For the last couple weeks my friend Aaron and I have been going to help my dad minister to the kids at his youth group. For the last couple weeks I have seen a generation that is broken. I have seen a group of young teenagers that is more influenced by drugs, sex, alcohol and selfish desires than I could ever imagine.
As I sat in the bible study tonight we were going over prayer. The power of prayer and the power that it has when we pray specific prayers. As my dad tried to direct the students, I could just sense the chaos that was overwhelming the air.
The air was rank.
It was a battle zone.
The devil didn't like what was about to happen.
I could see that a few of the older teenage guys weren't paying attention. They were causing a distraction that was going to keep the others in the room from truly experiencing what God was about to do this evening.
As I shut the door to speak to this group of guys, this is what I saw.
A group of teenagers praying for each other, earnestly seeking God.
I spoke to these guys in the room honestly and shared with them the struggles that they were going to go through. I shared with them about the things I had tried in high school and college to satisfy my selfish desires. I told them that they needed to grow up and be real men of God. I told them that if they didn't realize it now that one day they were going to and it just might be when they are in jail. It had broken my heart that they had so much disrespect.
One of them tells me, "This is why I hate church. Everyone at church always judges me. They spread rumors that I smoke weed and I don't smoke weed."
I said, "I am not judging you one bit. I am just telling you what I see. You don't think I get judged? You don't think people think that I smoke? I have long hair and a beard. I get judged, but you have to step above that."
This is what is happening in our church today.
They have to hide their true self and display their perfect self, because that is all that is acceptable to "church people." Does it break your heart that Christians in America can't be honest with other Christians because they feel like they are going to be judged or talked about?
It breaks mine.
As I came back into the worship service, I could just hear prayers going out all around. I could feel the presence of the Lord was in that place. I began to pray for what I had just spoken to those guys. I prayed that it would sink in and that if it didn't change them now that one day they would look back and remember this day.
One by one they came out quietly and sat down in their chairs. I see my dad over there talking to the guys as they come out of the room where I had just spoken with them. I see them create their own prayer circle and my dad comes and gets Aaron, Cord and I. He asks us to pray over the guys. The guys I had just spoken with, opened up with some of the things they were dealing with. Their home lives are terrible and they are coming to church because it is their only escape from an infested lifestyle.
I could see the desire to change in their eyes. I could hear their brokenness pouring out with every syllable.
After we prayed with them for a while, I began to sing a worship song; I began to feel like there was someone in the room that was hurting. There was someone in the room that needed to be healed. And as I looked around, everyone in tears, I could see that everyone in the room was hurting. This generation is growing up in turmoil of drugs, sex and alcohol. The TV says it’s awesome, but you can see that it is destroying families and friendships.
In an instant a boy's name in my group flashed through my mind, Cullen. He had a broken hand and as I felt I needed to go up and ask him to come up and pray over him. As I battled with my lack of courage, one of the guys I talked to comes up to me and asks to talk. He tells me, "thank you for being real with us, thank you for telling us what was up. Because when we got back out there in our prayer circle, me and my friends were able to share with each other openly and pray for each other… and just thank you."
Cullen, the boy with the broken arm, had escaped.
As the leaders that were there tonight circled up to pray. My dad began to share his heart for these teenagers and speak of how the presence in the room changed from chaos to peaceful. It was everything he could do to keep from breaking down in tears.
The Holy Spirit was in our worship service today.
As we were praying, guess who walks in? Cullen! He came up and stood next to me and I said, "You know God had put Cullen's name on my heart earlier and I let him slip away. But he brought him back to me and I feel like we are supposed to pray over him and heal his broken hand."
We prayed for him and I believe that his hand was healed tonight.
Why am I waiting on Africa to heal people?
Why am I waiting to go overseas to minister to people?
Why am I waiting to be courageous with people I don't know?
Why am I waiting for the perfect worship service to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit?
Why are we waiting? Better yet, what are we waiting for?
God is the same in Africa as He is in America. God is the same in Caney City Baptist Church as He is in Passion City. For all you world racers: God is the same where you currently are as He was at training camp. This generation is growing up without any guidance and we are just watching it go down the wrong path. We are wasting our precious time thinking about how much better it is somewhere else when God is obviously ready to use you where you are.
God is waiting on you…
Are you going to let Him use you?
