It is not hard to look at the youth in America and see that we have a problem. The statistics and cultural trends are enough to make any optimist queazy. All of the abortion, suicide, violence and sexual immorality find their root in our generation’s need for the revelation of Jesus.
Scripture clearly outlines repentance from apathy and a return to prayer as the remedy to times of crisis like these. 2 Chronicles 7:14, Joel 2 and Daniel 9 are premier examples of the call to prayer and the promise of God to move on our behalf. Luke 18:1-8, 1 Timothy 2:1-2, Philippians 4:6, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 and James 5:16 are similar passages that clearly outline the importance of prayer.
In Acts 4, we find the model of ministry that fueled the early church under the leadership of Peter and John. The apostles would minister in outreach to the city and then they would gather together with the report of what happened and hold a prayer meeting. Acts 4:31 says that the “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” Their ministry was fueled in the place of prayer.
History shows us the importance of prayer in our schools. In 1962, the Supreme Court condemned prayer led by the school faculty in the case of Engle v. Vitale. Looking back, we see that the removal of prayer marked a shift in the culture trends of our schools. Violence, sexually transmitted infections, teen pregnancy, even the national divorce rate drastically increased in 1963 and onward. The national SAT and ACT average scores dropped noticeably in 1963. More and more court cases began to emerge creating an even greater wall of separation of church and state, including the removal the Ten Commandments from schools and other public places. All of these trends and court decisions historically find their root in the 1962 court decision of Engle v. Vitale.
Although prayer cannot be led in school by the faculty, it can certainly still be led by students. Prayer, in and of itself has never been removed from school. Students just have not been leading it. This presents Christians with the opportunity to return prayer to our schools through student-led gatherings. The wonderful question at hand is if the trends that were effected in 1962 could be reversed now by the return of prayer to schools.
The call now goes to every Christian student in America. Our generation is in crisis, and we can effect change by repenting of our apathy and taking a stand in the place of prayer. Our schools have become America’s greatest missions field. The leaders of our nation 20-30 years from now are wondering the halls of our schools today. The harvest is ripe, but the laborers are few. That is why Christian students need to accept a missionary mindset of their status in school. We need student missionaries who will pioneer prayer into the greatest revival our nation has ever seen. Who knows if in our darkest hour the Lord would poor out the greatest revival in our nation’s history?
Not only is it crucial that students become missionaries, but youth groups must become missionary bases for the surrounding schools. Youth pastors must become missionary commissioners, equipping their students and supporting them in the effort of reaching their schools. If students become missionaries and youth groups become mission bases, then our schools have a chance of becoming revival centers where every student in the city is required to attend. Oh that Jesus would be glorified in our nation once again.
To this end we pray.
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