When Ana was just 15 years old, she went to a Christian youth conference where she heard about the Prayer Triplet Strategy. This is a way to get teens praying together for their school. Ana decided to trust God to provide two friends to form a prayer triplet. Two of Ana's friends agreed to join with her, spending 20 minutes a week praying for the campus. Every time they met they asked the Lord to allow everyone at their school to hear the gospel. Within one month of praying as a triplet, Ana and her friends saw God answer. Their whole school heard the gospel through an assembly program where a former professional athlete spoke. God responded miraculously, answering Ana's prayer.
"Great idea," you may be thinking, "but how do I get started?" After you grab your two friends (triplet) take a look at these ideas and pray for the students at your campus and yourself:
Prayer Triplet Strategy
- First 5 minutes - Worship the Lord.
Tell the Lord how great He is. Use a song or psalm you know. Thank Him that He gives you the victory. Thank Him for all He means to you.
- Next 5 minutes - Pray for one another.
Each person should pray for the others, asking God to help them become more like Jesus. Ask that God would meet their specific needs, and ask God to make each a witness for Jesus Christ. Share any other specific requests before you begin your 20-minute prayer time.
- Next 5 minutes - Pray for friends and school.
Each should pray for three non-Christian friends, for them to become more open to God, and that they will become followers of Jesus. Ask God to help each to share Jesus with these friends.
- Last 5 minutes - Pray for spiritual awakening.
The whole group should pray for a greater openness toward God, for those on your campuses, in your nation, and throughout the world.
When the 3 of you meet together to pray, you are asking God to change the lives of 9 of your friends. If that happens you will have the beginning of a spiritual revolution on your campus. Imagine what could happen when all the other Christians on your campus begin to pray like this. It will change your school in ways you never imagined!
Will you and two friends take the challenge?
Got Prayer?
Here's more prayer ideas for your triplet!
- Each day of the week, select a different prayer target or strategy:
- Pray for the people who sit to the right, left, front and back of you in every class you have today.
- Pray for your teacher in each class you have today.
- Choose an attribute of God (such as His love or mercy); thank Him for it and how He shows it to you.
- Every time the bell rings, pray for a Christian friend. Ask that your friend grows deeper in the Lord and for that person to be a light in the world by sharing about their faith in God.
- Select any topic you want and pray in whatever creative way the Lord gives.
- Pray with friends through pages in the yearbook (maybe one page per week).
- Do a "Jericho Walk" around your school; claim your campus for Jesus Christ.
- Have a Friday evening (or some other time) of "Pizza and Prayer;" ask a student to do a devotional and then lead the group in prayer.
- Pick a day or a meal of the week to fast and pray for your campus.
- Create a prayer web page where others could find requests and praises.
- Participate in "See You at the Pole" and keep praying at the pole once a week or once a month.
- Help your Bible study or group to create a "Prayer on a Rope." Ask everyone to write prayer requests on a 3" x 5" card. Photocopy the list and bring it the next week. Put each copy individually into zip-lock bags. Tie a piece of yarn through holes you punch in the bag (above the seal) and hang the "Prayer on a Rope" in your shower. Pray for a different person each day in the shower.
- Create a Prayer Slide Show. To help your group pray, select themes such as international, nature (to praise the Lord), urban, or local high schools (include students, teachers, extracurricular groups).
- Host an Area Prayer Breakfast where teens and adults from local churches gather to pray for their teens and schools.
- Be a Prayer Traveler. Select different locations on a map to where your group should travel by carloads, then pray. Some destinations could include high schools, local hospitals, City/County jail, local teen hangout, malls, courthouse, Congressional offices, and churches.
More Prayer Resources:
Prayer Portions by Sylvia Gunter, P. O. Box 888014, Atlanta, GA, 30356, USA
Youth Ministry Foundations by David J. Garda and SonLife Ministries 800-770-GROW
Let Prayer Change Your Life by Becky Tirabassi (Zondervan Publishers)
Touch the World Through Prayer by Wesley Duewell (Zondervan Publishers)
Too Busy Not to Pray: Slowing Down to Be With God by Bill Hybels (IVP)
With Christ in the School of Prayer by Andrew Murray (Zondervan)
Fire in Your Heart by Sammy Tippit (Moody)
*These ideas are compliments of SonLife Ministries and their "Foundations" handbook.