How can we get more people praying?

Multiplying the Compassion of Christ through Social Media and Prayer.

"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.'"  Matthew 9:36-38

How can we get more people praying for our schools, young people, and for more workers who share the compassion of Jesus?

The Vision:

One simple way is to use social media relationships and join together in prayer.  Our immediate answer for our state was to create and promote a group called "Pray for Texas Schools" on Facebook.  My friend, Beaulah Kondur, is a mother and a prayer warrior in The Woodlands, Texas.  God gave Beaulah a passion to pray for her children as well as other youth at the schools in their district.  She connected with a few friends, and they began a Facebook group this past August 2022.

Her vision was to see people praying every day, throughout the day, keeping the process simple and pure.  Here's how Beaulah explains the process.

The Method:

"We don't allow politics or opinions...just prayer and agreement."  Beaulah has five group administrators who take one day of the week to post a prayer. Our group members pray along with us and sometimes will respond with "Amen" or other brief comments.  Group admins make sure every day is covered, and the prayer is posted early during during the day.

Another part of the plan is a challenge to do a quarterly prayer walk at local schools.  Group members are asked to post a selfie in front of the school to encourage others.  We've provided a prayer-walking plan from the Claim Your Campus website as a guide whether they go in a group or individually.

The Result:

We now have over 300 on the group praying regularly and daily for our Texas Schools and have already completed two prayer-walk days this year.  Some of those who are praying are from other states but join with us regularly to see a powerful move of God in our Texas schools.  Travis Deans, developer of the "9-month Mission Trip" has also established a "Pray for Pennsylvania Schools" with over 100 participants.

The Dream:

Beaulah and I met at a coffee shop a few months ago and began talking about possibilities.  What if there could be an adult and student prayer group in every state, every community, and every district?  It could be on Facebook, or another platform. I was all in and began to promote the group on Facebook, others shared it, and it quickly grew. In other groups, youth leaders have embraced the concept eagerly!

Our goal in Texas is to see a sustainable prayer, care, and share ministry on every school campus in our state.  It's a big goal, but I believe we will see it happen through prayer and prayer-walking.  Olivia Williamson of Claim Your Campus talks about using prayer walking as a springboard for campus ministries.

Every believer can pray, and anyone can prayer-walk.  We have come to realize that prayer groups and prayer-walking our schools allow participants to "see the crowds and be moved with compassion" as Jesus did---to understand things in the Spirit about the students, parents, and educators there, and the existing needs and issues on the campus.  As a result, there will be an increased urgency for more leaders to respond and care for the campus in unique and collaborative ways with other churches and ministries. They will want to "do whatever it takes".  And it will only follow that the best answer to the greatest need of all is the transforming power of the gospel shared regularly.  So, prayer-walking can be the on-ramp to a prayer, care, share ministry on every campus, ...and anyone can participate.  I'm all in!

Every great movement of God begins with extrordinary prayer, usually through young people, and joining with others in prayer is vital to us realizing another spiritual awakening in our time.  As revival begins to move through colleges, universities, and secondary schools, it's exciting to imagine a mighty movement of prayer and what we might see happen among students as a result.  A.W. Tozer said, "To desire revival... and at the same time to neglect prayer and devotion is to wish one way and walk another."

On Facebook, go to "Pray for Texas Schools" and experience the group-then imagine something for your area and PRAY.

For more information on prayer walking and simple guides, go to claimyourcampus.com/prayerwalk

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Rick Eubanks is the Texas State Coordinator for NNYM and is also known as a co-founder of See You At the Pole! Rick's passion for prayer is very evident and he continually encourages all he comes in contact with to pray!