Knockin' on Heaven’s Door

Wow! A new year of ministry has just begun! What an exciting and busy time for all of us who are involved in helping kids find and follow Jesus. I always approach the new year with a high level of anticipation because I know new kids will come to church, which means more kids will get to learn how awesome God is. With each passing year, I also love to watch kids grow in their understanding of who God is and how they can know Him better and love Him more.

For those of us who are responsible for preparing lessons, Bible stories, worship sets, craft activities, games or other activities for kids, it’s tempting to think the success of our ministry is solely dependent on our ability to prepare and execute well. Being prepared IS vital, but it’s not the most important way to ensure success.

If you are desperate for God to use you to influence kids this year, the first step toward being effective is to pray.

Why should I pray?
We should bathe our ministry in prayer because “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” James 5:16 (NLT).

Make sure to keep your priorities in the right order.

• Prep without prayer is pointless.
• Prayer without prep is laziness.
• Prep bathed in prayer is powerful.

When should I pray?
If you want God to work powerfully through you this year, pray regularly for your ministry. Connecting this prayer time with something else you already do is one way to ensure consistency. You might want to choose one of these activities and commit to praying for your ministry then.

Pray while you are:

• brushing your teeth
• shaving
• taking a shower
• waiting at stop lights
• driving to or from school or work
• doing the dishes
• folding laundry
• exercising

What should I pray for?
If, after 30 seconds, you’ve exhausted all your prayer topics and you aren’t quite sure what to say next, take a look at my previous post on prayer. This is in no way an exhaustive list, but it’s a great start.

Jesus encourages us to be persistent in our prayer, so go ahead. Knock on heaven’s door. And then, knock some more. And some more. And more.

Pray

Praying for your small group may not sound like a very insightful tip, but it is actually the best advice I can give.

Four reasons it’s so important to pray for your small group:

1. Prayer reminds you that you are utterly dependent on God.
   None of us, in our own strength, can change kids’ lives. Only God can do that. By constantly asking God for help, you remind yourself each week that this is God’s ministry and you are His tool.
   
   
2. Prayer puts you in the right frame of mind each time you meet kids.
   Sundays can be hectic so we need to start the morning by focusing on God. Ask God to use you to show His love to kids. We often miss great opportunities to help kids see how amazing God is because we haven’t prayed and asked God to love kids through us.
   
   
3. Prayer endears the kids to you.
   When you pray for a child in your group by name and ask God to deepen your love for that child, God will give you a desire to know that child better and love him or her more.
   
   
4. Prayer increases your passion for ministry.
   Ministry has its ups and downs. It’s not always easy; it’s not always fun. However, as you pray for the kids in your group and pray for God’s help to lead well, God will strengthen your heart in the challenging times and increase your desire to make a difference in the lives of kids.

A few things to include in your prayers:

1. Thank God for…
   
   • each kid in your group
   • the opportunity to lead your group
   • His help and strength
     
     
2. Pray for each child in your group
   
   • that they will understand God’s love more and more
   • that they will make wise choices, treat others the way they want to be treated and trust God no matter what
   • any particular concerns you are aware of
     
     
3. Pray for yourself
   
   • that God will give you love, patience and wisdom as you lead your group
   • that God will help you become an even better small group leader for the kids in your group
   • that God will use you to impact kids for eternity
     

Each Sunday dedicate the morning to God and ask Him to use it to draw kids to Himself. If you forget to pray for the kids in your group and your time with them, you are missing out on the best help you’ll ever get.