7, there are many other prayer promises. Here are just a few:

"Whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you" (John 16:23)
"Whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive" (Matt 21:22)
"Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you" (Jeremiah 29:12)
"If we ask anything according to his will, He hears us" (1 John 5:15)

God is bound by His word but He will not answer a prayer prayed in doubt. He requires that we align our minds and hearts with the knowledge of who He is, that He wants to give us good things and that He will answer when we pray.

If we want to see the promised answers to our prayers for our students, we must pray in faith according to His will. When we do, then God will surely answer!
 
Anna Gervasi

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The freshness of His presence

 2/16/2010 10:28 PM
Acts 1:14 “They all joined together constantly in prayer....”

I can imagine the perspective from which these followers of Jesus must have prayed.

He had just been there with them and now was gone. They stood gazing into the clouds as their beloved Lord disappeared into heaven. Now for the first time since the day they had left all to follow him, they would walk alone, or would they? Just a few days before, Jesus had comforted them with the promise, "I will be with you always, even unto the end of the age."

Now, all they had was one another, their very fresh memories of times together with Him and His precious promise.

“I will be with you always….” They must have prayed as if Jesus were right there with them. I imagine their conversations with him in prayer were not unlike the ones they had with him while they walked and ate and played.

Acts 1:14 says they joined together "constantly" in prayer. In those words one can feel these left-to-stay followers’ sense of dependence: "Lord, if we're going to carry on your work in this hostile place, we need your help! Show us what to do. You said you would be with us, so here we are waiting before you just as you instructed us to do."

They lived in a spirit of prayer. And while they were seeking Jesus’ face, the Father blessed them with the gift of His Spirit.

Dear prayer mentors, I can’t help but believe that if we will pray constantly with the same sense of awareness of Jesus’ presence, if we will converse with Him as if He were right there, if we will seek His face in all we do, that we will experience a touch of His Spirit on everything for which we pray.

And if there has ever been a time our kids needed a touch of the reality of Jesus’ Spirit, it is in these days of coldness and disbelief.

Luke 11:13  If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

May the church join together constantly in prayer with a fresh awareness of His presence and yearning for an outpouring of His Spirit.


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Pray in such a way as to get the prize . . .

 1/15/2010 2:06 PM
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.  1 Corinthians 9:24

Dear Prayer Mentor,

At the start of a new year, most of us take a little time to stop and evaluate our lives to set new goals or to renew past ones.

As a prayer mentor to one or more students, you have committed to lifting your students up in prayer on a daily basis. This is a marathon type of commitment.

In the verses surrounding 1 Cor. 9:24, Paul speaks about doing whatever it takes to ensure that nothing gets in the way of God's truth growing in the lives in which it has been planted. Just like a runner trains and runs with the purpose of winning, we must approach our ministry to others with the same type of tenacity.

Remember that as a prayer mentor you are running for your students, that they may be encouraged and empowered to grow in godliness and love for the Lord. This is a race worth running. Don't let the ups and downs of the journey discourage you from running the good race. You are running on behalf of someone who may not be able to run for him or herself yet. Even though the results may not always be what you hope for, the only way to be defeated in this race is to give up.

If you have been a prayer mentor for a while, you may have seen some tremendous growth in the life of your student. For you the new year is a time to determine not to let down your guard because things are going well.

Others of you may not see many results from your prayers. Keep praying! Just because the finish line is not in sight does not mean you aren't moving closer toward it with each prayer lifted. A breakthrough in your student's life may be just around the corner.

New prayer mentors, you are in for quite a ride! Determine now to harness the excitement of first becoming a prayer mentor and keep the momentum going through the tough times ahead when it seems like God is not answering or when your student is not responding to your encouragement.

God honors the faithful prayers of His people. Pray in such a way as to get this prize.

