We worry about our youth. We worry about the world they live in. We worry about the challenges they face. We worry about their future in the church. And we worry that we can’t do anything to help.
The good news is that if you are worrying about our young people, then you are already in a perfect position to impact their lives in a powerful way. All you need is a tried-and-true method to get started. Not only is this method fool-proof, but it is also easy to do! All you have to do is start praying for them. That’s right! Start praying for them daily and start praying for them by name. Kneel before the Lord and lift these worries up to the God who is willing and able to answer them.
But you may ask, “What should I pray for?” I’m glad you asked! Let’s look at four things you can pray for our youth. If you start asking the Lord to intercede in these areas, you will begin making a real impact on their lives.
Pray for boldness in sharing faith. Young Christians bear the same responsibility to make disciples of all the nations as any Christian (cf. Matt. 28:19-20). However, they need encouragement to overcome the tendency of timidity. If we pray for their boldness, our God will give it to them. As Paul said in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
Pray for wisdom in friendships. Choosing friends is a struggle that every generation has dealt with. And we understand the consequences of choosing wrong. “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed” (Prov. 13:20). If we pray for our youth to rely on godly wisdom to choose Christian friends, our God will give it to them.
Pray for purity. Our world is filled with filth and vulgarity. Our youth must take great care to avoid the evil influences around them. But, like Timothy, they can be an example to their peers if they strive for purity. “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12). If we pray for our youth to be pure, then our God will empower them to be pure.
Pray for growth in God’s Word. Nothing will help our youth more than if they make God’s Word a bigger part of their lives. “[God’s] word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psa. 119:105). Without it, they will be lost. If we pray for our youth to grow in God’s Word, then our God will give them that desire.
Thanks to the gift of prayer, we can stop worrying and start making a difference in our young people’s lives. If we will spend time lifting their names to the Lord, all these things will be added to them.
