When Prayer Becomes the Work: Inside a Movement in Andover, MN
“Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work.”
- Oswald Chambers
It didn’t begin with a program or a platform.
It began with a quiet conviction.
After reading
Lead with Prayer by Ryan Skoog, Peter Greer, and Cameron Doolittle, one local FCA volunteer ministry leader couldn’t shake what he was seeing. In places where God was moving in powerful ways, there was a clear pattern. Prayer wasn’t something added in. It was the foundation. In many cases, leaders were even willing to trade productivity for it.
That led to a simple question.
What would it look like to cover our schools in intentional, consistent prayer?
This school year, five ministries came together around that vision. Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Transform Church, Andover Christian Church, Moms in Prayer, and Moms Who Pray at Legacy Christian Academy aligned around a shared purpose, anchored in 2 Chronicles 7:14:
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
They chose to start simply. Six prayer teams were formed through invitation, each led by a prayer captain committed to cultivating a consistent, Scripture-centered rhythm of prayer. There was no spotlight and no pressure to measure results, just a shared commitment to show up and pray.
At first, the growth was quiet but meaningful. At the middle school, one teacher invited another and fifteen showed up. At the high school, teachers began praying throughout the week. As those rhythms took shape, it became clear it was time to invite others in.
They planned a Jericho-style prayer walk around the schools, calling it a “Joshua Prayer Movement.” Expectations were modest. If a dozen people came, it would feel like a big step forward.
Seventy came to both Andover High School and Middle School.
Joshua Prayer Movement
For those who want to replicate this, here is exactly how the prayer walk was structured. Each lap had a specific focus and Scripture, guiding people to pray with clarity and unity:
- Lap 1 Theme: Spiritual Awakening and Revival (Holy Spirit)
- 2 Chronicles 7:14
- Prayer Focus: Ask God to pour out His Spirit, awaken hearts, revive faith, and push back darkness across the school.
- Lap 2 Theme: Salvation (Gospel)
- Acts 4:12 (Ephesians 2:8–9 referenced)
- Prayer Focus: Pray that students and staff would understand the gospel clearly and come to faith in Jesus Christ.
- Lap 3 Theme: Relationship with God (Love)
- Matthew 22:37–39
- Prayer Focus: Pray that students and staff would grow in a personal relationship with God and learn to love Him and others deeply.
- Lap 4 Theme: Identity, Purpose & Calling in Christ (New Life in Christ)
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 (note: your original doc says 2 Corinthians 7:14, but that’s incorrect, this is worth correcting for accuracy)
- Prayer Focus: Pray that students would find their identity in Christ, not in performance or others’ opinions, and live out their God-given purpose.
- Lap 5 Theme: Stress, Anxiety & Depression (Peace of God)
- Philippians 4:6–7 (Romans 12:2, John 8:32 referenced)
- Prayer Focus: Pray for freedom from anxiety, renewed minds, and God’s peace over students and staff.
- Lap 6 Theme: Kingdom Leaders (Ambassadors of Christ)
- 1 Timothy 4:12
- Prayer Focus: Pray for students to rise up as bold, faithful leaders who live out their faith and influence others.
- Lap 7 Theme: Spiritual Protection (Armor of God)
- 2 Thessalonians 3:3 (Ephesians 6:10–18 referenced)
- Prayer Focus: Pray for protection from spiritual attack, strong faith, and godly relationships.
Every prayer was rooted in Scripture and focused on real needs inside the school.
In the days that followed, it became clear that this had stirred something deeper. People began asking, “What’s next?” revealing a genuine hunger for continued prayer.
Rather than rushing to expand, the leaders have chosen to stay grounded in what has already begun. The prayer teams continue meeting weekly, building consistent rhythms and sharing specific prayer requests. Prayer captains continue to lead by caring for their teams and helping others step into leadership so the movement can multiply.
At the same time, a new layer is beginning to form within the high school. Through the Claim Your Campus app, student-led prayer groups are forming, giving students a simple way to gather and pray for their school.
As the school year continues, the focus remains steady. The teams are continuing to pray, continuing to learn, and paying attention to what God is doing. In June, there will be a time to reflect on what has worked and what has not, followed by a broader invitation in August to involve more churches and expand the vision.
The long-term goal is clear: to see a one prayer team praying every day of the week for each week of the school year. At the high school alone, that would require 25 teams committed to consistent prayer.
No one involved is claiming to have a complete picture of what this will become. There is still more to learn and develop. But what has already taken place is significant. Ministries are working together in unity, teachers are consistently praying, and students are beginning to lead.
What is unfolding is not the result of a single event, but the steady formation of a community learning to place prayer back at the center. And if that continues, what is happening at Andover High School and Middle School may not remain a local story, but could become part of something much broader.
Prayer is not secondary. It is the work.
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