The Prayer Life of a Youth Pastor

I’ve been reading The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson, and two prayer principles hit me right between the eyes: you need to pray through and you need to pray boldly.

I’ll be honest—these aren’t my strong points. I pray for my students. I pray for situations they’re facing. I pray for my own ministry. But if I’m being real, I rarely pray it through. Too often, I drop a situation at God’s feet, check it off the list, and move on to the next need. And bold prayers? I wish I could say I swing for the fences every time I talk to God, but truthfully, I often play it safe.

The problem is that safe prayers don’t require much faith. “God, help Johnny have a good day at school” isn’t bad, but it’s not bold. It’s safe. It doesn’t stretch my faith or expect God to move in ways only He can. I can’t help but wonder how many miracles I’ve missed because I stopped praying too soon—or never prayed big enough in the first place.

Batterson says that “praying through” means you keep praying until God answers—no matter how long it takes. It’s the relentless widow from Luke 18 who refuses to give up. It’s Elijah praying for rain seven times on Mount Carmel before he saw even the smallest cloud. It’s Jacob wrestling with God and saying, “I will not let You go unless You bless me.”

And “praying boldly” is about asking God to do what only He can do—dreaming God-sized dreams and daring to believe He can pull them off. It’s Joshua asking God to make the sun stand still. It’s Peter stepping out of the boat and onto the water. It’s the early church praying for Peter’s release from prison in Acts 12—and being shocked when he actually showed up at the door.

If I’m honest, my prayer life has been more “drive-thru” than “pray through.” I’ve prayed prayers like I’m ordering from a menu—quick, specific, and on to the next thing. But God is calling me (and maybe you too) to linger. To keep circling those prayers in faith until He answers.

Youth ministry is full of challenges that require more than clever ideas or better programming. Students are wrestling with anxiety, identity, temptation, and brokenness. We need God to move in their lives in ways that only He can. And that means we’ve got to start praying with a stubborn faith and a holy boldness.

So here’s my challenge to you—and to myself: Pick one situation in your ministry and pray it through. Keep circling it until God answers. And don’t be afraid to pray boldly. Ask God for the impossible. Believe He can. Then watch how your faith grows when He shows up.

The prayer life of a youth pastor isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being persistent and courageous. Let’s be leaders who refuse to give up and refuse to play it safe. Let’s pray through. Let’s pray boldly. And let’s watch God do what only He can do.

What bold prayer are you praying for? I’m in the trenches with you. Let’s change the atmosphere of our ministries one bold faith-filled prayer at a time.