Children and Youth Lead on the National Day of Prayer

Young Believers Boldly Lead in Worship and Prayer

"One generation shall praise Your works to another,

And shall declare Your mighty acts."

Psalm 145:4 NAS

Levi Graves, 15, prays over the 61 ninth graders gathered to pray on the National Day of Prayer at Ada Junior High School in Ada, Oklahoma.

The National Day of Prayer invites millions of Americans into united prayer, unlike any other church service or celebration – on this day, EVERYONE gathers to pray. Young and old, people in big cities and rural towns, gathering in parks, government buildings, schools, and everything in between.

We invite you to enjoy two Glory Stories of the Lord moving through young believers!

Ada, Oklahoma

While many 14- and 15-year-olds would normally spend their lunch period chatting about upcoming tests, worrying about homework assignments, or catching up on text messages, 61 ninth graders in Ada, Oklahoma took time out of their lunch period to participate in the National Day of Prayer. They didn’t just talk about prayer or listen to an adult teach on prayer – they ran right into the presence of God in prayer themselves!

Ada Junior High ninth grader Levi Graves began the gathering by praying over the entire group of students assembled in the gymnasium, and then directed the students to break into smaller groups of 10 or less to pray on different topics of interest and need. These students lifted up their friends and peers, their school, churches in the community, and many other areas in prayer, pouring out to the God of hope and trusting that He would fill every need in each area.

Ninth graders at Ada Junior High break into huddles to pray for their school and community.

Sixty-one ninth graders gather during their lunch period to unite in prayer on the National Day of Prayer.

Levi Graves leads a group of his fellow ninth graders in prayer.

Ada Junior High School is located in Ada, Oklahoma, a town of less thank 20,000 residents.

This National Day of Prayer gathering was a new expression in a movement of God that these students have been experiencing in recent months. Last year as eighth graders, Levi Graves and two of his friends, Jake and Carson, felt the Lord leading them to start a weekly Bible Club during their lunch period. It quickly grew from averaging 30 students to 50 students each week!

Levi and his friends don’t have a gimmick or special incentive to get their peers to join them – the young men simply take turns giving a devotion and sharing the Gospel while they eat lunch together.

This year in 9^th grade, the Tuesday Bible Club meetings have continued to grow in number and in power, averaging 60 to 70 students joining each week. Before the National Day of Prayer, the Bible Club saw six students respond to the Gospel and pray to receive Christ as their Savior!

Leading up the 2025 National Day of Prayer, Levi and the Bible Club leaders encouraged their peers to join the special prayer gathering by word of mouth and handed out flyers to remind everyone of the different meeting day. Their prayer gathering was a time to respond God in their growing faith journeys, applying all they had learned in their devotions to glorify God and increase their hope in Him by pouring out the desires of their hearts: to see God bring salvations and transformation to their school and city.

Just this week on Tuesday, May 13^th, at the last Bible Club of the school year, Levi was able to lead a young man to the Lord, who became the seventh student to make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ at Bible Club this school year!

These students are already seeing God answer their prayers, just as the theme verse says, they are being, “filled with all joy and peace in believing!”

Levi Graves was also featured in the 2025 National Day of Prayer Broadcast pouring out in prayer throughout the program. We praise God for raising up young leaders and evangelists!

Atlanta, Georgia

A children’s choir led worship at the Georgia Capitol National Day of Prayer gathering, inviting everyone gathered under the gold dome of the State Capitol to lift their hearts and move their hands in worshipping God.

The 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th grade worshippers from Vidalia Heritage Academy in Vidalia, Georgia were a new addition to the Capitol gathering this year, and gathering organizers and participants alike were moved by the passion and joy the children displayed.

Georgia Capitol Coordinator Teresa Cantrell credits the Lord’s guidance for paving the way for the students to lead worship.

“It was a special gift from God, orchestrated by Him, for Him,” Cantrell said. “I could sense His pleasure!”

The students in the choir, along with their director, school principal, and chaperones, made the three-hour drive to Atlanta from Vidalia just for the National Day of Prayer. During the planning process, the choir director continually reaffirmed to Cantrell and her planning team that the children would not simply be performing, they would be worshipping. And worship they did, singing worship favorites such as “Worship Through It” by Tasha Layton and “God of This Place” by David Leonard, singing lyrics that proclaimed God as always able, our Rock, our Anchor, the God of miracles, and more.

“It was a perfect visual of our theme,” Cantrell said, “The pure heart of worshipping children is such a beautiful example of hope.”

The children’s participation didn’t stop when the music ended. Several stood at the podium to lead portions of prayer! One young student joined her mom in leading the prayer for Family, and the Vidalia Heritage Academy principal lifted up the prayer for Education.

This is the Christlike unity of the National Day of Prayer – believers of every age praying with one another, and for one another.

“We felt the presence of His glory,” Cantrell said.