Praying for students by name is powerful.
I remember when I was a student at Asbury Seminary, the school president, Maxie Dunnam, committed to praying for each student by name. I would get a note in the mail telling me the next date he would be praying for me and asking what specific things I needed him to pray for.
You, as the student ministry leader, may be the only person praying for some of your students! This is one intentional practice that can have an eternal impact on your students.
Here are six practical ways to pray for your students by name:
Schedule Reminders Into Your Phone
Set a reminder in your phone to pray for a student each day. It may take a bit to schedule, but it will pop up, you can pray and then clear the reminder. You can also use a free to-do list app dedicated to prayer lists/names.
Break Students Down By Grade
You could break students down by grade and create a list for the school year. Pray for the 6th graders on Monday, the 7th graders on Tuesday, and so on.
Divide Students Among The Volunteer Team
Divide up the students’ names among your volunteer team. Each of you take a small portion of the list and commit to praying for them for that week.
Create A 30 Day Prayer Calendar
Print off or copy a month you’d like to pray and just write the names of your students into the boxes, divided up evenly over the course of 30 days. You can even share this prayer calendar with your students, families or leadership.
When You See Students, Pray For Them
Here’s a simple idea – when you see a student, pray a quick prayer for them. And if something major surfaces in conversation with a student, pray right then and there, out loud, with them and for them.
Go Through The Roster To Pray For Marginal Students
When you read over the list of students and potential students, it always seems like one or two names will pop off the page. You’ll think, “I haven’t seen them in a while…” or “I wonder how they are doing…” Take a moment to pray for those students by name.
It can be difficult to set up a prayer plan and keep it going forever and ever. What works best (at least for me) is some focused seasons with a changed method every once in a while. For this month, pick one of these ways and do it. Then, next month, pick another. Keep it going, then change it up. God works through our prayers and students need it more than ever. Be a pray-er on behalf of your ministry and those involved in it.
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