Session 2
Why it’s important to break your routine
From Gauntlet: An 8-Day Prayer Guide
It’s travel day. Buses are pulling out of the parking lot, students are learning their room assignments, and Gauntlet is in full swing.
Students are giving up their phones and breaking their summer routines, while leaders are taking a week off from work or away from their kids. We’re all leaving “normal” behind in the hope that we would recognize Jesus’ voice. Because everything changes when Jesus speaks and we listen. Just ask Peter and Andrew.
In Matthew 4:18-22, Jesus is walking along the Sea of Galilee and calls out to Peter and Andrew as they are casting a net. It was another day at work for these two fishermen, but the next words Jesus spoke would change their lives forever: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately, they dropped their nets and followed Jesus.
Routine is beneficial. It provides structure to our lives and helps us balance the known and unknown in life. But if we want our lives to change, our routines can’t stay the same.
Jesus called Peter and Andrew to leave their ordinary lives, and they experienced extraordinary miracles in return. They saw Jesus heal the lame and rid men of leprosy. They broke a loaf of bread until it fed 5,000 men (not counting all the women and children). Eventually, they saw Jesus complete the most extraordinary miracle of all: resurrection from the dead.
Peter and Andrew were never the same after they decided to follow Jesus rather than stick to their regular routine. Our prayer today is that our students wouldn’t be either.
How to Pray Today:
- Pray for everyone to arrive in Daytona safely.
- Pray for students to use this break in routine as an opportunity to trust their room leaders, give up their phones, and make real connections with their roommates and with Jesus.
- Pray for tonight’s speaker to preach with boldness and clarity. Ask God to reveal exactly what students need to hear and to provide the courage to share that message.