The Midnight Hour

There’s something special about a youth lock-in. Maybe it’s the laughter echoing through the church hall, the smell of snacks and Taco John's, or the sound of games and conversations that go on well past midnight. But this past weekend, something deeper happened in the middle of all that noise, something holy.

We gathered for what we thought would be a fun night of fellowship, food, and games. And don’t get me wrong it was that. The students were full of energy, laughter, and life. They played, they joked, they dressed up and sang Karaoke and maybe, some tested how much caffeine a human body can handle. Somewhere around midnight, as things settled down and the world outside grew quiet, God showed up.

 That’s when we gathered together for a message I called “The Midnight Hour.”

It was built around Acts 16, where Paul and Silas were locked up in prison, chained and beaten, yet still chose to pray and sing hymns to God. And in that dark place, at midnight, God shook the ground and broke their chains.

I reminded the group that the same God who showed up in that prison still shows up in our midnight moments. The times when we feel stuck, unseen, or overwhelmed. That's because for a lot of our students, midnight doesn’t just happen at 12 a.m.

It happens when they feel alone in their own homes.

When they battle anxiety or rejection.

When they’re just trying to figure out who they are and if they matter.

And that’s when something powerful began to unfold. After the message, I invited anyone who felt led to share what God’s been doing in their life. And honestly, I didn’t know what would happen. Sometimes teenagers get quiet when things turn serious. But not this time.

Students began to open up.

One teen stood up and said something that hit the whole room:

“Even though I don’t live in the same environment as some of you, I recognize the hurt and pain you feel and I'm amazed at how strong you are and I pray for your continued strength".  

That statement carried weight.

Because that’s the truth, pain doesn’t play favorites.

It doesn’t care where you live, how much you have, or what your home looks like.

And that’s why that moment mattered so much.

We live in a world and a town where teenagers can be easy to overlook.

Adults get caught up in jobs, bills, and responsibilities, and sometimes we forget that our teens are carrying their own storms.

But let me remind you, they feel.

They feel deeply.

Sometimes even more than adults, because they’re living in a world that’s changing faster than ever and trying to make sense of it all in real time.

I watched students become ministers. I watched them encourage each other, pray for each other, and remind one another that they’re not alone.

There wasn’t a single adult speech that could’ve done what this raw, honest testimony did.

That’s when the real ministry happened when they found their voice.

We closed that segment of the night with worship. Some prayed silently. Others cried. Some laughed. And a few just sat in peace, because for the first time in a while, they felt seen.

Our little lock-in turned into a freedom night.

Chains were broken. Hearts were opened.

And I’ll be honest, I don’t think any of us will forget it.

Teenagers don’t need perfection from us. They need presence. They need a place where they can be honest about their midnights and know that God meets them there not after they fix it, but right in the middle of the mess.

That’s what happened last night.

It wasn’t fancy.

It was real.

And real is where God moves best.

So to every youth leader, parent, or student reading this:

Don’t underestimate the midnight hour.

Because when it gets quiet, when the laughter fades and the world slows down that’s often when God is working.