Concert of Prayer

Each year I try to journey up to Sonday's Camp our annual youth camp.  It is a long journey but well worth it.  I have timed my visits to be a part of the Concert of Prayer.  On Thursday morning of camp, the sound of a lone bagpipe player signals that it is time to gather in the Worship Center.  Each church journeys from their cabin to the Worship Center in complete silence.  The only sound other than the bagpipes are the sounds of hundreds of feet walking the streets and gravel drive ways of the camp.

Once inside there is a time of praise and worship but then for the next 2 hours kids pray.  It is pretty amazing.  There is guidance and direction on specific things to pray, in groups or individually, by school and by church.  I listened to sounds of hundreds of teenagers praying.  Though there often were tears and struggles being dealt with it was a joyful noise to hear them all praying at the same time.  They bring so many problems and struggles.  It is hard being a teenager these days.

At one point I got to stand right in front of the stage on the front row.  I looked out on this huge audience of students as they sang an updated version of the old hymn, "Jesus Paid it All."  It gave me hope.  There are so many problems in this world and even in these young lives but God is also at work. And He is doing a great and everlasting work, from generation to generation - He is faithful.  The problems of the world don't seem so big when you watch around a thousand kids pray.  You feel the presence of God.  He is with us, even in the problems.

For the journey...