Father, teach me to pray with a passionate commitment that cannot be extinguished by the difficulties of the race. Teach me to pray perseveringly believing that I will reap if I do not lose heart. Teach me to pray prevailingly knowing the answer may be just around the corner. Teach me to pray in faith till the mountain is moved. Teach me to pray in love that never fails. Teach me to do something good for this generation--to latch hold of a student, to be there for him or her, to never bail out and to never quit fighting on his or her behalf before the throne till the victory is won! In the name of Jesus the Author and Finisher of my faith I pray, Amen!

Anna Gervasi

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A Christmas Thanks!

 12/14/2009 6:37 PM

You have given the gift of prayer to your student in 2009 and in so doing you have joined with Jesus before the Father’s throne.


Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. (Hebrews 7:25)

Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. (Romans 8:34)

Dear Prayer Mentor,

Have you considered how much like Jesus you have been this year? Jesus continues to give beyond his incarnation, death and resurrection by living to make intercession for us at the throne of God.

Adam Clark in his commentary on Hebrews says, "The phrase... to make intercession for a person, has a considerable latitude of meaning. It signifies...

1. To come to or meet a person on any cause whatever.
2. To intercede, pray for, or entreat in the behalf of, another.
3. To defend or vindicate a person.
4. To commend.
5. To furnish any kind of assistance or help...."

As you have appeared before the throne of God through Jesus on behalf of your student, you have joined in His Spirit of intercession.

Jesus took on human flesh at conception and now appears before the Father in his resurrected earthly body remembering what it was like to walk through the world. He knows our struggles and reminds the Father that our frame is weak because we are made from dust.

In the same way, you have met with the Father concerning many of your student's needs. You have sympathetically prayed for, entreated, defended, commended and provided assistance through your act of genuine compassion. You have reminded the Father how desperate each of us is for His touch of mercy and grace.

All of this intercession has merit before God. His heart is touched and His hand is moved. He is helping and saving and working all things together for good.

Fellow prayer mentor, you have given a very precious gift to your student this year.

May God bless you in this Christmas season,

Sincerely Yours,

Steve Gervasi

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If You Confess... Romans 10:9-10

 11/10/2009 3:37 PM
That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord”….For…it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. --Romans 10:9-10

The kind of faith that saves is one which begets a verbal confession that Jesus is Lord. In the Jewish community of the day, not to mention the Roman, a confession that Jesus is Lord would mean outright rejection by the majority.

That’s how deep the conviction must run for one to be truly saved.

So how does this equate to life and faith here and now? Well, I’ve got to be willing to confess Jesus as Lord among my peers even in the face of mockery. To confess that Jesus is Lord is to declare that he is the only way—he is the one and only Savior of the world. There is no other God beside him. (See Deuteronomy 30:13)

According to 1 Corinthians 12:3, no one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Spirit. It’s the Spirit of Christ who brings such deep conviction about the Lordship of Christ.

Jesus, I do believe you are Lord! I do confess you at the cost of rejection. Thank you for saving me!  Your Spirit has convinced me. I truly believe and am justified.

Lord, please help all of our adult prayer mentors to believe with the kind of faith the Holy Spirit gives. May our students see such an example of fearless devotion to you in them, that it inspires them to the same level of boldness.

I wonder how many “Christian” students, and adults for that matter, would be willing to stand in front of their peers and say, “Jesus Christ is Lord!” I remember when I was a teen, how insecure I was. It was difficult for me, not because I didn’t believe but because I lacked confidence in myself. I was afraid of rejection. I wanted their acceptance. Yet, somehow, because the conviction was deep, I did confess Jesus before my peers—at times with fear and trembling!

Father, give the kids great courage and a boldness that rises from deep conviction by your Spirit. I pray for a moving of your Spirit upon the minds, hearts and souls of the kids. As he moved upon the face of the deep at creation, create within them faith where there is none—faith that leads to life and growth. Thank you for hearing my prayer, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen!

