Summer Camp Is Here
As I write this our middle and high school students are loading up on vans and buses to head to summer camp. It will be an incredible week of growth for many of them and I am excited to see how God works in their lives. This is the first time in over 15 years that I am not going to be able to go with the student ministry. I hate that I am going to miss the week, but I am grateful that God has given us a way to be a part of what He is going to do in our student ministry. That way is prayer. Though I, and most of you reading this, will not be at camp this week with our students, we still have an opportunity and obligation to pray for them as much as they come to our minds this week.
There was nothing more encouraging than to have so many at church text me throughout the week saying that they were praying for our students or asking what they could be praying for. This morning, I would like to give you some prayer prompts to pray over our student ministry this week. I believe the way that we pray will have a direct impact on how their week goes.
Pray for Unity
There are few things more special in a student ministry than unity. When our students and leaders love each other and serve each other lives start to change. There are close to 120 people going on the trip this week – that is 120 different personalities, temptations, and walks with the Lord. Pray that our students will encourage and build each other up and they become a family in Christ.
Pray for Conviction
This world is throwing so much at our students today. These are young, maturing believers who are trying to stand up for Jesus in some pretty dark places. Oftentimes (like me and you), they fall into temptation. We have many students who are living in unconfessed sin. It is causing them to not be on the path of a disciple. It is not allowing them to be the salt and light of the earth. Our children are arrows to be shot out to penetrate the darkness with the light of Christ. Unconfessed sin dulls the arrowhead so nothing is able to stick. Pray that the Holy Spirit would reveal the sin in their lives, that they would confess and repent, and that they would not live in shame or guilt but be fully free because of what Jesus did on the cross.
Pray for Wisdom
As the Holy Spirit leads and convicts, students often come to our leaders for help and prayer. I believe that we have some of the finest youth leaders and ministers in the state. They do a great job of pointing our students to Jesus through their words and actions. These women and men are going to need God’s wisdom this week while talking with our students. Pray that they would allow the Holy Spirit to speak through them. That they would be able to show our students why every issue that comes up is answered in the cross. Pray that they would have wisdom from above.
Pray for Salvation
We have so many students going to camp this year who are visitors. Many of these student do not know the life that is offered to them in Christ. We have seen many students come to saving faith in Jesus through the years at camp. Pray that those who do not know Jesus as Lord would see their sin, see their need for Jesus, and would give their lives to Him this week.
Pray for Connection
There are always students who feel like they are on the fringe of the rest of the group. Pray that as our students grow in unity that they make connections that will last. Our students need each other for so many reasons. They need the encouragement to persevere. They need the prayers of their friends. Our students need to hear how others are living their lives for Jesus daily. They need to be spurred on for every good work. Our students need each other. Pray that friendships would form and connections would be made.
Pray for Continuation
One of the biggest fears of taking students to camp is that it is a fun week away and nothing changes. We want this to be a life-changing week for our students. If you look back at revivals through history, the majority of them have been started by young people. We want our students to experience God in a way that they have no choice but to continue to pursue after him. My prayer is that as they come back changed, it causes us to look at our lives. As we look at our lives we might see that God is trying to change us as well. As we are changed by God’s ever-loving hand the world around us will change.
Join me in prayer this week.