Camp Leader Devo

2025 | Jesus the King

As you spend time with students this week, we encourage you to first and most importantly spend time with the Lord. Your love for others must flow from your love for God and his love for you. So settle in for a time of abiding, listening, learning, and reflecting. Be aware of God's whole presence as Father, Son, and Spirit. Be open to his transforming power in your whole self, including mind, soul, and body. Be joyful as you rest in God's safe and loving arms.

God is our rock and redeemer, our refuge and strength, our Savior and King. In him, we live, move, and have our being. Let us be with him now, humbly and expectantly.

Time with the Lord

Invocation

Dear God, you are creator and King, who made us for your perfect plans and good purposes. Come now and reveal yourself as we read your Word, abide in your love, and listen to your Spirit. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Silence

Take a few moments. Breathe deeply. Prepare your mind and soul to receive God's Word and wisdom.

Scripture | Psalm

Read one psalm each day from your Bible or from the menus below (which include artwork). First read it silently to yourself. Next read it quietly aloud to yourself, paying attention to the words as you speak and hear them. Then choose a portion of the psalm to write out. Finally, take careful note of what the text reveals about God, and consider what that means for you as his beloved child and faithful follower. After reading and reflecting on the psalm, move on to the gospel reading and prayer below.

Psalm 1

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Oh the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

Not so the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly.

For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction. (NLT)

Psalm 8

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For the choir director. A psalm of David, to be accompanied by a stringed instrument.

O LORD, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens. You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you.

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers — the moon and the stars you set in place — what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? Yet you made them only a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority — the flocks and the herds and all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents.

O LORD, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! (NLT)

Psalm 19

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For the choir director. A psalm of David.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.

God has made a home in the heavens for the sun. It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding. it rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race. The sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end. Nothing can hide from its heat.

The instructions of the LORD are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are clear, giving insight for living. Reverence for the LORD is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the LORD are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them.

How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don't let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. (NLT)

Psalm 23

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A psalm of David.

The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need.

He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever. (NLT)

Psalm 93

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The LORD is King! He is robed in majestry. Indeed, the LORD is robed in majesty and armed with strength. The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. Your throne, O LORD, has stood from time immemorial. You yourself are from the everlasting past.

The floods have risen up, O LORD. The floods have roared like thunder; the floods have lifted their pounding waves. But mightier than the violent raging of the seas, mightier than the breakers on the shore — the LORD above is mightier than these! Your royal laws cannot be changed. Your reign, O LORD, is holy forever and ever. (NLT)

Psalm 98

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Sing a new song to the LORD, for he has done wonderful deeds. His right hand has won a mighty victory; his holy arm has shown his saving power! The LORD has announced his victory and has revealed his righteousness to every nation! He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel. The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

Shout to the LORD, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy! Sing your praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song, with trumpets and the sound of the ram's horn. Make a joyful symphony before the LORD, the King!

Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the earth and all living things join in. Let the rivers clap their hands in glee! Let the hills sing out their songs of joy before the LORD, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with fairness. (NLT)

Psalm 146

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Praise the LORD! Let all that I am praise the LORD. I will praise the LORD as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath.

Don't put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them. But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the LORD their God.

He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever. He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. The LORD frees the prisoners. The LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are weighed down. The LORD loves the godly. The LORD protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.

The LORD will reign forever. He will be your God, O Jerusalem, throughout the generations. (NLT)

Scripture | Gospel

Read the gospel passage that will be used in today's club talk.

What new thing did you notice or learn about Jesus in this story?
What does that mean for your own life of discipleship?
What do you hope your students hear and learn about Jesus in this story?

Prayer

Lord, today I praise you for:
Lord, today I confess:
Lord, today I thank you for:
Lord, today I ask you for:
In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Some Prayers for the People of Young Life

A Prayer for Circling Up to Talk (Cabin Time)

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Loving Father,

Bless the sacred ground in this cabin or this home —

ground where our feet walk, our stuff spreads, your Spirit hovers;
ground built upon by humans, but first created by you;
ground where tonight we will sit with our friends, circled up in a neat and tidy (or ragged and rough) circle-of-sorts, hoping for eye contact, open minds, willing hearts, and honest words.

We so desperately want Jesus to be lifted high on this lowly ground.

Bless this ground, Father.

Please calm our nerves and steady our minds. Help us listen well and respond wisely.

Please protect us from pride and perfectionism. Help us rely on your Spirit and truth.

Please open our hearts and soften our souls. Help us display gentleness and grace.

Bless this room, Father.

