Meeting new students and getting them involved in The Navigators seemed daunting last fall, with no in-person gatherings. Tom Weiner and the team at University of Hawaii turned to Instagram to connect with incoming freshmen and prayed for results. And they ended up with twice as many freshmen as usual involved in Bible studies. Praise God for answered prayers!
Last year, Kristina, a student leader with Navigators Collegiate at University of Hawaii invited Bethany* to meet with her and get to know her. Bethany was connected with The Navigators but didn’t really know much about Jesus. They started to read and discuss the Gospel of John during their times together. Since then, Bethany has continued to seek God and take steps toward faith in God. She participates in Zoom Nav Nights (which include Bible study).
A few days before Kristina decided to reach out to Bethany, Tom Weiner (Navigators Collegiate) sent a quick email to his prayer supporters, asking them to pray for students who didn’t yet know Jesus, including Bethany.
A foundation of prayer has been part of Tom’s faith journey since he was a young believer involved in Navigators Collegiate at University of Texas. “Being able to pray with others for our campus was both informative and transformative. I learned that God is eager to answer our prayers. I remember Tom Yeakley (a longtime Navigator) talking about praying impossible prayers. After more than a decade, I see how God is answering these prayers for my family.”
Tom has a dedicated prayer team of several hundred people who specifically pray for his ministry. “When I first started on staff, I struggled with keeping my supporters informed. I decided to shift my focus from large newsletters to short, weekly emails with one story and a few prayer points. God is answering these specific prayers!”
PRAY that God would connect more students like Bethany to disciplemakers who can point them to Jesus.
*Name changed.
Janice, thank you. I know prayers for each other are so important. We need to be doing more of this – Colossians 1 tells us to “pray for one another”
I join Michele in praying for her family members who do not know the Lord as I pray for members in my family in the same situation. We serve a mighty God-a Miracle Worker! He does not wish that any would perish but that all might come to faith. As Michele said, when we lose friends or family who know the Lord, we do not mourn as those who have no faith, but we understand that they have gone to be with the Lord. This is our comfort, our hope.
I WILL pray for Bethany. I know (believe and trust) that God wants us to pray for one another. My Mom just went home to be with the Lord. At the funeral, it was apparent which family members had accepted Jesus as Lord and which didn’t have a relationship with Him. Some of the grandkids were devastated that their Grandma (Grammy) had died. They repeatedly said, “I can not believe I ‘Lost’ my Grammy” I smiled and said, “I didn’t ‘lose’ her – I know where she went and Who she is with now.”
I’ll pray for Bethany, can you join me in praying for my family members who haven’t accepted Jesus in their lives yet? There is a Time for Everything: “…a time to be born and a time to die” and we’re all going to die. When we step from this life, we can step into the everlasting life that Jesus promised us (or, well, we all know the alternative)
In Christ’s love and mine, too.
I pray that students will be connected. Scripture memorization has been insturmental in my growth as a christian.
Prayers.for God to lead more students to disciplemakers and prayers for Bethany! Glory to God Most High Amen