Prayers for the Youth Retreat 2018.

Text: 2 Samuel 23:8-39

By the Grace of God our youth will be going to the retreat again this year and we’ve been praying for them even on this platform. Today we want to knock on heaven’s door again concerning the meeting.

As I meditated on what and how to pray, I heard David’s loyal servants and to be honest I was wondering how that relates to our topic, but we trust the holy spirit to help us as we pray.

Through the ages, whenever God has done a significant work, He has done it through a group of devoted people. Men and women who are attracted to the person of Christ and are committed to His cause. The youth retreat is something the Lord himself started and through the years He choose for himself men and women who are first attracted to His person, just like these mighty men who were with David.  David’s men were not unwilling novices who shoddily fulfilled their duty. They were willing volunteers who served out of devotion to David. The love these men had for David can be seen in the incident described in 23:13‑17. David didn’t command any of the men to do what they did. Probably David would not even have verbalized his desire if he had known that these men would risk their lives to fulfill it. But he mentioned his craving, and like lovers listening for a hint for a gift for their beloved, these three men slipped away and brought the precious gift to David.

So also are the men and women that God has ordained to help him carry out the assignment of taking these children away to be with him every year. The lord is longing for revival in our land and he found for himself men are women who are willing to fulfill this desire of the LORD.

Prayer

• Thank you lord for the committed men and women you have appointed to help in fulfilling your desires in our time (our pastors, ministers, teachers, admin, those in the kitchen etc). 

• Lord we ask for strength for them Lord even as they prepare and as they labour. Just like you gave Grace and strength to David and His men. 

• Lord we ask for safe journey for them and the children. We’ve never had any course to cry or weep over the years, this year will not be an exception Lord. David’s men went to the enemy’s camp to get the water and they came back safely. 

• Lord please watch over their homes and families, as they mind your business please mind theirs too in Jesus name.   
   

DAVID’S men were men of diverse backgrounds. As you skim over this list, you will find a variety of obscure places from which these men originated. Some, such as Uriah the Hittite, were foreigners. None of them seem to have anything noteworthy regarding their families or home towns, but there was one thing which united these men‑‑they were all attracted to David. They were men of diverse backgrounds, but they were all drawn together because of their attraction for the lamp of Israel.

So also, the children and youths are all from different backgrounds, some from a broken homes, some may be suffering depression, anxiety, unable to stand up to bullies who are luring them to gangs and all sorts, some from Christian homes but one thing that has united them all is that the Lord himself has called them.

• Lord begin to stir up the hearts of our youths as they get ready to go.

• Meet with them lord as they come. You have not asked the house of Jacob to seek you in vain Isaiah 49:19. 

 The person to whom David’s men were attracted to was a rejected person. he was a fugitive, running for his life from Saul. David is a type of the Lord Jesus, who came unto His own people, but they did not receive Him. Following such a rejected Savior won’t make us popular with the ruler of this world and his followers. But still we must join the rejected King and share His reproach. These young ones will be making a fresh commitment to follow Christ and be led by His spirit, they are willingly choosing to become enemies of the domain of darkness and this present evil world system to further the kingdom of God’s anointed (Jesus). He is our Captain. What they become or do after the retreat is of utmost importance.

• LORD help them not to lose sight of the cross in the face of opposition. 

• May they become agents of change wherever they find themselves in Jesus name. 

• Let’s pray that they will not recover from this meeting forever in Jesus name.  

• Lastly let’s pray that no one will lose their rewards in Jesus name Amen.