The Prayers of Our Youth
David, Esther, Joseph, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Mary, and certainly some of the disciples are all huge, larger than life characters we read about in the Bible. They are not perfect, but they are bold in their faith and known for following through on what God called them to do and who He called them to be. And, these individuals are also unique because many of them were most likely in their teens when they started to be used by God.
In some sense, our culture, and sometimes even the church, has given up on the idea of having high expectations for our teens. I’m not talking about sports, maturity, or academics, but the high calling of Following Jesus…Further! Too often we see our teens as the “future church,” who will one day be able to lead and serve, and we fail to challenge them to service and discipleship. Something we tried to plant firmly in our teens throughout this school year is that they are capable and qualified to follow Jesus now. This verse stands boldly on the walls of the Youth Loft for a weekly reminder to our students:
I Timothy 4:12
Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say,
in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.
Within the past month or so, we did an interactive prayer time with our students where they were challenged to write out a prayer to God. Their individual prayers included anything on their mind, or more specifically, something that they had been “mourning” recently or ways they saw God’s faithfulness in their lives over the last year. In true M.S. & H.S. fashion, they were completely honest. After penning their authentic prayers, they went and hung them on the prayer wall in the Loft, which highlights 1 Peter 5:7, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” May the bold and honest prayers of our youth spur you on in your faith as well.
“Jesus, help me to get closer you. Please stop me from arguing with others. Please help me to obey your Word. Please help my relationships with others be better.”
“God, I want to be more faithful. I have a loss of closeness with some of my friends. I haven’t been as faithful to you as I want to be, and I’ve gotten tripped up in comparison and pride.”
“I pray that you will forgive me for my sins.”
“Dear God, why haven’t you helped me with getting the hate out of my heart? I just regret many things, and I feel like such a terrible person. But I know you’re always there.”
“God, one thing I think I need to pray for more is my attitude and to be more faithful and kind to people. Also to be more grateful and aware of this beautiful life you have created for me. I am so thankful for my life and my connection with God.”
“I pray that my grandparents would come to Christ.”
“Dear God, I pray that you can help my mom and my mental health. It’s been really bad and I don’t really have anyone to talk to.”
“Dear God, I have been grieving the fact that I was questioning your existence. I am sorry. You have come through for me many times. Thanks.”
“God, I pray that I could have a house, that I could see my dad, and to be skinny.”
“I pray for no injuries during track.”
“I pray for peace in where I’m at in life. I pray to give me hope for the future but trust the plans you do have for me.”
“Lord, sometimes I don’t always trust what you have for me and when I don’t get what I think is best I sometimes get frustrated. But when I think about it, so many things I’ve asked for, I have been given. And when I’ve asked for guidance, you have helped me find my way, and I thank you so much for that.”
“God, keep my gaze focused on you. Show me your goodness in my life everyday so I know you’re real.”
“God, I’ve been waiting for my family to come back together and be happy. I’ve been grieving my siblings who have been gone too.”
“God, thank you for everything you do for me and my family. I hope me and my teammates run good tomorrow at our track meet and the rest of the season.”
“God, help me be the best person I can be and help me through life so I can be successful and that I can control my emotions and not lash out at my mom like I do. And when I am sad, give me a sign that you are beside me.”
“God, thanks for this day, it was beautiful. God, the world needs you right now. It’s a dark place. Please shine your light on us.”
“God, help me with the challenges I am facing as I still can’t seem to push through them. I also know I need you way more than I think.”
“God, I pray for peace and steadiness. Take my uncertainty away. Help me to trust you and the path you have for me. Thank you for your never-ending blessings.”
“God, be with me. I have had a bad week so far.”
“God, I pray that you’d help me be a light on my team and help me to foster faithful friendships.”
Those are certainly simple, honest prayers to a faithful God who wants to do a great work among our M.S. & H.S. students. I couldn’t be more excited to continue to work with these students who are seeking to honor God in their lives. To that end, we strive on as a church to continue to “Launch the Next Generation!”
Launching the Next Generation (taken from our 2026 & Beyond Vision Statement)
We will renew the church by always leaning into the future. We will continue to emphasize establishing faith in children, youth, and families to help launch the next generation. We will be an intergenerational church where our youth inspire and invigorate the faith in those who are older than them. Likewise, we will encourage those with wisdom from years of faith to engage in meaningful, relational, sacrificial ministry to impart their wisdom and share their loving example with the next generations. We will encourage every member of the next generation to live their lives in serving Jesus and others, both now and as they emerge into adulthood.
Blessings,
Pastor Bryce
