Prayer Culture

In 2007 I had one of my most significant encounters with the Lord as a new youth pastor that was navigating the tension of feeling like I was failing at being a good one or at least an authentic one. 

One day, I was in prayer, asking the Lord for direction, strategy, and purpose. My heart wanted to be a good youth pastor, but more than that, I was searching for meaning. 

In that time sitting with the Lord, I heard him whisper to me, “I want you to raise a prayer culture”.

That phrase not only boosted my purpose as a youth pastor, but it aimed me in the direction of my life. I have, for nearly the last 20 years, tried to live and lead from the place of continuing to “raise a prayer culture”. 

But the first of many lessons that I learned in the trial and error of leading people was the most important one of all. I can remember that with excitement, I called for our first student prayer meeting. I set a time with a location, I unlocked the doors, and prepared the room. Filled with the joy of being obedient to the Lord and the excitement of starting something new, I had an expectation of what we would encounter together. 

We were scheduled to begin at 9 am, and when I opened the room for prayer and to my disappointment, NO ONE showed up. 

I can remember the emotion of failure, disappointment, and waste trying to overtake my obedience. I kept an eye on the door, hoping for someone to come and join me. After 30 minutes into our hour of prayer, still no one came! Eager to be disappointed, the voice of the Lord broke through in my heart. 

He whispered to me, “If no one comes to join you, it’s still an invitation to be alone with ME.”

Never again did I wrestle with who showed up or who didn’t. I set my heart to the revelation that even if no one joins you in prayer, you have everyone present that you need. The Father is jealous for people to prioritize the place of prayer. Not for the answer to our petitions, but to answer the call to meet with Him face-to-face. 

The important part of the testimony isn’t the success that would come or failure that I would have to endure, but that He was always faithful to meet me when I aimed at Him. It wasn’t about a movement; it was about learning to live from the place of face-to-face. 

What came next was a culture of prayer that began to awaken in the hearts of students and leaders alike. That culture has been my aim nearly 20 years later. I certainly don’t claim to have been a great youth pastor because there are always things you wish you could teach or do differently. But what I do hope is that everyone who reads this can always trust the aim of prayer to be face-to-face with the Father. 

You don’t need the crowd. All you need is the invitation to prayer, where you are promised that He will always meet you! Crowds are great and powerful to your faith. But never think that the crowd replaces His desire to be alone with you. He will even let you go through the disappointment of “no one showing up”, just to show you how much He loves to be alone with you. 

If you read this, I hope you feel the jealous love of the Father for you.