In a world where our students are targeted with things like loneliness, anxiety, and depression, we can find ourselves lost in how to help.
Yes, there are great self-help tips out there, professionals with wonderful advice, and great therapists, but the best resource we can offer our students is the ability to know how to pray.
Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Prayer gives us access to a Heavenly Father who loves and cares for every part of our lives, big and small. Prayer aligns our minds and hearts with the giver of life, love, and joy. It moves our focus off the circumstance onto the King of the universe, who can handle anything we bring to Him.
How do you help your student develop a strong prayer life? Pray with them. Pray often. Show them by example that the best thing to do in good times and hard times is to pray.
Make prayer a habit in your time together so that prayer becomes a habit when they are alone.
- Thank God before meals for supplying daily bread
- Praise Him for being a wonderful Creator when hiking or being in nature
- Pause and ask for protection before taking a road trip
- Whenever a financial, physical, or spiritual need arises, ask God for help
- Ask God for comfort in times of loss
- When anxiety is present, ask God for His peace
- Ask God for joy in sadness
- If there is sickness, ask God for healing
- Spend time thanking God for things that happened each day before bedtime and ask for a good night’s rest
- Remember to thank Him for answers to prayers you have prayed together
It’s also important to take your students to places where people pray collectively. If your church has a consistent prayer gathering, go together as a family. The more exposure to prayer and people praying, the stronger their own prayer life will be, and the more confidence they will have to face anything in this life because they know how to pray.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says to rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Prayer is always accessible, and prayer always works!
Arianna Eckart
Director of NTS Camp