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Pray this over and over and watch what God does

 10/20/2009 3:12 PM
My philosophy of student ministry is fairly simple. I believe in spending a lot of time in prayer and letting everything flow from the throne, not that I have achieved perfect alignment with my belief, but I am progressing.  I get out my prayer journal with pictures of my students and I pray over their names and faces. One of my frequent prayers for them is found in Ephesians chapter three:

... I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,  may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  Ephesians 3:14-19

This relationship we have with Jesus is one in which we get to spend the remainder of our earthly existence discovering more and more and more of how wide and long and high and deep his love is for us!!!!!

Is there any worldly attraction that offers what the promise of God’s incomprehensible love does?

Paul earnestly prayed for believers to somehow mystically understand God’s love. It’s so great it cannot be understood with the mind alone. Yet, it is “knowing” what cannot be known that promises to fill us with the measure of all the fullness of God.

Isn’t this what our kids really need--to trade in the “stuff” of the world for the fullness of God?

I do believe if we will begin to pray that our kids would have the power to grasp God’s love, then He will begin to answer that prayer. And when He does, our kids will let go of their sex, drugs, media obsessions and materialistic dreams without a fight. They will have found something so good, so satisfying, so intoxicating, it will be difficult for them to believe they could gain so much by trading in so little.

If we as adults change our tact to prayer-- deep, persevering, believing prayer-- for a revelation of God’s love that passes human comprehension, God will begin to amaze us with kids who become madly in love with Him.

So let us memorize Ephesians 3:14-19 and pray, pray, pray that they would discover more and more and more of how wide and deep and great God’s love is for them.

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Give Him Your Best--God's Philosophy of Ministering to Youth: Part 5

 9/18/2009 4:09 PM
So then banish anxiety from your heart and cast off troubles from your body…. Ecclesiatstes 11:10

When young people become convinced there IS a judgment, when they peer with their own spiritual eyes into eternity, then they realize that life on earth is too short to waste on worry and everything else that steals health and life from their bodies.

They understand what a precious opportunity their youth affords to “give of their best to the Master.” They “remember their Creator in the days of their youth.” “Only one life ‘twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Oh, by the way, the whole verse goes like this, “So then banish anxiety from your heart and cast off troubles from your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless” –that is when it’s wasted on anything other than bringing the King and his kingdom to the hearts of as many others as possible!

I am so glad I accepted Jesus call when he walked through my life when I was just 15 saying, “Steve, follow me and I will make you a fisher of men.” Now 35 years later I can look back knowing I have definitely given the strength of my youth to serve Jesus. Although, I must say, I still feel like a kid!!! Still going strong!!! And I believe my most fruitful years are yet ahead!

So, whether you are young or “old”, “banish anxiety from your heart and cast off troubles from your body!” Jump on the Jesus train while you can! It’ll be funnn! The ride of your life!

Let’s pray our kids will give their best years to their Creator King.

Lord Jesus, help our kids to throw-off all the meaningless anxiety and trouble that some are prone to obsess over. Please open their eyes to what's worth everything they have to give. And may they serve you with all the joy you have to give and energy with which they have been endowed! Amen!

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Judgment Day's a Comin'--God's Philosophy of Ministering to Youth: Part 4

 8/31/2009 8:05 PM
But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. Ecclesiastes 11:9d

As Solomon has emphasized repeatedly in his advice to teens, when you’re young you should be happy, joyful, impetuous, curious and carefree, but there's a caveat: all of the above is to be within the bounds of God’s will and ways.

That’s the only place true happiness can be found. We would do well to remember that Adam and Eve were never meant to experience the knowledge of good and evil to begin with, only the good.

The adolescent years are for moving from childhood to adulthood. There’s tension in that process because for teens it means learning to accept full responsibility for their own walk with God.  Solomon reminds them that even they, though young and on their way to adulthood, will be brought to judgment and give an account for everything they say and do.

Based upon this wisdom, I think it’s fair to say that no one has fully made the passage to adulthood until he or she has accepted full responsibility for his or her own walk. Each young person must become convinced that she or he will personally stand before the Judge one day.