If we don't know what to say, don't let us crumble. If things don't go as we've imagined and dreamed, don't let us be disappointed. If someone laughs when we hoped they'd listen, or cries when we hoped they'd laugh, or shuts their eyes when we hoped they'd lean in, or makes a strange noise that splits the silence, give us patience, humility, and grace.

Bless this space, Father.

Whether in cabin time or Campaigners —

fill this room with your Spirit and your joy;
guide our listening and speaking with your presence and wisdom;
send your light and love to make this human and humble space both high and holy.

And oh, dear Father, please help us get out of the way so you can have your way.

Amen.

A Prayer for Proclaiming Jesus

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Dear Lord,

The world proclaims its own power, and I feel myself becoming deafened by the clamoring voices and deadened by the strident discord.

Worldly proclamation — not of truth, but of strategic messaging, ruthless marketing, scathing swiped, and feckless memes — permeates the air and penetrates our minds so that truth, wisdom, hope, and joy are pushed to the edges and pressed to the margins, faint echoes in a land of crashing noise.

But then there is Jesus — whose Truth, Wisdom, Hope, and Joy outsing and outshine all of the world's vain babel.

We proclaim you, Jesus to ourselves, to each others, and to every teenager we meet and know and love.

Behold the Lamb of God.

May our proclamation, whether in word or deed, be honest and just so that you and you alone are held high and honored above all.

Behold the Son of God.

May our proclamation, whether in conversation or club talk, be faithful and true so that you and you alone are the center and focus of life.

Behold the Good Shepherd.

May our proclamation, whether one one of to many, be right and righteous so that you and you alone are the object of our praise and worship.

Behold the Suffering Servant.

May our proclamation, whether brief or prolonged, be sound and solid so that you and you alone are the one at whose feet we fall in awe.

Behold the Reigning King.

May our proclamation, whether in passing or planned, be clear and confident so that you and you alone are our source of hope and joy.

You are Savior. You are Lord. You are King.

Amen.

A Prayer for Coffee Conversations (or 1:1's)

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O Father,

I don't know if I can drink another cup of coffee today. I am coffee'd out. I also am a bit emptied out. Being with people all day long is a grace and gift, Lord. I know this to be true.

But being with people all day long can also be a drain and drag if I am not careful to first be filled with your love, your Spirit, your joy, and your patience.

So fill me, Father, fill me to overflowing so that your loving presences shines forth with radiance of the divine rather than my own self spilling over with the stains of me.

May this time of shared presence over a cup of coffee (or tea or juice or water of joy) be acceptable to you, Lord.

May our thoughts and words honor you.

May our questions and replies please you.

May our sipping and savoring delight you.

As we drink deeply of coffee (or tea or juice or water or joy) may we be reminded to drink deeply of you first, to quench our souls with your love, to drench our spirits with your grace, and to flood our minds with your truth.

May our minds trust you.

May our hearts adore you.

May our actions reflect you.

As we spend time together around coffee (or tea or juice or water or joy) may our fellowship be centered on not just conversation or news or catching up or leaning in but mostly on you, the Good Father, the Reigning King, and the Transforming Spirit who inhabits our souls as three-in-one, a mystery or unity in which we revel and delight.

Be present, Lord, in these everyday moments of coffee conversations so that they become eternal memories of Kingdom connections.

Amen.

A Prayer for the Day After Camp

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Dear Father,

I am home. We are home. And oh my, even after a good long sleep, my bones are weary. But my heart is full.

Thank you, Father, for the wonder of play and rest, friendship and togetherness, free from distractions and disruptions.

Amen.

Thank you, Father, for the gift of the gospel, for the Good News of Jesus Christ that was proclaimed with joy and hope.

Amen.

Thank you, Father, for the miracle of new life, for those who heard your truth, received your love, surrendered their lives.

Amen.

Thank you, Father, for the patience of your love that waits longingly and jealously for lost children to joyfully return home.

Amen.

Thank you, Father, for the hope we have because of your faithful love, your endless mercies, your infinitely expansive grace.

Amen.

Thank you, Father, for the relationships and ministry that carry on after camp, faithful and true, day after day.

Amen.

Guide me, Lord, as I lean into the work that lies ahead — the conversations, the prayers, the lsitening, the learning, the leading, the discipling, the gospeling, the loving.

I am home, Lord.

We are home, Lord.

Not just home-home — but Home-home, safe in your loving arms where we do not deserve to be but where we joyfully and gratefully rest today and forever because of grace.

Amen.

For discipling resources that you can use after camp and in your weekly ministry, be sure to check out the full Young Life discipleship website including the specific After Camp page.

Check out Young Life's Bible App reading plan "After Camp" and the full Bible App Young Life homepage.