Continuing my What I’m Praying series… a few weeks ago, The Prayer Room wrapped our spring Forerunner Music Academy. I’m sad that it’s over, but I’m excited that the end of one thing means the beginning of something else–on May 26, we launched our summer Immerse internship for young adults! Just in the past couple of years since I stepped into this position, I’ve led 20+ young adults through this internship. Some have planted a house of prayer, some have become full-time missionaries, some have joined volunteer staff or at least stayed committed to the house of prayer at some level, and all were strengthened by their time here.

Over the years The Prayer Room has seen so many young adults come through our doors, encounter Jesus in the place of prayer, and find an entirely new trajectory for their lives. It’s my favorite thing when God sends us people who just got saved, and now their foundational concept of Christianity is a lifestyle of prayer and being part of the big-picture Story of God.

Over the past few weeks, our rapid fire topic that we pray at the end of every prayer room set has been variations of this same theme: for God to draw young adults into His house and encounter them deeply. We have one of the biggest colleges in Texas right down the street from us (UTA), and this is a golden opportunity to see young adults fall in love with Jesus and get set on fire for His presence–but GOD has to draw them in, and then He has to touch their hearts.

This is a two-fold drawing: first, for God to draw them in the door, and two, for Him to draw their hearts deep into His heart.

“Draw me after you; let us run. The king has brought me into his chambers.”
(Song of Solomon 1:4)

For Immerse this summer, six young adults have been successfully “drawn” to say yes to the program! Whenever people do an internship or a school like this, they all come seeking God at some level, but they’re all in different places along their journey and all have different expectations of what the program will be like.

I remember one guy, Francisco, who came into an internship trying to get a foundation in his relationship with God. He struggled a bit at first with letting himself be vulnerable in a community that was so intensely relational and loving (TPR is not an easy place to hide!). Over time, as the love of the Father and the love of this community washed over him, he became a different person. He opened up, made deep friendships, fell in love with Jesus and the prayer room, and got anchored in this family. He joined volunteer staff and was a pillar of this house, pouring out and serving at every opportunity, even while being a full-time social worker. After nearly a year and a half with us, Francisco quit his job and moved to Kansas City to be a student at the music school at the International House of Prayer University, where he’s now going into his sophomore year. Everyone there loves him, and he is a bright light of joy, servanthood, and love wherever he goes!

Francisco was transformed by the love of God, to such an extent that he shifted the entire trajectory of his life to chase everything God has for him and to be part of the Story of what God is doing in this generation. I believe that God wants to perform similarly radical transformations in the lives of countless young adults in prayer rooms all over the world.

When I first did my internship at IHOPKC in 2012 (read the story on the My Story page), I was already in love with the presence of God and knew that I was marked as a “Mary of Bethany” to sit at His feet and pour out my costly offering of love. However, I had no real direction in life. I had graduated college and didn’t feel peace about pursuing my field of study, so I had a really boring backup plan that I kind of hated and was really in need of direction.

Really, what I needed was vision. I needed a mission, a big Story to throw my life into. I needed my horizons expanded to see the bigger prophetic picture. I wrote in my journal that I was “waiting for my revolution.” In 2012, I found my revolution, and it was called the global end-time prayer movement.

In a five-month internship (and especially one specific night in the prayer room), my life was hijacked into the dream of God for the climax of history and the return of Jesus. I believe that God wants to hijack so many more of this generation into His big Story– the end-time prayer/worship/missions movement that will give Jesus His inheritance and usher in His literal bodily return to the planet.

So this is what we’re praying– that God would draw young adults into His house and draw them deep into encounters with Him that would change their lives forever.

God, draw young adults into our prayer rooms. Sovereignly get them in the door, and then tenderly draw their hearts deep into You. Let them fall in love with Jesus and catch a vision to throw their lives completely into what You’re doing.