My bold prayer for the next generation is that their faith in Jesus would continue as they go off to college! Mark Batterson says: “bold prayers honor God and God honors bold prayers.” So I trust that while I pray God is working. Similarly, Dr. John Piper says: “Prayer is the open admission that without Christ we can do nothing. And prayer is the turning away from ourselves to God in the confidence that He will provide the help we need. Prayer humbles us as needy and exalts God as wealthy.” What we never want to do is overestimate ourselves and in the process underestimate our omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God! Prayer is the declaration that we need God.
As we pray — here are five specific areas to pray for in the lives of students who are graduating and going off to college . . .
WE PRAY FOR THE FAITH OF THE NEXT GENERATION!
Authentic faith in Christ is not to be abandoned. To start up faith, stir up their faith, and stay in faith even against the dominant currents of culture.
For far too long, close to 60% of those who grew up attending church walk away from their faith by the time they are a freshman in college.
We ask God that there would be pastors, mentors, leaders, campus ministries, churches and individuals who would care for the spiritual well-being of young adults.
WE ASK FOR THE FUTURE TO BE BRIGHT AS FOREVER STARTS NOW.
One of the most often asked questions I hear from young people is can I get past my past? The answer is always yes with Jesus, through His work on the cross, He offers us freedom from our past, forgiveness of sins, and a future both on earth and forever in eternity.
Four years of a students university experience can impact the next forty years and beyond! As adolescents begin the process of adulting, our prayer is for their decision making process to be birthed in prayer and wisdom. That they might see how their decisions today impact the coming decades of their life on earth.
THE BEST IS YET TO COME!
LORD, BRING RELATIONSHIPS THAT CAN LAST FOR A LIFETIME!
Loneliness is rough. Anxiety is real. One Godly friendship can change everything.
David was in a battle as a teenager and young adult. The King of Israel, Saul, had put a hit out on David’s life. David had a Godly friend - Jonathan. The power of friendship is deep. Think about it: when you have a friend, you’re never alone.
On the college campus, it’s so common for a Christian to feel like they are the only one. The only one not partying on a weekend. The only one staying sober and not drinking. The only one who actually cares about the things of God.
Satan’s goal is isolation. God’s design is community. So we believe that God would provide local churches, campus ministries, small groups, and outreach events that can facilitate contagious community for the benefit of young people.
WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE STUDENTS LAUNCHING WITH PARENTAL BLESSING AND SENDING.
We pray for healthy relationships with their parents and siblings as students launch off on their own.
Learning to do laundry, cook meals, clean, drive, budget, manage time and everything that living on your own comes with is a massive undertaking. Especially experiencing each of these for the first time. Especially all at once.
Andy and Sandra Stanley share in this two part podcast about how their whole goal of parenting was to build the type of relational environment where their children would want to come home as adults even when they don’t have to.
I’m amazed how many strained and severed relationships there are between parents and children. Most young adults probably have never heard their parent pray for them out loud. This is an opportunity to bless and send. We believe that family units will be filled with love in this season of life!
MAY STUDENT LOANS BE SLASHED FROM THE STORIES OF THIS GENERATION.
Finances cause stress, anxiety, worry, panic and fear in the lives of many. Especially those who are first generation college students, or the first from their family to fill out a FAFSA, apply for scholarships and grants.
Less debt is better than more debt.
My bold prayer is that that a generation of students would have student loans slashed from their stories!