Praying for renewal and revival among our youths – Part 11

God has always sent His Spirit to revive His Church in every generation, especially when decadence has set in. The outpouring of the Spirit is God’s counter measure to the devil’s assault on the youths and children in that generation. So, we must pray for revival among our youths. Like the Psalmist, we ought to pray: “O Lord, come back to us! How long will you delay? Take pity on your servants! Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives. Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good. Let us, your servants, see you work again; let our children see your glory” (Psalms‬ ‭90:13-16‬ ‭NLT‬‬). We must pray for our children to see the glory of God in their generation. ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Every generation should endeavour to experience the acts and glory of God for themselves. For that to happen, we must pray for our youths to have the hunger for God. Because unless they have the hunger for God, they cannot encounter God.

The behaviour of our youths and children has a spiritual cause, which is why the battle for their souls should be intense. Paul had warned that, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away” ‭‭(II Timothy‬ ‭3:1-7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬). Paul, in this text, rightly captures the behaviour of our youths. Any meaningful prayer for them must address the external influences responsible for their behaviour.‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Paul gives us a tip on how to pray for the youths when he wrote, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (I Timothy‬ ‭4:12-13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬). Our prayers for them must be for God to enable them to live righteously; that they may be examples to other youths in conduct.‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

The Psalmist prayer in Psalm 144 is very instructive of how to pray for the youths. “Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners, whose mouth speaks lying words, and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood— That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; That our daughters may be as pillars, Sculptured in palace style” (Psalms‬ ‭144:11-12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬).‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Solomon’s admonition to his son to listen to corrections is relevant to our youths today, and should be the basis of our prayer for them. Youths and children shun advice. “My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honour around your neck. My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them!” (Proverbs‬ ‭1:8-10‬ ‭NLT‬‬).‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “But deliver us from the evil one.” We should pray for our youths and children to be delivered from evil. God’s desire is that they come to their fullest potential in Him. Like Paul prayed for the Christians at Ephesus, we should pray that their eyes of understanding may be enlightened to know the hope of their calling in Christ Jesus.
Contact:pastoracukachi@gmail.com