PRAYING YOUR WAY THROUGH COLLEGE
Graduation season has begun, and already you see in the streets of New York City all kinds of people parading in the streets with the distinctive gowns from the most prestigious universities in the city. I remember that when my wife graduated, both from her bachelor's at LIU, and her masters at Columbia, everyone will congratulate her in the streets for her achievements. A sense of pride captures everyone and words of encouragement such as Dr. Zeus "Oh , the places you'll go", become usual and feed unto that excitement. It feels great! However, in order to get there, you first must go through four years, sometimes more, of intense commitment, and as a Christian, intense persecution.
Currently, I know a lot of young Christians who are going to college, including myself, and encounter many ideological obstacles. For instance, evolution reigns in every science classroom and Freud and his theories challenge values in every social science lecture. What is its purpose? To make sure that every student is indoctrinated in such a way that they could become the greatest leaders of the future! Students are fed with humanism and with the belief that there is no God, resulting in the assurance that morals are established by those who have acquired a higher education rather than a Mighty Creator.Therefore, a young christian encounters, not only these teachings, but also classmates who have already given in to the system and will challenge anyone who believes differently with astonishing confidence. If anyone tries to be different and to act, think or even speak against these beliefs, they are going to be rejected and criticized; and their values are going to be diminished. It is inevitable for a young person to face doubt and to feel discouraged. However, the purpose of this post is to encourage you to be different. When someone is different, it can also stir people’s hearts to wonder what is it that you have.In the Bible we see how the young Daniel was taken to the kingdom of Babylon to be taught of all the costumes and sciences of the time. As his story develops, Daniel, through some miracle events, becomes one of the greatest of his time and of the kingdom and we learn how he withstood even the fiercest persecution bringing glory to God and allowing the whole kingdom to respect and honor his God. How did he do it? He decided not to contaminate himself with anything from the kingdom and make sure his superiors knew it (Daniel 1:8); and he constantly prayed and fasted (Daniel 9:3), specially in hard times (Daniel 6:10); HE PRAYED HARD! Being in college is difficult, but it is the perfect place to start change and to get closer to your Savior. Just as with Daniel, God can use you to bring truth to the people you know and to impact others by the way you live. Many times it has a happened to me that before a class I have the necessity to pray and ask God to give me understanding and true wisdom, which only comes from Him, to stand firm in my beliefs. We have to act and talk as those who are children of God; and above all, we need to pray so that God can bring salvation to everyone around us.See college as a field prepared for the seeds of the gospel.
One day I was praying for my food in the cafeteria at my school, and just when I finished, a guy in front of me looked at me perplexed and asked if I was praying. I said yes, and with a smile he said: “I’ve only seen this in the movies!” Perfect moment to share the gospel. Believe me when I say there are a lot of people in your campus who believe the same things you do, but who are in the same boat of doubt. Look for them,pray for each other, encourage each other, and don’t be afraid of speaking up against what you know is wrong.
Graduation season has begun, and already you see in the streets of New York City all kinds of people parading in the streets with the distinctive gowns from the most prestigious universities in the city. I remember that when my wife graduated, both from her bachelor's at LIU, and her masters at Columbia, everyone will congratulate her in the streets for her achievements. A sense of pride captures everyone and words of encouragement such as Dr. Zeus "Oh , the places you'll go", become usual and feed unto that excitement. It feels great! However, in order to get there, you first must go through four years, sometimes more, of intense commitment, and as a Christian, intense persecution.
Currently, I know a lot of young Christians who are going to college, including myself, and encounter many ideological obstacles. For instance, evolution reigns in every science classroom and Freud and his theories challenge values in every social science lecture. What is its purpose? To make sure that every student is indoctrinated in such a way that they could become the greatest leaders of the future! Students are fed with humanism and with the belief that there is no God, resulting in the assurance that morals are established by those who have acquired a higher education rather than a Mighty Creator.Therefore, a young christian encounters, not only these teachings, but also classmates who have already given in to the system and will challenge anyone who believes differently with astonishing confidence. If anyone tries to be different and to act, think or even speak against these beliefs, they are going to be rejected and criticized; and their values are going to be diminished. It is inevitable for a young person to face doubt and to feel discouraged. However, the purpose of this post is to encourage you to be different. When someone is different, it can also stir people’s hearts to wonder what is it that you have.In the Bible we see how the young Daniel was taken to the kingdom of Babylon to be taught of all the costumes and sciences of the time. As his story develops, Daniel, through some miracle events, becomes one of the greatest of his time and of the kingdom and we learn how he withstood even the fiercest persecution bringing glory to God and allowing the whole kingdom to respect and honor his God. How did he do it? He decided not to contaminate himself with anything from the kingdom and make sure his superiors knew it (Daniel 1:8); and he constantly prayed and fasted (Daniel 9:3), specially in hard times (Daniel 6:10); HE PRAYED HARD! Being in college is difficult, but it is the perfect place to start change and to get closer to your Savior. Just as with Daniel, God can use you to bring truth to the people you know and to impact others by the way you live. Many times it has a happened to me that before a class I have the necessity to pray and ask God to give me understanding and true wisdom, which only comes from Him, to stand firm in my beliefs. We have to act and talk as those who are children of God; and above all, we need to pray so that God can bring salvation to everyone around us.See college as a field prepared for the seeds of the gospel.
One day I was praying for my food in the cafeteria at my school, and just when I finished, a guy in front of me looked at me perplexed and asked if I was praying. I said yes, and with a smile he said: “I’ve only seen this in the movies!” Perfect moment to share the gospel. Believe me when I say there are a lot of people in your campus who believe the same things you do, but who are in the same boat of doubt. Look for them,pray for each other, encourage each other, and don’t be afraid of speaking up against what you know is wrong.
PRAY YOUR WAY THROUGH COLLEGE!
This summer, we will be celebrating one of my friends' graduation from Penn State University. This post is dedicated to her and to everyone I know who has made it through college and who have valiantly stayed firm in their believes allowing others to know about Jesus through their testimony.
I would like to recommend a ministry that is called Change Collegian Network. This ministry has been specifically created to equip campuses around the country to preach and defend the faith effectively. Here is the website http://www.changeyourcampus.com/
This summer, we will be celebrating one of my friends' graduation from Penn State University. This post is dedicated to her and to everyone I know who has made it through college and who have valiantly stayed firm in their believes allowing others to know about Jesus through their testimony.
I would like to recommend a ministry that is called Change Collegian Network. This ministry has been specifically created to equip campuses around the country to preach and defend the faith effectively. Here is the website http://www.changeyourcampus.com/
