We Must Pray

"Fight the devil on your knees". "The family the prays together stays together". We have all heard the phrases and cliches, if you will, about prayer. From the time we start out in church, we are taught to pray. Pray before you go to bed: "Now I lay me down to sleep...". Pray before you eat: "God is great, God is good....". As a babe in Christ, prayer is a foundation that we build upon. As leaders, we preach about the necessity, and the benefits of prayer. However, I fear the many who preach it fail to practice it. And that is the heart of this post.

Those of us who have been in Student Ministry for a number of years can stand behind a podium and teach, preach, and exhort in some fashion without a great deal of difficulty. We know the mechanics, and we have developed the ability to "public speak". We know how to get someone to say "AMEN", and we can fill a 30 minute time slot with ease and simplicity. Here is the issue: ministry is not about mechanics or just filling time. Ministry is about ministering (big surprise right?). We are not public speakers, nor are we motivational speakers. We are ambassadors for Christ, and we are to preach the Word with anointing, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Effective ministry does not come with a unique title, or the coolest object lesson. Effective ministry is not developed through the best stage design or the coolest lights. Effective ministry comes through developing one's own relationship with Jesus Christ. That includes prayer. Prayer for your ministry, prayers of thanksgiving, intercessory prayer, daily prayer, sacrificial prayer.

I refuse to believe that ANYONE should be preaching to our students unless they have spent time in the Holy Ghost, praying and seeking the will of God. Prayer should not become a hindrance, but rather a privilege. And the more we exercise that privilege, the more we can operate in the Holy Ghost.

Here is a cliche for everyone: NO ONE IS A FIRMER BELIEVER IN THE POWER OF PRAYER THAN THE DEVIL; NOT THAT HE PRACTICES, BUT BECAUSE HE SUFFERS FROM IT. - Guy King

Prayer drives out the enemy. Prayer tears down strongholds. Prayer removes walls. Prayer will get results. We must pray, we must make the sacrifice, and pray. TIME ON YOUR KNEES IS TIME WELL SPENT. We must pray.

Anointed Influence

I recently read the findings from a study done on the things that influence teenagers. Here are my findings:

In 1960, the top 5 influences were: 1.Parents
                                                     2.Teachers
                                                     3.Peers
                                                     4.Ministers
                                                     5.Youth Workers
In 1980, the top 5 changed: 1.Peers
                                           2.Parents
                                           3.TV/Movies/Music
                                           4.Teachers
                                           5.Heroes/Idols
In 2000, another drastic change took place: 1.TV/Movies/Music
                                                                   2.Advertising
                                                                   3.Printed Media
                                                                   4.Heroes/Idols
                                                                   5.Peers
As I read this, I realized that although influence used to come through relationships with people and loved ones, that same influence has shifted to electronic media and entertainment. I realized in my own ministry that this is what I am up against. So I performed my own study with RYOT, and the results were staggering.

I must confess to you that at times, our job as Student Pastors can be intimidating, because we realize that our challenge is so daunting. How can we compete with Hollywood? How can we "outdo" the iTunes top 10? After much prayer, I realized that I can't. I'm not capable, on my own, of contending with the latest fads, and medias influence. But I also found out that anointing enables me to do more that what I ever considered.

Anointing will remove walls that media has created.
Anointing will open doors that Hollywood has closed.
Anointing will create relationships that once seemed like an impossibility.

I may not have all the answers as to how to make our ministries more attractive than worldly amusements. However, I know that I will NEVER do it on my own. I must live an anointed life. I must preach anointed sermons. I must speak anointed words. I must build anointed relationships. I must have an anointed influence.

Strange Things

In Luke 5, the story is told of a few men who lowered their friend down through the roof, so that Jesus would heal him. Not only did Jesus heal him, he forgave the man's sins. Sounds pretty common, right?

We are accustomed to seeing sinners repent, and even miracles of healing. However, the Bible says that the people were amazed, and said "We have seen STRANGE THINGS today."

So often, we take for granted that everyone is familiar with the supernatural: speaking with tongues, vibrant worship, and miracles being performed. We preach such things, believe such things, and God performs such things. But what about those who have never seen a man "slain in the Spirit"? Some of our students have never heard a woman speak with tongues, let alone followed by interpretation. Our services can be so uplifting and edifying to some, while others sit in disbelief and fear. And the sad part is, many times, things are never explained to them.

I have seen students, adults, and families who felt the presence of God, but because of the lack of instruction and explanation, they leave the service, and never return. I am all for the gifts of the Spirit working in our church, and in some cases, we need a revival of those gifts. The challenge for a Student Pastor is to teach, instruct, and explain what is going on. Let them know that what is happening is Biblical. Don't let "strange things" that we view as commonplace be the very misleading cause of a lost opportunity. Teach them and instruct them.

This may be very practical, but if a visitor sits through a service such as this, and the hair is standing on end, why not put an arm around their shoulder and fill them in? We need the gifts, but we don't need confusion. We need tongues and interpretation, but we don't need lack of understanding. Let's teach them and instruct them, lest our own edification becomes someone else's destruction.

A Loving Approach

I remember it well; Monday night Youth Class. I was just 16 years old, doing my best to lead a group of unchurched students in the right direction. We had increased our Monday night attendance from 4 to around 30 on a regular basis, and our small youth room would barely hold all of us. One boy asked to use the restroom, which was downstairs, and a good distance down the hallway. I gave him permission, and he headed down. I felt that something wasn't kosher, so I asked my wife (not my wife at that time) to watch the class while I went downstairs. I walked in the restroom to find this young man stuffing marijuana into the trash can. As soon as he saw me, he began to weep. This brought me to the point where I had to make a choice. Scold him, tell him how angry I was, send him home, or minister to him. I didn't say a word at first; I simply put my arm around his shoulder and pulled him in. He buried his face in my shoulder and wept. Now for those who are questioning this, we eventually did deal with what happened. However, my choice to not overreact, I believe, led to this young man receiving the Holy Ghost not more than a month down the road, on a Monday night in our youth class.

We all have students with problems, and we must deal with them. The question is, How do we approach the situation? Do they see frustration and anger, or love and patience? Our words and our actions will forever have an impact on them. They must know that we do not condone sin, but that we still love the sinner. After all, isn't that what a sinner does - sin? Let's lead them with love. Let's lead them with patience and longsuffering. Let's lead them the way God led us!

WELCOME

Thank you for taking time to read this blog. Being involved in some aspect of Youth Ministry for about 10 years, I have experienced the ups and downs, the struggles and the victories of dealing with students. I love my ministry and wouldn't trade it, unless God calls me elsewhere. I hope this blog will help Youth Pastors/Student Pastors, and even some students who might read these articles.