I have a huge burden for prayer in my ministry, but my ability to focus does not equal this burden. If you’re like me—and based on some conversations I’ve had, I suspect I’m not alone—I think we all spend more time doing what comes easier to us. That’s natural, right? For me, I’m a doer, a mover; not a sitter and prayer.

I’m 33; I hope I’ve gained a little maturity in the past 10 or 15 years. One thing I finally understand is that I’m not the superhero I often thought I was. You and I, no matter how hard we work or how much we secretly pride ourselves on how great we are (maybe that’s only me) are only messengers. We are delivers of God’s Word and Christ’s love. We are not superheroes, and I (and maybe you) need to stop trying to convince ourselves that we are the ones changing people’s lives, but it is Christ through us.

I have had a few things that really have reminded me of all this in the past several months. First, Sustainable Youth Ministry by Mark DeVries. If you are in youth ministry and have not read this book, buy it now and pause everything else you are doing until you finish it. It’s incredible and a must-read for anyone remotely related to youth ministry. Second, The Church Awakening by Chuck Swindoll is an incredible read, as well. Third has been the incredible faith growth of some of the students in the ministry I serve. In the past week, I received an email from two eighth graders who have decided to make 400 bracelets and sell them to raise $2,000 dollars for a World Vision program. Their reason for doing this: a book they read and a sermon by our senior pastor. It wasn’t me; I had nothing to do with it! I’m a messenger, not a superhero.

With this in mind, it makes how I think about my job responsibilities a little different. Will my hard work change people’s lives, or does God do that? Prayer is where our hard work and God’s abilities collide. I once listened to a sermon by Dr. James McDonald about David and Goliath. He said it was David who stepped up; David selected the weapon; David chose the stones, ran toward the giant and shot the sling to the best of his ability. Then it was God who planted the stone square in the head of the giant, made it sink in and made him fall.

This is where prayer is crucial. Our abilities are very limited. The barriers we are up against every day are incredible, too much for any human being. God is the only One who truly can change lives, not our cleverly crafted talks, games and events no matter how much time we spend perfecting our transitions. Knowing this gives me a huge burden to pray! I have a direct connection to the One who has the ability to change things, and I rarely use it.

Here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to pray for the ability to pray for my ministry. Deep, huh? Seriously—if you are like me and have the focus of a fruit fly when it comes to praying, why not? I am praying daily for God to give me the ability to intercede on behalf of the students at my church. I am also in the process of a whole prayer initiative throughout the ministry. Specific prayer requests taken during our middle school and high school youth group nights, extended prayer at leaders’ meetings and committee meetings are a few of the things on which I’m focusing. I want every student who does or has attended one of our ministry events prayed for every week.

What are you doing to pray for your ministries? I’d love to hear and learn from you!

Aaron Stetson is 33, a husband and father and lives in Salem, New Hampshire. He serves as youth pastor at Windham Presbyterian Church in Windham. Aaron has been in youth ministry since 2000 with a six-year hiatus from full-time youth work, taken to train for and attain his electrician’s license. He previously served with Young Life as a field staff member in Redding, Conn., and as an intern for middle school ministry at Grace Chapel in Lexington, Massachusetts. He graduated from Gordon College in 2002 with a degree in Youth Ministry and Biblical Studies.