First of all, thank you so much for committing to pray for one of our children attending Kids Camp. Prayer carries us through difficult circumstances, breaks chains of generational sin, opens hearts, and transforms minds. We believe that it is one of the most important and impactful things that we can do for people. It is real, true, powerful ministry. So, thank you!
On this page, you will find some specific ways to pray over the next few weeks as we anticipate all that Jesus has in store for these children.
As you look at this prayer tag think about James 5 which tells us, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Imagine what can happen when a righteous person prays 1, 3, 6, or 10 times a day for a child who is learning about Jesus and hearing the call to enter a life of Kingdom Work. Your prayers will make a difference in this child’s life!
WHAT TO PRAY BEFORE KIDS CAMP
Kamp Khaos theme this summer is “Overcoming Obstacles.” In John 16 Jesus gives an incredible warning and an amazing encouragement to us. John 16.33 reads: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
He warns His disciples that living a life that imitates His will be a life of difficulty and discouragement. But, He challenges His disciples to follow after Him because He has overcome the world! The implication is that just as He has overcome the world, they too, will be able to live lives of power and victory as they are empowered by the Holy Spirit!
What a glorious encouragement from Jesus! And this is no empty promise. Jesus is alive in this world and extends an offer to come, to be unburdened by the troubles of this world, to learn from him, and to find the rest our souls so desperately long for.
At Kamp Khaos this summer, our children will learn how they can live empowered lives of victory and overcome the world by the power of the resurrected Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God.
— We invite you to prayerfully read John 16.33. As you do, try to hold that child’s name in your mind constantly praying that Jesus’s loving sacrifice for their sins would be made clearer to them in these coming days. Pray that student would see that when Jesus declared that “it is finished” as he took his last breath on the cross, it was a declaration to a weary and burdened world that the heavy lifting was over. Repeat this exercise weekly until your church departs for camp.
— Also pray that in this time leading up to camp, that God would protect their hearts and minds. The evil one is here to steal, kill, and destroy. He would love to hinder each student’s experience with the worship, community, and truth that God has in store for them.
WHAT TO PRAY DURING KIDS CAMP
Alright! They’re in the van headed to Kamp Khaos. Below are some specific prayer prompts that you can pray each day. (You don’t have to pray for all of these each day, but choose a few each day.)
- Pray for the safety/health of students & leaders as they travel and throughout the week as they engage in physical activities and games.
- Some children experience “home sickness” especailly if this is their first time away from home for an extended period. Pray that they may be able to work through their anxiety and their sponsors will have the tenderness to wisdom to help them navigate through this.
- Kids at camp often fail to eat or drink enough water. Pray that they will listen to their adult sponsors as they encourage them to eat and drink.
- Pray for the removal of distractions & hindrances to hearing from God and receiving His word & worship.
- At the end of a long and fun-filled day, children can still be full of energy and over-stimulated. They do not realize how tired they are, or how tired their sponsors are. Pray that they may go too sleep and listen to their sponsors who are encouraging them to sleep.
- Pray & intercede that the enemy would not find a foothold to distract, disrupt, or discourage the children from responding to God.
- Pray for students to hear & respond to the gospel & place their faith in Jesus.
- Pray for a lasting desire for God & spiritual hunger for discipleship & growth among our children.
- Pray for children to be challenged, convicted, & energized in their faith.
- Pray for the adult leaders to build meaningful relationships & guide the children to spiritual growth in Christ.
- Adult volunteers will be expending a tremendous amount of emotional, spiritual, and physical energy. Pray for physical energy & bodily health to support ministering to the children & participating in all retreat activities.
WHAT TO PRAY AFTER KIDS CAMP
Well, that’s it. The kids are loading up and heading home. This can be a time of a lot of conflicting feelings for children. They don’t want to leave camp, but they’re excited to see their friends and family back home. They don’t want to stop drinking from the firehose that they’ve had this week, but they’re excited to put into practice all that the Lord has placed on their hearts. They don’t want to return to the “real world”, but they are excited to be a part of God’s plan for redeeming this world. They can simultaneously be excited, sad, emboldened, and scared. This is pretty common for anyone coming down from a mountain-top experience. But the truth is, we weren’t meant to live on the mountaintop. They’re small, have no water, and no people. While mountain tops are great, the majority of our lives are spent in valleys. While God shows us His glory and majesty on the mountaintop, He shows us His love and mercy in the valleys. As our kids come down from the mountaintop, pray that…
- They would not be discouraged by the valley feeling “different” than the mountaintop but instead would experience God’s love and mercy in new and beautiful ways.
- They would stay connected to their church over the next few months, remembering that they need their church, and their church needs them.
- They would have God’s eyes to see the lost and hurting around them.
- They would be committed to lives of Kingdom Work.