Millions of students across the nation, as well as area students, will gather for prayer at their school flagpoles on Wednesday morning, Sept. 28, before classes begin. They will join hands and hearts to pray for their friends, teachers, schools and nation.

“See You At The Pole,” described as a student-led, student-organized event, began in 1990 with a small group of teenagers in the Ft. Worth suburb of Burleson, Texas. The group took their idea to other schools in Texas and challenged 20,000 students at a youth rally in Dallas to pray at their schools.

The first year 45,000 students met at their flagpoles and the next year a million gathered to pray. Parti-cipation in the annual event has grown to more than 3 million students annually in all 50 states, in addition to students in 20 other countries.

As their website www.syatp.com states, “God used the obedience of a small group of teenagers to ignite what has become an international movement of prayer among young people.” “See You At The Pole” now involves students in elementary schools, middle/junior high schools, high schools and colleges/universities.

This year’s theme, “Converge,” comes from Matthew 18:20, “Whenever two or three of you come together in my name, I am there with you” (CEV).

“This simple verse is a comforting and encouraging promise from Jesus Himself that helps us know He is always with us,” states the SYATP organization. “When we gather and agree together, placing Him first, He is there. When God and His people converge for prayer, lives change!”

During the 10 to 15 minute event before school starts that morning, students who choose to attend are asked to pray that God will bring moral and spiritual awakening to their campuses and countries.

According to the San Diego-based National Network of Youth Ministries, who coordinates the promotion of SYATP, “Every year, we have seen this day serve as a springboard for unity among teenagers.”

Organizers say that “See You At The Pole” isn’t about which grade a student is in or what church he or she attends. It’s not a political rally or a stand for or against anything. It’s about coming together to pray.

Facing the peer pressure to try alcohol and drugs, students need prayer to stand strong against temptations to these addictions – not just through their own prayers. This generation of young people needs our prayers, too.

Most of their music tells them to be promiscuous, risking STDs and unplanned pregnancies. Some songs, movies, and video games encourage violent behavior, so is it any wonder we‘ve witnessed the tragic shootings on campuses in recent years?

“The greatest thing anyone can do for God and for man is to pray,” writes author S.D. Gordon. Someone once said, “Don’t underestimate two minutes with God in prayer.”

On Wednesday morning, Sept. 28, when students gather to pray around their flagpoles, let’s join our hearts with them and pray for our children, their teachers and their schools.