A New Kind of Prayer for Kids

Last night at my church, Lake Avenue Church, we did a commissioning for the middle school and high school small group leaders.  It is the first time we as adult volunteers have gathered together at the start of the school year, without students, to pray and worship together.  We spent time praying for kids’ families and for kids’ spiritual growth.

As we prayed aloud for kids’ spiritual growth, there were lots of good prayers…for non-believing students to experience something irresistible in our community…for kids who are in crisis to experience love and safety in our ministry…and for churched kids to be able to express and explore their own doubts (that one was mine).

And then one of our middle school volunteers prayed for students who love and serve God faithfully already — that they would continue to do so and experience even more of Jesus.

As he prayed I was struck by how rarely I pray for teenagers who are already passionate for Jesus — that their passion would increase.  I pray more for the teens on the margins and the fringes than for those who are centered in Jesus already.  Maybe that’s not a terrible thing.  Maybe it’s because God has given me a special burden for youth who are drifting.

But I hope someone is praying for the kids who are already rooted in Christ — that they would be even more rooted in Christ and bear much fruit.

©2009 Fuller Youth Institute