Whatever It Takes Lord

Last Monday I wrote about praying for our young people. I continue to feel stirred and burdened with this. Today I find myself feeling unsettled. I'm more unsettled with what I'm praying for (or not praying for) than I am with the fun, crazy and sometimes goofy behaviour of those a generation younger than me.

Actually, I find myself even more challenged to not just pray a little bit, but to pray A LOT. To intercede for others (especially those younger than myself) for them to have a full-on, life-changing, radical experience with Father God.

You see, I'm convinced that unless each of us has a personal encounter with our Heavenly Father, then we'll constantly find ourselves trying to corral kids into church, hoping they'll want to be there . . . spending their Sunday with God. What if their encounter with God influenced every thought they had? What if our youth and young adults experienced Jesus in such a way that nothing else mattered other than living 100% for God - whatever the cost? What if we were earnestly praying and interceding for this to happen?

I find myself asking the question, Am I willing to pray . . . "Do whatever it takes Lord, but get a hold of their lives."? You see, if we're going to pray this prayer then we need to let God do whatever it will take. We need to remember God loves our kids way more than we can even imagine!

Lately I've found myself hearing speakers, and even more so, hearing God's voice speaking to me about praying for our youth and young adults. Not the kind of prayers to bless them and to keep them comfortable, to pass their tests so they can get a good education so they can get a good job so they can make money so they can live comfortably. No, I've begun praying that God would get a hold of their lives and radically meet our kids (church kids specifically) in a powerful, unique and especially personal way. So their lives would be radically sold out for God and that we, the parents and adults, would be scrambling to keep up with them as they lay their lives on the line for the sake of Christ.

I don't know if anyone else has been challenged to begin to earnestly pray for and to intercede on behalf of our youth and young adults, but I long for God to change them and for the Holy Spirit to empower them, so God's name can be glorified throughout the earth. You see there are a number of countries around our world which don't allow the freedom to hear about Jesus. Someone(s) need to be willing to share Jesus with them. Are you willing to pray for those you know to be the one(s) to tell others about Jesus?

As an adult, and perhaps even a parent, are you willing to begin to spend time before God, interceding for them? Will you pray through the issues of your heart so you can pray for the issues in their hearts?

1 Thess. 5:17 says, "Never stop praying."

Jo-Ann