For the past two months, high school and university students in Chile have abandoned their classrooms and joined street protests to demand improvements in public education. 

Chilean students are protesting the lack of school resources, especially in the nation's poorer communities.

While the government struggles to come up with solutions, student demonstrators have been met with water cannons and tear gas.

President Sebastian Pinera, whose government created the nation's current educational system, has seen his popularity ratings decline dramatically.

"We all want education, healthcare, and many more things for free," Pinera said last week. "But I want to remind them that nothing is free in this life. Someone has to pay."     

As other students protest, a few Christian youth have taken a different approach, turning to prayer as a tool for a change in their country.
    
"Lord, you are above all, the head of this country," one student prayed. "And that's why we turn to you now, so that you will control this situation, so that peace, harmony and love in this country."

International Mission Board reporter Wilson Hunter organized the prayer meetings. 

"They're praying for their universities and for government leaders," he told Charisma magazine. "They're praying for the violent protests to end. But most of all, they're praying for their peers to come to Christ."

"Prayer is powerful," he added. "Prayer is the way to find a solution to this problem."