Remembering God’s presence in our own lives
The Young Life Global Day of Prayer resources are intentionally designed to soak ourselves in God’s loving presence before we pour ourselves out in love through intercessory prayer.
In the Day of Prayer solitude guide, we spent time remembering the promise of Immanuel — that God is with us. Our hope is that you had space to sit with Jesus in silence and solitude and reflect more deeply on his deep desire to be with you in the journey. We pray that the reality of his presence reminds you of his deep and tender love for you.
As we get ready to pray for others, let's first take a moment to quiet ourselves and once again be reminded of God’s steady and unwavering presence in our own lives. When you are ready, invite someone on your team to slowly read the following passage from Zephaniah 3:17 aloud.
“For the Lord your God is living among you.
He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With his love, he will calm all your fears.
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
What thoughts and feelings arise in you as you read these words?
Take heart that God feels the same way about each of the friends you are lifting up to him today. He is, and always has been, with them as well. Regardless of our efforts, he has been inviting them to acknowledge his presence, turning their attention toward his love and placing their trust in his hands.
Let’s begin our time of prayer by sharing with one another something of our own experience with God’s presence.
In what ways have you enjoyed God’s company lately?
interceding for adolescents
As we turn our attention to interceding on behalf of adolescents, let’s begin with a clear focus. Young people live in a difficult and dangerous world today. The reality of what they face can overwhelm us and cause us to become discouraged. So let’s practice glancing at the difficulties and the danger and gazing at the Father’s face. His eyes are filled with compassion; his countenance reflects his all-consuming love. Let’s pray for adolescents everywhere as the Father holds them in his capable hands with wisdom, tenderness, and care.
Pray as you are led for the young people in your neighborhood, community, country, and the world.
“Come with me …” (Mark 6:31)
God is a God of invitation. He invites us into life with him. Spend some time praying for all the adolescents you are inviting to encounter his love themselves, regardless of their response.
“Be with me …” (John 8:29)
God is a God who accompanies us into every environment and is present in even the most difficult of circumstances. Spend some time praying for the young people you know who are in the midst of a challenging season, that they might experience the God who sits with them in their pain.
“Stay with me …” (Luke 22:28)
God is a God of longevity. He stays when everyone else leaves. Spend some time praying for the young people you know who may feel forgotten or left behind.
“Rejoice with me …” (Luke 15:6)
God is a God who rejoices as his children recognize him. He celebrates the lost being found. Spend some time in prayer rejoicing over the transformation you have seen in young people this year.
“Watch with me …” (Matthew 26:38)
God invites us to participate with him in his Kingdom. He gives us eyes to see and ears to hear. Spend some time praying for hearts of the young people who are learning to watch for God’s presence in their lives, beginning to see with his eyes, and listen with his ears.
Pray together:
Father, Son, Holy Spirit,
Thank you for your deep and unwavering presence in the lives of our friends. Thank you that you are with them in all the places we can never be. You have been with them since the beginning. You never abandon them. You accompany them in all circumstances and wait with patience for them to notice your faithfulness.
Would you be with them now? Would you calm their anxious thoughts? Ease the heavy weight they experience? Help them to know who you have created them to be?
Lord, would you remind them they are chosen and loved by you? Would you guard their hearts from lies, low self-worth, and destructive thoughts about themselves? Would you replace those things with a quiet confidence which comes from knowing how valuable they are?
We ask that you would fill their hearts with your deep peace. That you would be their strength when they feel weak, and that even today they would awaken to the reality that you are always with them and for them.
Amen.
Praying for the Workers
If you are able and time allows, take a few moments to pray for all of those who make up the mission of Young Life.
Pray for our senior leaders and for all the ways that their leadership will impact the future of Young Life. Thank God for their faithfulness, for all he has done, and pray for all that is to come.
Pray for the volunteers. Let us thank God for those he has brought to be a part of the mission and yield to Jesus' words in Matthew 9:38 as we ask the Lord of the harvest to please send more (Matthew 9:37-38).
Pray for the adults who support this work through financial resources, time, and effort. Thank the Lord for his generosity through their faithfulness.
Pray as you are led for all those who make up the mission of Young Life, that we would remember our first love and experience the presence of God in our own lives.
A Closing Benediction
Invite one person in the group to read Hebrews 13:20-21 as a closing benediction and a blessing on this gathering, on the greater mission, and on behalf of adolescents of all kinds in every corner of the world.
Thank you for interceding for adolescents and for the greater mission of Young Life.