This month I thought it would be good for us to pray several verses of Scripture over our kids. Let me encourage you to make up your own prayers as you recite God's own words back to Him. May your words come from your heart for your students to the heart of the Father. As you pray His word back to Him, you can be certain that you are praying according to His exact will!

What does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart. Deuteronomy 10:12

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.... 2 Corinthians 5:10a

Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men. Proverbs 4:14

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Proverbs 1:7a

But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. Ecclesiastes 11:9d

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Follow Your Heart--God's Philosophy of Ministering to Youth: Part 3

 7/20/2009 7:50 PM
Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see…. Ecclesiastes 11:9c

Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it. The NASB puts it like this: Train a child according to his way….

Solomon understands that every young person has a unique design and that the carefree youth is the one who discovers what that design is by letting his or her heart lead them. Our hearts tend to lead us toward the way God has made us.

When we’re young we should follow the ways of our hearts. Self-discovery is a huge part of growing up. Unfortunately with all the complexities our youth face at younger ages--from moms and dads who fight and break up, to abuse, abandonment and neglect, to outright exploitation by a materialistic world system—our kids are little afforded the freedom to discover who they truly are.

Our Christian homes and churches should provide our kids a place of rest from the world, a haven of acceptance and refuge of peace where they can experience unencumbered development.

Let’s pray very specifically that the homes and churches of our youth will be that place of freedom where they can hear and follow their hearts!

Father, I pray that _____________________’s church and  home will be places of refuge from everything that wants “a piece” of him or her. May ___________________ live as carefree a life as possible and find the freedom to discover who you have made him/her to be. May ______________’s life be filled with plenty of space so he/she can hear his/her heart.  

In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

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The Heart is God's Joy-Giver--God's Philosophy of Ministering to Youth: Part 2

 6/12/2009 10:43 AM
Let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Ecclesiastes 11:9b

Proverbs 4:23 is a companion proverb to this one: Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

I recently heard a seasoned youth speaker say, "You can't lose your passion for God but you can give it away." In the same sense, our hearts are fully capable of giving us joy, if we will let them. If we will take care of our hearts, if I will take care of my heart, I will have joy! God has given the physical blood-pumping heart to give life to our body but he as also given the water-of-life-springing-up-inside-of-us heart to give joy to our entire being.

But so many of our kids have never had a healthy heart and so they are totally unaware that it can give them joy. They are living in a spiritual fast-food sort of world and it's clogging up the the flow. A diet of anxiety, anger, negative-devil-thinking, lust, jealousy, a thirst for media and an appetite for every sin imaginable is giving them serious heart disease!

They are giving away their natural passion. Let's pray earnestly that they will accept God's gift of joy through a healthy heart. Let's pray they will give up what is robbing them of joy. Let's pray they will trade in the worldly junk-food for the joy of the Holy Spirit!

Lord, even now we join our hearts together with yours to ask, to beg you to do whatever is necessary to heal our kids of their chronic and spiritually fatal heart disease. Make them sick of worldly junk food and create within them an appetite for manna from heaven. It's in Jesus name we make this request because we know how much he cares, Amen!


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MTV & Associated Press on Youth Happiness

 6/3/2009 10:19 AM
 In August of 2007, MTV and The Associated Press began releasing the findings of their seven-month in depth study into happiness and young people. 1,280 young people aged 13 to 24 years old were interviewed.  Here’s a summary of what they discovered: (Please post a comment and let me know your interpretation of the research).

1. General Happiness - The study found that overall, most American young people (aged 13-24) report being happy with their lives and are optimistic about the future. 65 percent of respondents say they are happy with the way things are going in their lives in general and 62 percent think they will be happier in the future than they are now. Only one out of five say they are unhappy. Young people who are non-Hispanic whites are happier than blacks and Hispanics by a wide margin: 72 percent of whites say they are happy with life in general, compared with just 56 percent of blacks and 51 percent of Hispanics.

