Alpha Canada has launched a nationwide prayer campaign challenging Christians to pray weekly for the students and staff when the 4,911 Canadian high schools start the forthcoming school year this September, as the country “grapples with growing economic, social and cultural challenges.”
Titled Made For This: Uniting in Prayer for All 4,911 High Schools Across Canada, the campaign asks for churches to set aside intentional time to pray for the next generation of leaders and citizens currently studying in schools.
Churches can select at least two high schools on an interactive prayer map and then “join in prayer across the nation” with an ongoing commitment to regular intercession, “believing in the transformative power of compassion, community, and courage to shape Canada's future,” according to Alpha Canada.
"We believe this generation of young people is remarkable—creative, resilient, and full of potential to lead with empathy and courage," said Shaila Visser, National Director of Alpha Canada. "They were made for these times and we, the church, are made for this moment: to champion them, support them, and cover them in prayer."
Joanna la Fleur, Director of Brand Influence for Alpha Canada, told Christian Daily International that the prayer campaign would run for the full school year, from September this year to June 2026.
“We’re working with 24-7 Prayer [an international prayer movement] to create prayer prompts that will guide people each month through how to pray for the school, and remind them to pray every week,” la Fleur confirmed. “These will be emailed out each month for the four weeks ahead. So because of that timing, the schools do not know (yet) that they are being prayed for.
“We will be encouraging churches to think of creative ways to encourage and bless the schools, and let them know they are praying for them.”
Creative ways to engage could even be baking “simple muffins” for teachers and administrators, as they start the new school year in September, according to le Fleur.
“For example, with notes of being prayed for and supported by the church,” la Fleur added, “or sponsoring some other event that is suited to that school’s activities. We want to suggest some ideas but let churches come up with their own ways to do it and make it their own.”
The Made For This Prayer Movement is “rooted in hope for a generation facing anxiety, disconnection, and uncertainty in the face of growing social decohesion, rising costs of living, and a mental health crisis,” according to Alpha Canada.
“Through weekly prayer guides, the church will ask God for peace to reign in schools, for young people to thrive academically and emotionally, and to grow into compassionate leaders—people of kindness, wisdom, and integrity who will make a positive impact in Canada and the world.”
The prayer campaign follows a 2021 study from Barna Group showing that digitally connected Canadian teens were more concerned than ever about issues of justice alongside an openness to spirituality and authenticity.
"We're inviting the church to believe in Canadian youth. To pray for them. To stand with them," Visser said. "And when we turn our hearts toward the next generation we are changed for the better, and we believe God answers prayers."
