God’s Movement of Prayer on Campuses
By Sandra Higley
Note: This Bible study is formatted for small group open discussion. If you use this study by yourself, we suggest that you journal your answers to the discussion questions. Also, please use suggested translations where indicated. Biblegateway.com is an excellent source for translations you may not have on hand.
“What do you want to do when you grow up?”
Have you ever been guilty of asking that question? I have. With those few words, it’s as if we relegate this entire generation of young people to living in limbo until they are “old enough” to be of some use to the world. And while we wait for this self-imposed deadline, all the passion, energy, focus, and assets of these young people is diverted toward video games, media, drugs, sex, and other distractions. We wring our hands at the misdirected vitality that often resurfaces as mischief—or even violence—and then wonder what went wrong. In our attempts to entertain this group with diversions until society says they are ready to accomplish something, we have sidetracked a God-given resource meant to bring about the Kingdom here on earth. What a waste. Worse yet, what a scheme of the enemy!
David Smithers comments on God’s frequent use of young people as catalysts for revival: “They are creative, talented, untapped bundles of potential willing to try new things. But that is not the primary reason God so often uses them . . . but rather their hungry hearts and honest faith.”
Discussion Questions
Look up the following passages and identify the young person(s) God handpicked to accomplish His purpose. Record any thoughts you have about why these young people might have been His first choice:
Genesis 37, 41:14–41, 50:15–20 __________________________
Exodus 2:1–10, 3:7–10 ___________________________________
1 Samuel 1:11, 24–28, 2:18–21, 3:1–4:1 _________________________________
1 Samuel 16:1–13, 17:1–51 _____________________________________
2 Kings 5:1–15 ______________________________________
Luke 1:26–56, 2:1–20 _________________________________
Matt. 4:18–22; Mark 1:16–20; Luke 5:2–11; John 1:35–51 _______________________________
Acts 16:1–5 ___________________________________
Smithers remarks that “too often God has to pass over the old guard and use our young people because He can’t freely move through an older generation’s extrabiblical rules and expectations.” Do you agree or disagree with his assessment? Why? Give examples.
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Look up the following Scriptures and discuss how they apply to God’s use of young people throughout history (1 Sam. 16:7; Ps. 8:2, 71:17; Matt. 21:16; Mark 10:13–16; 1 Cor. 1:27–29; 1 Tim. 4:12).
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“Almost every major spiritual awakening in America began among college students. Opposite forces fight side by side. Christian students are the pivot point,” writes Jeremy Story. If God has chosen to use them in the past, might He not use them again? Read Habakkuk 3:2 and share your thoughts on this.
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God frequently “works through a shared partnership between the older and younger generations,” according to Smithers. Look back at the list of young people referred to earlier in this study. How many of these situations involved generational partnerships? There are others in Scripture such as Abraham and Isaac, Ruth and Naomi. Can you think of more? _______________________________
Justin Christopher recalls the following: “I still remember the discouraging responses I heard during my senior year of high school when I told Christian friends and their parents I was going to [a secular university]. They warned me that it was a ‘liberal’ party school where I—as a good Christian kid—was going to lose my faith. They spoke as though [that school] was a barren land where God was unable to bring His Kingdom and salvation.” But according to Jeremy Story, “For every hostile academic environment, there is often a courageous faith-filled student, administrator, or professor willing to represent God’s Kingdom.”
If these statements about colleges/universities are true, how does the multigenerational approach discussed earlier apply to what God is doing on college campuses today? How does or should it affect you?
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Action Steps
When discussing the RESET Movement on college campuses, Nick Hall writes, “When we turn to Jesus, we experience a supernatural reset. As the reset button on your computer corrects past errors and gets the system working again, Jesus alone heals, forgives, and saves. If God can reset our lives, I’m convinced He can reset our communities, culture, and nation.”
There are an extraordinary number of prayer guides, initiatives, and practical ways to join God in what He is doing in the collegiate world today! How will you hit your “reset button” in response? Spend some time asking the Holy Spirit how He wants you to apply your study of Scripture today.
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SANDRA HIGLEY is an intercessor, author, and editor whose journey in prayer began in 1993. She lives in Colorado Springs, CO.
