Thank God for the Internet. I have been a computer user longer than some youth pastors have been living, and I am still amazed at the large amounts of information that I can retrieve using the Internet, even sermons. Unfortunately, while I can download a sermon, I cannot download the power of God.

In Ephesians 6, where Paul instructs us to put on the armor of God, much of what he says has to do with protecting ourselves. In verse 17 Paul makes a transition to more of an offensive posture; take “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,” (NKJV). In these two verses Paul links the Word and prayer together. The more I focus on the Word the more I should want to focus on prayer and the more I focus on prayer the more I should focus on the Word.

Dick Eastman expressed it this way, “The degree of my prayer life is often determined by the degree of my confidence in the Bible.” Unfortunately, each of us has probably been guilty at different times in our lives of separating prayer and the Word. During the first ten years of my ministry I served as a senior pastor. Since I had small kids at home, my “serious” praying was always done at the church. When I became District Youth Director, I faced an immediate challenge. Where do I pray?

My work space at the district office was not conducive to prayer. Neither did three noisy kids at home ranging from 5 to ten years old provide an atmosphere conducive for serious prayer. Within a few months I almost dried up spiritually. It was during that time frame that I developed the discipline of early-morning prayer at home. I knew that the power of God comes from His Word and prayer.

Prayer should precede anything I do for God. It’s not asking God to bless my plans but to get His plans. While prayer works, I do not do it simply because it is pragmatic. I pray because God’s Word teaches and commands it. Unfortunately, we have a tendency to focus on what seems to work in ministry rather than follow biblical principles of ministry.

Paul asked the believers to pray “that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,” (Eph 6:19, NKJV). In Colossian 4:3 he asked another group of believers to pray that God would open a door for the Word that he might speak about Christ.

I have to conclude that Paul firmly believed that prayer and the Word were essential in the proclamation of the gospel. I am to pray and then tell.

As a leader there two areas that I should examine. First, my personal life should demonstrate a confidence in prayer and the Word. The more faith I have in God’s Word the more I will pray. Second, the ministry I am called to lead should demonstrate the same confidence as my personal life. Jesus said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations,” (Mark 11:17, NKJV). The word that is translated ‘nations’ is often used to refer to unsaved people. Is my youth ministry known as a place of prayer for unsaved people?

When Paul wrote to young pastor Timothy to give him instructions on the order of worship, he stated, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone,” (1 Timothy 2:1, NIV). Is prayer the priority in my ministry?

In my twenty-seven years of youth ministry I have met some very gifted and skilled youth communicators. However, may we never get to the point where we rely on our skills to communicate to students rather than on the Spirit of God that flows in response to prayer.

As part of the five-fold commitment Campus Missionaries are to pray and tell. May my personal life and public ministry demonstrate that, as a leader, I have made the same commitment myself to pray and tell.

It's actually quite simple! Indy07 is Fine Arts Festival, Campus Tour and an AIM Outreach all wrapped up in one major event - National Youth Convention! The cool thing about this year is that you can totally be involved in all three experiences for the price of one!

Still don't get it? That's okay. We've provided a few sample schedules to help give you a better idea of what Indy07 is and how you can be involved. Don't just attend Indy07 - experience it.