A Picture Prayer

I was inspired early on in ministry by a book I read called Inside Out.  It was written by a Youth Leader who worked primarily with teens. In it the author talked about earning the right to dialogue with teens about the things that mattered most to them in that moment. He suggested creating a prayer journal in which leaders could respond with words of encouragement and scripture to the written prayers. I thought it to be an excellent idea. I could readily see an adaptation that

would make it relevant for children too. I simply added a box at the top of the page in which children could draw or scribble a word picture to help them express their prayers.  The journal was easy enough to create and it didn't cost a lot of money. Little did I know what a harvest this little document would produce.

Our children were dealing with  more than could be imagined. The proof was in the drawings and the descriptions. Only in a few journals were children praying about something positive. The rest were heart wrenching issues. At the top of the list were feelings of being ridiculed at school, not cared about at home, unrelenting pressure to get good grades, and desperation to pass a test. As if that were not enough, we learned of hunger, homelessness, sickness, death and divorce.  What a mission field we found right in front of us!

Needless to say, it's a sobering assignment when you realize that the Lord has allowed you to enter in on such sacred ground. When we do, we must acknowledge that He places us in their lives in those seasons to be a light to point the way, to give the gift of presence and encouragement.
Thank God for the opportunity and seek His wisdom on how to respond.   

"If I could relive my life, I would devote my entire ministry to reaching children for God!"— Dwight L. Moody, Evangelist