God is Moving!
Just this week, there was a massive gathering on the campus of Ohio State University, in the USA, where over 6500 students came together to worship and hear the good news of Jesus Christ (1, 2). Over two thousand young people came forward to accept Christ as their Savior (that should give you chills!). And this isn’t the first occasion, in the fall of 2024, the Ohio State football team led outdoor gatherings, sharing the freedom, forgiveness, and abundant life that Christ offers with hundreds of students. The resulting outpouring of surrender and commitments to Christ and the massive numbers of baptisms that followed to testify to the same were evidence that this is more than a movement of college loyalty or support for a team (3,4). And it’s not just happening in Ohio, there is an awakening stirring across the nation among this generation (5).
Far too often the stories we hear coming out of college campuses are those of wild parties, fraternities getting into trouble -students doing anything but actually studying. But these stories are different…and they’re happening more frequently. What is happening?
Friends, the Holy Spirit is moving and we are witnessing an awakening of spiritual hunger, a recognition of the deep need that only God can fill. Young people are looking for meaning and the Holy Spirit is lifting the veil, helping them recognize that without God, life is empty, directionless, and spiritually dark. Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us that God has set eternity in the hearts of man. Each of us knows, deep down, there is more than what we can see in this life and there is a longing to find it. Each individual is created with a soul- that breath of life from God that longs for communion with Him. Yet so many lack knowledge of Him and their understanding of eternity is clouded by sin and brokenness. But God! He is stirring that longing to know more in the hearts of this generation. Oh that this would happen across the globe!
I know we pray for our sons and daughters on this page, but can we pray for this generation? They are searching. They KNOW there is more than the bill of goods they’ve been sold by their culture, academia, the media, and the entertainment industry. They are longing for answers. They’re thirsting for purpose and meaning. They’re hungry for more - for that which satisfies. They want freedom from the bondage of sin and darkness and that can only be found in Jesus Christ.
“Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind,for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” Psalm 107:8-9
Satan is attacking young adults like never before. He knows that this is the generation that could either stand for Christ and change the world, or reject Him soundly and be the godless generation that solidifies the Satanic stranglehold on sinful souls. We need to pray that the Holy Spirit would guide these young men and women to knowledge of the Truth- to faith in Jesus Christ, to forgiveness, redemption, and the promise of eternal life with Christ and to an unwavering commitment to follow Him, no matter what may come.
Will you commit to pray for them? Would you, daily, stop and pray for the protection and salvation of this generation. Pray that the believing ones would stand firm and share their faith boldly? Ask that God would raise up strong men and women of faith (our sons and daughters among them) who would speak truth without fear of repercussions or persecution (it will come, Scripture assures us). Ask the Holy Spirit to move in hearts and minds and bring unbelievers to the Throne of Grace for redemption and justification in Christ.
“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way; bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:9-10
Colossians 1:9-10 is an excellent prayer for others. So let’s commit to pray at 1:10 pm each day for this generation. Set a timer, write a reminder, put it in your planner. This doesn’t have to be complicated and it doesn’t have to be long. This is just a pause and a prayer that these young men and women would surrender to the Holy Spirit, give their lives to Christ and grow in knowledge, wisdom, and understanding of God’s will and word, bearing fruit and pleasing the Lord with their lives. So when that timer goes off each day, pray for even just thirty seconds. Imagine the many conversations at the Throne at that very moment!
Consider how encouraging it would be to see the responses of a few, of many, or even hundreds who are committing to pray daily?! (There are nearly 700 people who follow this page… we can pray together and be a mighty force!) If you miss a day, don’t worry, God gives us a new day, every day, to use for His glory. Just keep praying!
If you would commit to pray at 1:10 each day, just respond - Praying! Let’s be an army of prayer warriors, not just for our own sons and daughters, but for this next generation who need to know Christ and to stand firm for Him. Let’s ask the Lord to stir a global revival in this generation, unlike the world has seen before! 1:10 PM. Praying!