To clasp the hand in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world
KARL BARTH
Most young people will recognise that they live in a disorderly world. This disorder can often seem overwhelming: what can they do to make a difference? We know that there are many practical ways that young people can make a difference but we should never underestimate the power of prayer.
Only God can birth a heart for prayer in the lives of young people and it is a good reminder to us too – you can only encourage in others what you are also doing yourself.
But, then what?! Here’s 7 practical things we think will help young people engage with prayer, both individually and as a group:
Make room in your weekly programme for prayer… and don’t rush it! There’s nothing worse than the “let’s just say a quick prayer” syndrome. We’re in conversation with the Almighty Creator, the King of Kings – let’s value and guard prayer like we would the Gospel message, the Bible study, the games or any other element...
For most people, prayers said in Latin won’t mean much. Similarly, lots of Christian jargon might not be helpful for young people either. Prayer is a conversation with God and we don’t need long sermon-like prayers to share what’s on our hearts. No reason not to pray for miracles, but don’t forget that God is interested in the real-life everyday stuff too. Build their faith levels by starting gradually rather jumping straight into spiritual warfare!
The best way to keep track of how God answers prayers is to keep a prayer diary, a journal or (if you’re feeling really creative) a prayer scrapbook. Write a brief outline of what is asked for and leave space to record what happens. Imagine how encouraging it will be realise just how many answers there have been!
Don’t restrict prayer to sitting quietly in a circle – take young people outside on a prayer walk or stand on the top of a hill to take in the view. Decorated prayer spaces and even prayer rooms can really help create a peaceful and creative atmosphere for prayer. If you don’t have access to a permanent space, look at what you can use to make the most of your meeting venue.
Prayer needs to be dynamic and interactive – it’s a “hands-on” rather than a “sit and listen” activity. Try and engage all the senses, use art and craft and symbolism to keep the prayer experience fresh. Why not listen to music, taste different flavours, feel stones or soil, use balloons or paper aeroplanes or different lighting to engage young people in prayer?! The only limit is your imagination…!
It is generally easier to pray when you have some understanding about what you are talking to God about so link your prayer times to issues that young people care about. If something matters to them personally they will be more likely to take it seriously. Why not refer to issues raised in a recent news item or a popular song or from the storyline of a soap or TV show?
There are some great resources on prayer available from all sorts of organisations – so why not make use of them?! A good place to start is by searching for “prayer” on the Energize meeting plan search. However, you can also connect with fantastic groups and networks like 24-7 Prayer, Prayer Storm and Prayer Spaces in Schools.
It may take some time to become natural but commit to making prayer a priority for your young people. Once they are regularly spending time in God’s presence as a group, encourage them to make time individually too!