This was the question posed to Timothy Eldred, Executive Director of Christian Endeavor International. Following is a part of his answer.

“The answer is simple, friend. Prayer. We need to raise a generation who knows how to pray and discovers their calling through prayer. In prayer, they will experience God’s power and move forward in His provision to accomplish His will and help build His Kingdom. The Body of Christ needs to stop programming and begin praying!

While the focus is on youth and raising the next generation, the message is true for the entire church. The Body of Christ needs to rediscover prayer. Too long we have tried to program our way to “success” and effectiveness. Christ-followers need to know how to pray. There are several ways to learn – listening to others – reading prayers – but perhaps the best is just to do it.

One of the men I have met with for nearly a year – privately, in a small group and with another new believer – had never prayed (aloud) until last Monday. We had talked about prayer; I had invited him to pray (he declined) and I tried to model prayer – keeping it as simple, not verbose and void of theological jargon.  Monday in the context of our group, he prayed – a prayer from the heart that blessed me. I am confident that as he grows in prayer – private and corporate – he will grow in confidence in Christ.

The men of my home church were men of prayer. When I was a teen, they invited me to be a part of their prayer times. Those prayer times blessed me, encouraged me and help me to grow deeper in my understanding of God and of the nature of prayer.

The disciples evidently saw the importance of prayer – they asked Jesus to teach them to pray.