Thousands of students sought prayer as they explored how they could be part of God’s mission in the world and how to “live a life worthy of the calling” (Ephesians 4:1, NIV) during Urbana 06, InterVarsity’s 21st Student Missions Convention in St. Louis, MO, from December 27-31, 2006.
Attendees had the opportunity to participate in prayer ministry sessions twice each afternoon. Each day, a specific prayer focus was highlighted: Barriers to Intimacy with God, Hearing and Responding to God’s Call, Sex and Sexuality: Brokenness and Healing, and Family Issues: Brokenness and Hope.
On Thursday afternoon, during the session on Barriers to Intimacy with God, participants packed the auditorium. Only standing room remained as 500 students attended the first session, and an additional 750 attendees participated in the second session. Students received healing and restoration from God as they prayed with InterVarsity staff members at the front of the room, forming a semi-circle of prayer friends around the edges of the room.
Ita Fischer addressed the issue of healing from sexual brokenness on Saturday as she asked those assembled, “Who or what is enslaving you?” She invited the audience to reflect on the following questions: “Is there a particular person your life revolves around whose affirmation means more than breathing?” “Do you think about an issue or problem so much you are paralyzed and can’t do anything about it?”
As she spoke about her own struggles with homosexuality, she exhorted that “the fact that God doesn’t heal people instantaneously does not diminish God’s power or who he is.”
Rick Richardson then told students that, “God loves you because He loves you.” and “God created you to be you,” as he shared how the Good News of Jesus Christ heals and frees us. He challenged Christians to, “show what the Gospel does and not just what it says.”
God wants to restore and heal our brokenness that comes through barriers to intimacy, barriers to finding and pursuing a career, barriers to healing from sexual brokenness, and barriers to family reconciliation. We also need to be willing to forgive others and ourselves. “We’re not called upon to be successful people of God, we’re called to be faithful,” Rick said as students sat together praying in their seats, adding that “We choose to meet our God-given needs in God-glorifying ways.”
