My wife and I were discipling two young boys in our youth group for about four weeks, and we would meet every Wednesday evening. We would gather and teach them out of the Bible and give them practical steps for how to live out their faith the following week.
One of the boys came early to our last meeting time, and within a few minutes of talking with him he revealed that his lower back had been in a lot of pain recently. I saw this as a great opportunity for God’s power to be displayed. However, this time it felt different — almost as if God wanted to teach me something new through this.
One of our youth leaders came this particular week with two of her children. When they walked through the door I instantly knew what God was up to. I asked the children if they would like to pray for the older boy’s back that was hurting. The responses were mixed — one was hesitant, while the other was literally jumping up and down with joy at the idea. We walked over to the older boy, and I told them that they would be praying, not I. At this point the hesitant child backed off, unsure of how to respond.
The child who was joyful to pray, who was a first-grader by the way, asked, “What do I do?” I told him to place his hands on the other boy’s back. He did so, while giggling away. I then told him that I would lead him in what to say, and all he had to do was repeat after me. His soft voice echoing mine brought the entire room to silence.
“Back, be healed in the name of Jesus.” That’s all he said. Nothing wildly profound or lengthy.
After the last word left his mouth he looked at me with mile-wide eyes, almost as if he had just awoken from a dream. I then asked the older boy how his back was doing. “There is absolutely no pain anymore. I felt it leave my body when he prayed.” the older boy said. The younger boys jaw quite literally dropped in shock. In response to what had just happened I told him this, “Do you know what just happened? God just used you to heal his back.”
He pointed at his chest and said, “God used me?”
“Yes, He did,” I replied, “and He wants to keep doing that.”
After a few seconds of introspection the younger boy wildly erupted in celebration. He was shouting joyously at the top of his lungs. He was dancing and jumping around the room.
Never before have I seen such a genuine response to the power of God being displayed. To this day that young boy’s life is radically marked by a passion and love for God.
I want you to consider what a friend of mine would say: “Do you see the children?” Consider how we can raise up a younger generation to simplistically walk step-in-step with the Holy Spirit. After all, there is no Junior Holy Spirit. The same Spirit that rose Christ from the dead lives in the old and young alike.