When the usually cheerful Meredith* arrived at the discipleship group looking distraught, everyone noticed the missing smile on her face. After worship, the students divided into groups of five to six to share and pray for each other. As they shared their prayer requests, Meredith burst into tears and poured out her heart to the members of her small group.
At the end of the group prayer, Sarah, an older student who hadn't heard of Meredith’s plight, independently sensed God’s leading to pray for Meredith. So she asked the larger discipleship group members to pray.
The entire group surrounded Meredith asking God to comfort her, her family, for their safety and for His provisions, and that God would continue to work in their lives. After prayer, as the group left for their homes, Meredith walked out of the room feeling comforted and with her usual smile restored.
It wasn’t until later Meredith shared that while her mother was walking home from the church alone the previous evening, a man had threatened to attack her. In response, her mother prayed out loud, and the man stopped in his tracks. Meredith’s mother was shaken, but physically unharmed.
We are thankful for God’s hand of protection over Meredith’s mother and thankful for the sense of community that our students are finding in the discipleship group. Our goal is to create a safe place in which students can openly share their struggles and concerns. We are also in awe of how God is growing students like Sarah to be bold and act on what He is revealing them.
*Name changed to protect privacy