Why Have a Kids
Prayer Ministry?
We want our
kids to pray, but do they really need a "kids prayer
ministry?"
6 Reasons for a
Kids Prayer Ministry...
Scripture declares
the importance of children’s involvement in the Kingdom
of God. From silencing the enemies of God (Psalm
8:2) to signs and wonders (Isaiah 8:18, Joel 2:28) to
leading in worship (II Chronicles 29:10-11) children
have a place in the Body of Christ. Too many times they
are relegated to back rooms and basements and if they
have their own worship area, they end up segregated from
the rest of the body 75% of time. It is important that
children receive age-appropriate training, but the
ultimate goal of that training is integration into the
Body of Christ...not solely preparation for future
service.
The Same Holy Spirit
resides in them. When children are filled with the
Holy Spirit, they do not receive the Holy Spirit, Jr.
The same Holy Spirit that fills adults, fills children.
The problem is, too many times we base our understanding
of spiritual growth dynamics on the physical world. In
the case of children, their ability to mature
spiritually is in a kind of hyper drive that we can't
comprehend when we are boxed in by our experiences in
the physical world. Two and three year olds can hear the
voice of God and obey; four year olds can intercede with
understanding; elementary aged children can actually
begin leading in worship and prayer.
The “Body” needs
their prayer power. Imagine the Kingdom of Light
advancing with double strength overnight. If I could, I
would flip a switch to activate all children currently
receiving spiritual training to answer the call of the
Spirit; our ranks would double or triple in a moment.
Your local church needs their prayer power and expansive
faith and so does the global Body of Christ. Think about
it. What would happen if every kid in your church began to pray
in earnest and in the Spirit? What would happen if
suddenly their boundless faith was released to benefit
the Kingdom?
This generation
demands to be included. According to studies
and research, the Millennials generation (Millenials
Rising) is a generation that is demanding inclusion.
"...born after 1982...as a group, Millennials are unlike
any other youth generation in living memory. They are
more numerous, more affluent, better educated, and more
ethnically diverse. More important, they are beginning
to manifest a wide array of positive social habits that
older Americans no longer associate with youth,
including a new focus on teamwork, achievement, modesty,
and good conduct." They are the ones who organized the
neighborhood prayer vigils after 9/11; they are the ones
who raised untold thousands in schools for tsunami
victims in early 2005. Their actions put them in a
position to be greatly used by society but most
importantly, by God.
Kids require
training, not just teaching. Teaching is what we do
for adults, training is what we need to be doing for
children. When children come into this natural world,
there are all sorts of training "modules" to help them
navigate this existence. From potty training to making
beds; from tying shoes to brushing teeth, training is
required...and repeated over and over again. Now,
contrast that with the kind of spiritual training kids
are given. Who trains them in doing spiritual things?
Sunday school teachers, parents, relatives,
pastor?
Consider the "dark
side." For this last section, ask yourself, "How old
does a child have to be to handle spiritual weapons?"
Next consider that there are currently over 200,000
child soldiers worldwide engaged in a conflict right
now. Young children are being taught to use grenades,
machine guns, rifles, vest-bombs, and more. Those
working on the dark side know the value of children. Why
is it teenagers can participate in suicide bombings?
They are trained at a young age to handle explosives and
are told what to expect in the next life if they become
martyrs.
Have you taught a Bible story lately that compares to that? Has
anyone put a spiritual weapon in the hands of a child
recently that has the power spiritually equivalent to a
dirty bomb? If not, then don't you think it's time for a
kids prayer ministry in your church? The kids are ready.
God is ready. Are you?
Submitted by: AC
(c) 2005 |
