I would like to focus our prayers for this week's prayer practicum for the youth and the violent acts being committed by youth or against youth. All of us have heard or actually seen the rising amount of violence. Recently, the tragic act of terror and violence that occurred at Columbine High School and at a school in Canada was brought to our attention on the national news. I could name other schools where these horrible incidents have occurred, but know it's not necessary.

In 1998, the Lord began calling me to prayer for the youth of our nation and other nations. Daily, I would pick my son up from high school, and he would share with me some of the unfortunate stories of youth in his school. The kids that come to school drugged out of their mind, the angry, violent kids that he was afraid to speak to, the youth abused and neglected by their parents, etc.

The violence still seemed far removed from me and my family until this year, 1999. Then, I felt like the Lord used a terrible incident that happened in my front yard to get my complete attention. Several months ago, my son, Tommy (age 15), was in our driveway talking to several of his friends. They were having fun talking with each other, and wrestling on the grass. I knew all the boys, except for one of them. This boy's name was Brian, and Tommy did not know him personally. This boy had just come into our yard when he saw these boys gathered.

I knew all of the boys to be well behaved, and had no reason to be concerned. So, I went back into the house. Before I did though, I noticed Brian was holding a baseball bat.

Ten minutes later, my phone rang with the 911 emergency operator, inquiring about an accident in my front yard. I ran outside and saw a youth named Ken, laying in a puddle of blood by my driveway. This boy, Brian, was standing over him, crying "What did I do? I did not mean to do this!" I immediately layed my hands on Ken and began praying for him, asking Jesus to come and heal him. The other boys huddled around us. It turns out that Brian had hit Ken in the back of the head with the baseball bat. Whether it was an accident or not, it was a terrible act of violence. I had never witnessed anything like it and neither had the other youth.

The other way that I saw this violence effecting my children was when my son, Andrew (age 10) came home from elementary school recently. He shared that he had been really afraid that day. The school had started having bomb drills and this day Andrew thought they had had a real bomb scare. Andrew shared that the teachers looked very scared, and the assistant principal was running down the halls. That day, all the children had to go out and crouch down behind the buses which was not what they usually do. My son was very afraid, and I thought how different it was back in the 60's when I went to school. The most anyone was concerned about at school was a fire, getting caught chewing gum, or skipping class.

My point in sharing my personal stories is not to bring our focus on them, but only to share the reality that this violence can effect us all. Fortunately, we have a powerful God Who is in control and hears our prayers.

He has said that "if My people who are called by My Name will humble themselves, I will heal their land." We must know in our hearts by faith, that Jesus said, "whatever you ask in My Name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My Name, I will do it." John 14:13,14.

I would like to share one scripture the Lord has impressed on my heart. It is Jeremiah 9:17-21

"Thus says the Lord of hosts,
Consider and call for the mourning women, that they may come;
And send for the wailing women, that they may come!
and let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us,
that our eyes may shed tears,
and our eyelids flow with water."
For a voice of wailing is heard from Zion."

"Now hear the voice of the Lord, O you women,
and let your ear receive the word of His mouth;
Teach your daughters wailing,
And everyone her neighbor a dirge.
For death has come up through our windows;
It has entered our palaces
To cut off the children from the streets,
The young men from the town squares."

I would like for us all to focus our prayers this week for our youth and violence. Please pray as the Holy Spirit leads you. I trust the Lord will reveal to many of you the root causes for this. Let's enter into unity with one another and the Lord, praying forth His will on this earth.

Let us pray:

Father, we give You honor and praise and thank You for our precious youth and children. We come before You and humble ourselves, asking You to touch our hearts with the things that touch Your heart. Let Your compassion come to us and our youth. Soften the hearts of families, parents, youth and bring forth a spirit of repentence across our lands. Restore the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers. Come Holy Spirit. Let Your Presence come to this prayer school and guide our prayers. In Jesus' Precious Name. Amen

Please limit your prayer/discussion to the current week's prayer target; please do not pray into or discuss previous week's prayer targets. However, if you have a praise report to answered prayer from a previous week's prayer activity, please feel free to post them any time.