2. Parents, Family and Relationships - Parents are seen as an overwhelmingly positive influence in the lives of most young people. Remarkably, nearly half of respondents mention at least one of their parents as a hero. When asked "What one thing in life makes you most happy?" 46 percent of respondents say spending time with friends, family and loved ones. 30 percent of blacks and Hispanics identified family as the one thing in life that brings them the most happiness, compared with 15 percent of whites.

3. Religion and Spirituality - Religion and spirituality are an integral part of happiness for most American young people. 44 percent say that religion and spirituality are either a very important or the single most important thing in their lives, with more than one in ten reporting the latter. And those for whom religion and spirituality play a bigger role in life tend to be happier. 80 percent of those who say spirituality is the most important thing in life say they are happy with life in general, compared with 60 percent of those who say that spirituality is not an important part of life at all.

4. Fortune and Fame - Money and its relationship to the happiness of young people is a complicated issue. Almost no respondents mentioned anything financial or material as a source of happiness when asked an unaided question about what makes them happy. But many young people report financial woes as a source of unhappiness. In looking to the future, 70 percent say they want to be rich - and nearly half think it's at least somewhat likely they will be someday - but just 29 percent want to be famous. Only 17 percent think they will be famous.

5. Technology - Cell phones, the Internet and other technologies are integrally woven into the lives of today's young people and nearly two thirds say they make people happier. Half of those young people polled say the Internet alone helps them feel happier. And contrary to popular views of technology as a source of stress, many young people would be more stressed out without technology, with nearly half saying they never turn off their cell phones - even when they're trying to chill out.

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Teens are Suppose to be Happy!--God's Philosophy of Ministering to Youth: Part 1

 5/29/2009 9:58 AM
Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:1 presents God’s philosophy of student ministry. If we're wondering what makes a teenager tick and how to most effectively minister to and pray for them, let's find out from their Creator. For my first few blogs, I’d like to walk us through the key concepts presented in Ecclesiastes and let the Scripture guide our prayers. Let’s take it one thought, one concept at a time: Ecclesiastes 11:9a “Be happy, young man, while you are young….”

The teacher, King Solomon, has searched out knowledge, has made many discoveries and now imparts his wisdom to the people, in this case to the “young people” in his kingdom. He sets in order many proverbs for them. His first proverb is profoundly simple: Be happy, young man, while you are young….!  

Through Solomon's wisdom we see God's intention for the kids of the world. They are designed for happiness. They are not meant to be weighed down with care. And just in case we're wondering what happiness is, we'll find that in the Ecclesiastes passage as well: Happiness is being free from worry. Happiness is being unencumbered by sinful complications. Happiness is enjoying good health. Happiness is dreaming and daring and learning and growing. Happiness is a whole heart.

Yet, I wonder, how many of today’s youth are truly happy? Let’s spend some time praying for the happiness of this generation, particularly the kids in our families and the ones we have adopted as a part of our extended family. Would you join with me in praying the following prayer?

Dear Lord, we pray for our kids, (insert names here). May they not measure happiness by worldly standards but by your divine design. You said, "Blessed [how completely happy] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night." So Lord, give our kids a hunger for You and Your Word. May they fill their minds and thoughts with Your advice so that they may be like trees planted by rivers of water, healthy, robust, disease resistant and bringing forth luscious fruit in season. May they experience your hand of blessing upon every area of life that contributes to their happiness: Bless their parents and family in ways they never dreamed possible. Grow their faith to heights that rise above every doubt and fear. Bring friends into their lives who will spur them on to good works. May they see themselves through your eyes and feel good about themselves the way you feel good about them. May they rest in peace at night because they know You will meet their every need. Help them to study hard in their classes and trust you to make up the difference. And Lord, help them to eat well, play well and sleep well so they can feel well.

Father, thank you that no one wants (insert names here) to be happy and blessed more than You! What a wonderful Lord you are! May our kids follow you to the places of full blessing that you desire to lead them.

In Jesus name, Amen!

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