Preparing the Next Generation

After Charlie Kirk died last year, I began noticing something that drew my attention in prayer: young people gathering to worship, some in large numbers, and others showing a fresh hunger for God and for answers about faith. I did not want the church to watch that moment from a distance. I sensed that God was calling us to respond.

Around that time, in intercession, I believed God was releasing a fresh anointing upon children’s pastors and youth ministers. I saw them being sent into the field. My understanding was that this was seedtime for the next generation. We were being called to sow into their lives, teach them, pray with them, and help them encounter Jesus. We must not assume that a moment of spiritual interest will become a lasting harvest without someone tending the ground.

Young people are asking difficult questions. They are hearing competing voices about faith, Israel, justice, identity, and the events unfolding around them. Conspiracy theories can also draw them in. The church must be present with more than quick reactions. We need to listen, teach Scripture carefully, and help them discern truth without turning them into opponents when they ask hard questions.

This is where the sword and the plow meet. We intercede for children and young people, and we prepare places where the Word can take root. Prayer should send us toward them with patience and love.

Apply this in your home and church. Are children’s pastors and youth ministers equipped and supported, or expected to carry this alone? Is there a young person whose questions you could listen to this week? A service can draw a crowd, but faithful relationships help us sow. Let us recognize this opening and take responsibility for the generation God has placed before us.