At SWAN’s Rising Stars Bible class, moments of faith and answered prayer often become unforgettable lessons for both students and teachers.
Recently, a second-grade student burst into class with excitement written all over his face. With his classmates listening closely, he eagerly shared with his teacher, “Guess what? God answered your prayer that I asked you to pray about last week! I was able to talk to my dad on the phone!”
The room filled with smiles as he talked about the phone call. For this young student, those conversations with his father, who is currently incarcerated, mean everything. The joy on his face was unmistakable, and before long, he was already asking for prayer again.
His classroom teacher had previously shared that he had been struggling with focus and behavior after his father went to prison. But since being able to have regular phone calls with his dad, both his school teachers and the Rising Stars staff have seen a marked improvement in his attitude, focus, and overall behavior.
Rising Stars Bible teacher, Holly, shared, “It’s special to watch students experience God at work in their lives and realize that He listens and cares. When I learned how important these phone calls with his dad were, this answered prayer became even more meaningful.”
For many students in the Rising Stars program, prayer is becoming deeply personal, not just something they hear about, but something they experience.
This was not the first time a student had returned with a story of answered prayer.
During summer camp a few years ago, one student asked the Bible teacher every single day to pray for her mom to find a good job. Weeks turned into months, and later that year, the student excitedly approached her teacher with an update: “God heard our prayers, and my mom has this amazing job now!”
Stories like these are reminders that the impact of Rising Stars reaches far beyond music lessons. Through mentoring relationships, Bible classes, encouragement, and consistent care, students are discovering hope, healing, and faith in the middle of difficult circumstances.
Sometimes the biggest victories come in the form of a phone call, a new opportunity, or the simple realization that someone is praying, and that God is listening.