I always tell people Young Life began out of two developments. I will tell you one of them: prayer. There is a lot that can be said about how Young Life was saturated in prayer right from its beginning, consider just these few entries from the diary of Jim Rayburn, the founder of Young Life:
April 20, 1941: “Had a swell time of prayer to-night after everyone was in bed. The Lord has been good…”
May 23, 1941: “Was too weary to have much prayer to-night. Oh that I might never have days ‘too busy’ to pray.”
July 4, 1941: “…a fine prayer meeting until nearly midnight.”
December 31, 1942: “He got me up – in answer to definite prayer & I had the most down to business time of prayer that I have had in a long time. Now for the New Year – my main objective is that 1942 shall be a ‘prayer year’ – much more than ever before.”
February 26, 1943: “Our all-day Staff prayer-meeting. No doubt one of the greatest days of prayer I have ever had.”
Imagine our founder up late, with everyone else sound asleep, as he pours out his heart to God the year Young Life was formally founded. Imagine all-day prayer meetings. Ministry isn’t a prayer contest but we must be reminded prayer is an essential element of intimacy with God and seeking His will for ministry.
Personally I am a prayer-novice. Fortunately I’m surrounded by people wiser than myself. Last night we did something really wonderful. It was the night before the first day of school, at a school where we are re-starting club this year. Our entire leadership, some donors, and past leaders, did a prayer walk across the campus. The fantastic Lise Gawin put together a nice prayer map and plan I’ve posted below. Great things happened. Our plan is to prayer walk a different campus each month.
God is the greatest donor Young Life has ever encountered. Ask him boldly for greater intimacy with Him and for the resources to do His will.
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