I know as a youth pastor, some people might think that as a youth pastor you should always be up spiritually. Well you might be, but I am not. There are many times that I have found myself in a very dry time spiritually. Even in the middle of good things happening in the church or youth group, I can still find myself feeling dry. So what can you do to help recharge you and your ministry during theses times.
Try a prayer drive. What is a prayer drive you may ask. Here is how I conduct a prayer drive. First, organize your student ministry database or list of teens into the schools they attend. Print that list or have it available electronically in such a way that you can leave the office and still have the list. Inform your secretary that you will be gone for the day praying. Now, drive to a location of your choosing, one that you may have used before for rest or for prayer time. Start your prayer time there. Pray and read your Bible there. Focus your prayer on God and his goodness, your spiritual condition, your ministry and your family, etc. Don’t focus on any teens in your group at this time.
Once you have spent time with God in that favorite location and have began the process of communion with God, start your car and drive to one of the schools your students attend. Pull out your list for that school and pray for all of those students who attend the school you are parked near. Listen for God to help direct your prayers. Pray by name for every teen on the list at that school. You may want to text a student or two as you pray and God lays something specific for those teens on your heart. In most cases there is no need to check in with the school, just park in the parking lot, pray and then drive to the next school.
After finishing that school move on the next school and then the next until you are finished with all your schools. At the last school close out your time with God. You have now taken time out of your busy schedule to spend hours in prayer for your student ministry. God will honor this, God will renew your heart and spirit in this process. This is a great discipline to start incorporating in your student ministry now and in the years to come.
-Rick