Over the past few weeks, thousands of college students have once again flooded our little town, an annual ritual that has been occurring here now for almost 200 years. Being a college student is uniquely difficult, and we as a local church can and should be looking for opportunities to minister to college students who come our way. In Luke 2:52, Jesus’ years in the teens and twenties are described as a time when he “increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.” Using these four categories as a guide, below are four suggestions for how we can pray for college students.
Wisdom. The Bible tells us that true wisdom comes from the Lord, not ourselves. May we pray that growth in knowledge for college students would be accompanied by growth in wisdom. Let’s pray for diligence in their studies, increasing responsibility in their decision-making, and a supernatural wisdom that is grounded in the message of Christ crucified (cf. 1 Cor. 1:17-31).
Stature. This word refers to one’s physical body, reminding us to pray that college students will make wise choices in eating, sleeping, and stewarding their time. Another way to treat our bodies well is to practice a sexuality that reflects God’s design for sex to be between one man and one woman in the context of marriage (cf. Gen. 2:24, 1 Cor. 6:18-20). College students are consistently bombarded with a cultural ethic about sexuality that does not align with Scripture, and so this is another area in which we can pray for them.
Favor with God. This phrase describes one’s vertical relationship with the Lord, and it is often during the critical college years that one’s faith is ultimately either solidified or rejected. Particular struggles that often pop up in this area are challenges to the reliability of Scripture, exposure to worldviews that are not biblically based, as well as the temptation to drift away from participation in the local church. All of these are specific spiritual challenges we can pray for.
Favor with man. The social aspect of college is certainly one of its greatest appeals, while also being one of its biggest potential pitfalls. Scripture emphasizes over and over again the danger of being a companion of fools, for our core friendships will perhaps shape who we are more than anything else. Not only we can be proactive to befriend college students who come our way, but we can also pray that the Lord would surround them with friends who will point them to him.
This fall, we are attempting to launch a Grace Church college ministry that is specifically aimed at undergraduate students and/or those aged 18-23 who may not be students. Jim and Tori Gleason, as well as Tim Wilson, will be providing the primary leadership for this group. Please pray for them, as well as any and all college students who may get plugged into Grace Church. We want to be a place where students can experience the grace and peace and love of Christ tangibly through our church family!
Ben
monthly resources
Below are some articles I’ve run across this past month that you may find helpful:
Wisdom Means Numbering Our Days, Not Living as if Every Day is Our Last
Don’t Feel Sorry for or Fear for Your Kids; Raise Them up to Walk in Faith