The Apostle Paul prayed faithfully for the Christians in the church at Colossae, even though he had never met them. How much more should we devote ourselves to pray for the young people we meet personally every week?
But sometimes it’s difficult to know where to start and what to pray for.
Paul’s prayer for the Colossian Christians can also provide a simple model or pattern for our own prayers.
As many of us are beginning a new youth group year, I want to consider the priority of prayer in our own lives and for our young people. If our personal relationship with Christ is also the engine which drives our ministry and leadership, then time with Christ in prayer must be one of our core ministry activities.
It’s easy to be busy in youth ministry, but someone once said, ‘If you’re too busy to pray, you’re too busy!’ The psalmist reminds us that ‘unless the Lord builds the house its builders labour in vain.’ (Psalm 127:1) Yet we still don’t always feel our biggest job is to pray. But isn’t the real effectiveness of our ministry to young people founded on our relationship with God?
The Apostle Paul encourages us to, ‘Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere.’ (Ephesians 6:18.)
Our own example is probably the single most motivating factor to encourage young people to pray.
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