Let's pass the "Stick"

“And I sought for a man among them….” Ezekiel 22:30
I was still wet behind the ears in ministry. He was the keynote speaker at a small gathering in northern Minnesota; a portly silver hair, who invited us on a sojourn to find the secret of loving God through prayer. The first night he told us that as a young man he had handed God a fragmented list of goals and desires, and He had fused them into a single passion to seek His heart. He told stories about spending hours in prayer, afraid to rise for fear of missing God’s invitation to draw near enough for transformation.
And when he said, “let us pray,”….Oh my…. His words and posture reflected the fire that simmered in the subterranean depths of his convictions, the flame that had consumed his “discretionary time, silly hobbies, and self serving dreams.”
At first I thought he was unbalanced, too radical. But radical means rooted, and this man had learned that a heart depending on God must be rooted and grounded in love. He kept saying over and over, “the portal to love is prayer.” At some point that weekend, I glanced over my shoulder, stretched out my hand, and grabbed the “stick” from Mr. Silver Hair.
“Stick.” It’s a phrase screamed over the deafening crowds in track & field at the moment one runner passes the baton to another. This aged saint had used the entire weekend to cry “stick,” in hopes that someone would respond. I’m sure he left the weekend a bit disappointed. No one went forward. However, sitting in the second row to the left, still in awe over what he had witnessed, a young man decided he would follow this old man’s lead by learning how to pray.
Lets not forget to yell “stick” loud enough for this generation to hear. The world has become deafening.
Here are a few ideas for passing the stick:
Start Well-Seek out students who show a heart to pray-
Focus –Lead them to the scriptures to build conviction to pray
Listen for the steps -Suggest biographies of great men and women of prayer
Grip the stick-Build stamina in God’s presence through extended times of corporate prayer.
Run to Win-Encourage students to begin prayer movements in their schools.