How to Pray for the EU*

Fiona Smartt, a HGP trainee in 2008-09, suggests four things to remember when praying for the EU.

1. Winning students for Christ
University students are at a stage in life when they are enjoying newfound independence, are making life-shaping decisions about their future, and their values and worldviews are being formed. As a result there is a unique openness to new ideas, and the EU has a wonderful opportunity to proclaim the gospel.

• Give thanks for the many people who have come to know Christ at university.
• Pray that Christian students in EU will have a clear grasp of the gospel and many opportunities to proclaim it clearly and boldly.
• Ask for wisdom and creativity to develop methods of evangelism that will effectively reach his generation of students.

2. Growing Christian students in maturity
In EU we long to see students not only come to know Christ, but also be well grounded in their faith and growing in their love and knowledge of God. Central to this is encouraging Christian students to read and delight in God’s word.

• Ask God for small group Bible studies and public meetings (weekly Bible talks) to be places where EU-ers develop a love of God & His word, a desire to understand it and a commitment to being obedient to what He says.
• Pray that Christian students will develop good habits of personal Bible study and prayer that will stay with them for a lifetime.

3. Challenging Christian students to serve
At EU we want to see students prepare themselves for a lifetime of Christian service, serving God and others with the gifts they have been given.

• Pray that EU-ers will take opportunities to serve on campus, and get good ministry training that helps equip them for a lifetime of serving God.
• Remember the current EU student leaders, some of whom lead faculties or groups that are bigger than the average church congregation. Pray that they will follow Christ’s model and serve with humility and love.

4. Flooding God’s church with Christian leaders
The vision of the EU Graduates Fund is to flood God’s church with mature, servant hearted and innovative Christian leaders. We long to see student graduates along with past and current HGP trainees serving in this way.

• Pray that God will strengthen and encourage the current senior and trainee staff.
• Ask for God’s provision for new HGP trainees next year.
• Pray that HGP trainees and student graduates will serve God’s church in Sydney, Australia and beyond as exemplary Christian leaders.

*This article originally appeared in the Grads Fund newsletter flood April 2009. Contact our administrator if you’d like you to receive our newsletter.