When Nehemiah heard of the decline of the people of Israel–their community and their structures–his heart was broken. He waited upon God in prayer for four months before springing into action. More than likely, he gathered a community to call out to God with him. And he went on to take bold steps of faith that led to the flourishing of God’s people.
Without a season of rest and prayer, we run the real danger of thinking we control ministry, which leads to burn out. Or, we slip into a kind of numbness where critical moments pass us by and we’re not tuned into what God’s doing. We need to be reminded that this is his work and his ministry–he wants to do the heavy lifting and invites us into how he is advancing his kingdom on campus.
So before we plan barbecues and welcome tables to meet new students & faculty, we have a great opportunity to spiritually prepare for New Student Outreach. This guide will use Nehemiah’s spiritual preparation as a guide, walking you through four ways of engaging in prayer to prepare for NSO:
- Musical worship and prayer
- Confession and repentance
- Fasting
- Intercession
Take the ideas in the document and customize them to your own context and gather your ministry partners to pray for your campuses. May God fill us with the same courage and faith as Nehemiah to take bold steps of faith as we pray together for this Fall!
View Prayer Guide for NSO (pdf)
View Prayer Guide for NSO (docx)
