High School Students’ Lives Changed by Prayer

How can we even begin to fathom the power behind prayer?

I’m a mom of three school-age children. I’ve been praying with a Moms in Prayer (MIP) group for more than a decade in San Diego, CA. This past year, as the detrimental impacts of the pandemic continue to be revealed in our schools, our MIP group felt inspired to pray that we would recognize where and how we could help increase God’s presence on campus.

We knew a small group gathered weekly on our public high school campus as part of Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). This past April 2022 our MIP group committed to meeting with FCA leaders to pray and understand their needs. Also, we began to sponsor pizza at the FCA weekly lunch meetings on campus.

Word got out – pizza & Jesus – and a group of 12 students grew to 20, then 30, and by the end of the year, the club had close to 40 teens in attendance.

We began mentoring student leaders with outreach strategies and a new social media page emerged, helping inform the high school student body of FCA events on campus.

By the end of the summer, our praying moms gathered for a backyard BBQ. We invited coaches, teachers, students, and families who were interested in learning more about FCA. We met moms who wanted to pray and kids who wanted to be included.

To kick off the school year for FCA we partnered with a local Chick-fil-A for food and asked former NFL player and pastor of the Rock Church, Miles McPherson, to speak at lunch in the gym. The message went out on social media in advance and we prayed.

On that Tuesday I arrived with a stack of pizzas hopeful we’d be feeding the masses but truthfully, uncertain of what to expect. We met the school administrators and coaches, Pastor Miles and his team, along with the North San Diego FCA leadership. We all walked into an empty gym and waited for the lunch period to begin.

The bell rang and one by one they filed into the gym. Chicken sandwiches quickly vanished and the pizza was gone, but the kids kept coming. My praying heart was filled with hope.

Pastor Miles had the students take their seats in the bleachers. His message was powerful and relatable. Then he asked those who felt moved to join him in the sinner’s prayer.

After the prayer, Pastor Miles asked anyone who had prayed to stand. Being a mom of teenagers and well aware of the social anxiety and insecurities of high schoolers, I was hoping perhaps a handful would be brave enough to get to their feet.

My heart began racing and I was choking back tears as I watched nearly every one of the 200 students stand up in the bleachers.

What an overwhelming sight to behold! Praise Jesus!

The FCA lunch club continues to meet weekly. Our Moms in Prayer group continues to support FCA with food and prayer. We may never understand this side of heaven what’s at stake when we pray. I imagine the impact is far greater than we can comprehend. But I know this for certain…with every prayer God hears us, He is moving, and we are making an eternal investment in the next generation.

How have you seen God work through praying for your children in school and their friends?

Moms in Prayer

• New to Moms in Prayer? How to get started
• SHARE this blog – click on a social media icon on screen
• Support Our Mission

Monica Dean is an Emmy award winning anchor/reporter for NBC 7 San Diego where she has worked for the past 18 years. Monica anchors NBC 7’s weekday newscasts at 4 & 5PM. She is a career storyteller and truth seeker. Most recently Monica led a year-long investigation for an NBC 7 documentary series titled, “STOLEN,” focusing on the sex trafficking of children in San Diego and beyond. Monica and her team have been honored with NBC 7’s first ever National Edward R. Murrow Award, along with a Golden Mike Award, three regional Murrow Awards and five Emmy Awards for their work on the trafficking docuseries.

Monica is passionate about faith, family and community. She is married and has three school-age children, all of whom are active in their community church. Monica regularly emcees events for a list of non-profit organizations including several that support children, sex trafficking survivors, and emergency preparedness/response. Monica also enjoys serving the community through regular volunteerism and motivational speaking. Connect with Monica: Twitter: @MonicaNBCSD Facebook: facebook.com/monica.dean Instatagram: @MonicaNBCSD