Columbus Day Retreat Prayer Stations

We had our campers go on a guided prayer journey with their counselors Saturday night. Here are the instructions for the seven stations we left the leaders.

THE CROSS - Christ Jesus paid for the debt of our sin. In this exercise each member of your group should write the sin patterns of their life onto a provided receipt. When the receipts are filled in, have your students fold over their receipt and pass it closed to their neighbor. Each member of your cabin should pray for the peer, thanking God for the gift that paid for the sins listed. Finally, have the student staple their friends sins to the cross as a reminder.

THE BLINDFOLD -Each of your students should cover their eyes with one of the provided blindfolds. After all eyes are covered, place the object in the teens hands. At this point encourage them to feel the object and decided whether to consume the object or not. If only some or none of your students will taste the object allow a few to see it and provide counsel about the object. After you have encouraged your campers to eat the object, work with them to understand how we TRUST God even when we can not “See” where he is taking us for His blessing.

THE PRAYER CIRCLE -Have each student reach into the bucket and draw out a name. Go around the circle and have each person pray for the person whose name they drew. Before praying talk about what things you should pray for. After the prayer, discuss together how they feel about some person offering up prayers for them.

THE CINDER -Have your students attempt to hold one of the provided Cinder blocks out away from the body for an entire minute. After all the students in your group have failed this task, this time start the process over however a friend or 2 or 3 share the weight of the burden. After discussing together the parallel between the shared weight of the Cinder block, and the shared weight of our sin patters. Also note our need for Christian community to share the burdens of our fallen nature. Conclude by having a member of your cabin pray for the sense of community of your group, both here and upon their return home.

AMERICA -This should be a celebration of both the positive acts of our nation and community on our lives, but also a frank discussion of the negative parts of our culture that distract us as God peoples. Together the group should discuss their connection to our culture, and give thanks to God for his choice in placing us here as a people. But also repent of the ways we have allowed our country and culture to be an idol in his place. Pray together for our leaders, our future, our relationship in the world, our soldiers, and ALL the moral decisions facing us as a people globally, nationally, and personally.

THE ART - Here is construction paper and art supplies. As you read the supplied verses have your campers illustrate the ideas God places into their minds. Work together to find the meaning of the message to your campers. Pray that God will lead them to experience the path he has planned out for them to take.

Isaiah 11:1-9 - A shoot will come up from the stump of jesse; from his roots a branch will bear fruit, The spirit of the lord will rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the spirit of counsel and of power, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the lord.

He will no judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together and the lion will eat straw like the ox, the infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Gen 12:2-3 - I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

Matt 5:3-12 - Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for the will be filled. Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for there is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Acts 5:41-42 - The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

THE WALL - Have your students find a photograph in the magazines provided that represents a major idol in their lives. Encourage the students to share the reason for their photo choice. Glue the pictures on to the wall. Have a student our two BREAK THROUGH the wall creating a hole where your pictures were, with the provided hammer, to illustrate how we must remove those idols, to create a hole where our faith can begin to experience freedom. Pray over the students, that they would break the their wall of idolatry to move into a greater sense of freedom with God.