"...to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:21 ESV
If you were convicted by my call to pray for young adults, welcome to the club. I, too, often feel like a failure when it comes to my prayer life, especially in praying for young adults. Yes, I pray for them, especially for those with whom I am discipling, but do my prayers align with God?
I look at prayers like Daniel's in Daniel 9 or Paul's in Ephesians 3, and I can't help but think, "I am failing these young people, and I am failing God." And that's not even taking into consideration Jesus' prayers, most of all His prayer in John 17.
Perhaps you don't feel the same but rather see yourself as a bonafide, God-sends-down-fire-each-time-I-pray kind of prayer warrior. If so, praise God, and literally, more power to you (His
power, that is). However, I have a feeling many of us are like David and wonder why a perfect, holy God would hear our prayers, let alone answer them.
Yet, isn't that the point? The point isn't for us to speak eloquent, fire-inducing prayers each time we commune with God, but to speak to Him AND hear from Him. All God is asking us to do is lay our hearts before Him and allow Him space to guide us. Any answer, whether big or small (according to our standards), is by the grace and power of God, not because we said some fancy words or added an extra oomph to our volume.
When we humbly come before the Father and pray His will be done, God shows up in mighty ways. And that is what I am asking you to do for our young people.
Last month, I shared a list of some ways you can pray for young people. Once again I would like to share another suggestion, but this time, from the Word of God. When you don't know what to pray, always turn to God's Word to guide you; It will never lead you astray.
With that said, please join me in praying a prayer written by the bold, faithful Apostle Paul:
"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:14-21 ESV
Pray this prayer over young adults in general. Pray it over young adults you know and mention them by name. Pray it over young adults you've met but don't know their names; picture them instead and pray this over them. Pray this prayer and watch with eager expectation as our mighty God responds.
References:
English Standard Version Bible. (2001). Crossway Bibles.