There is always something to do in youth ministry. A teaching series to plan. A team to organise. An event to prepare. A camp to fundraise for. A pastoral situation to navigate.

With all the ‘doing’, it is easy to neglect that which is essential in your personal walk with Jesus and indispensable for effective leadership: prayer.

Let’s have a look at why prayer should be at the top of your ‘to do’ lists.

Through prayer we respond to God

The BIG story of the bible goes like this:

God created humanity for communion (Genesis 1–2).
Humanity chose our own way (Genesis 3).
God sent Jesus to restore and redeem everything (the Gospels).
And one day, all things will be made new (Revelation 21).

Sound familiar? Well, at the heart of this story is God’s desire to be in relationship with us. God is the initiator. God speaks first — in creation, in Scripture, in Jesus, through the Spirit.

Prayer is simply our response to God’s initiating love.

Prayer is how we step into the ongoing Trinitarian conversation and how we participate in the following Jesus life.

Not praying is like ‘blue ticking’ Jesus. Ouch! They felt that one in Heaven.

Through prayer we hear God say

In that place of prayer the first thing we hear God say is (drumroll please)…

“You are made in My image.” (Gensis 1:26)
“You are My beloved son.” (Matthew 3:17)
“You are My beloved daughter.” (Luke 8:48)
“You are in Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Of all the things we need to be hearing as leaders, we need to be reminded of who we are and who we belong to.

When you don’t regularly hear this loving truth, you will start searching for identity elsewhere. Through productivity. From results. By attendance numbers. According to how well the programme ran. That’s one rollercoaster ride you don’t want to be on. When things go well you are feeling ‘up’ and when things don’t go well, you are feeling ‘down’.

Prayer is the daily ‘I love you’ hug leaders need from the King, before leaving home to do the work of the Kingdom.

Through prayer we are filled

There is a lot of giving in leading. You give physically as you adjust your clock to the ‘Teen hours’ of late Camp nights and early sunrise experiences. You give mentally as you try find your way through the barrage of questions fired at you about life and death and all the drama that unfolds in between. You give emotionally as you listen to the hurt and pain of this generation. You give time and money and so much of yourself week in and week out that eventually your physical, emotional, and mental tanks will run empty.

Unless.

You accept the invitation of Jesus.

“Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest… For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30).

Prayer is where you’re filled again. Prayer is where the Holy Spirit replenishes your reserves. It is where you’re filled to lead out of His strength and not your own because your capacity is limited.

Prayer is the ‘energy shot’ all youth leaders should be consuming.

Through prayer our eyes are opened

When we begin our day with the knowledge that God ‘got up’ before us, that Jesus is already at work in the life of the young person before they come to Youth, that Holy Spirit is not bound by a programme or event, then the primary role of leadership becomes clear: to learn to listen and watch for the activity of God.

As Jesus intercedes for us (Romans 8:34), He is always praying the prayer of Elisha over us, “O Lord, open his (her) eyes and let him (her) see!” (2 Kings 6:17).

Through prayer we join the plea of Jesus and ask:

“Lord, open my eyes that I might see your activity in the life of the young people of our church.”
“Lord, open my eyes that I might see where you are leading us.”
“Lord, open my eyes that I might see what you are doing in my life.”
“Lord, open my eyes that we might…”

Prayer forms us into leaders who discern rather than just decide. Who notice rather than manufacture. Who join God’s activity rather than trying to create it.

Through prayer we disciple

The disciples asked Jesus a lot of questions (Some of them were definitely teenagers!). They asked about understanding (Matthew 13:36), rewards (Matthew 19:27), the future (Matthew 24:3), salvation (Matthew 19:25), assurance (John 14:8). They asked a lot of questions. However, only once is it recorded that they asked to learn about something: prayer: “Lord, teach us to pray…” (Luke 11:1).

Could there be anything more significant or essential to pass on to the next generation than how we talk with God?

So, there is it.

All the reasons why prayer needs to rise to the top of your list as a youth leader.