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Northeast Bible Church
19185 FM 2252
Garden Ridge, TX 78266
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June 2010 |
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A close relationship with God is both the core of our Christian life and our highest end as human beings. As we learn about God and develop intimacy with him, our faith morphs from a "practice" to a lifestyle. Worship and Bible study not only help us experience God, they strengthen us for life's daily challenges.
When Group Magazine recently surveyed 20,000 Christian teenagers about their priorities, the top vote-getter was "praying and developing a relationship with God." But many youth ministers were surprised by those survey results. "Kids' actions communicate something different," noted one youth minister. "They're so busy.that it seems the first things to get dropped are the items listed as priorities." Another wrote, "My teens struggle with prayer, and many tell me a relationship with God is hard, confusing, and at times not relevant."
Taking time to "Be still, and know that I am God!" (Psalm 46:10) is challenging in our always-on-the-go culture. Kids are surrounded by noise-and have a lot of noise in their hearts. Distractions, worries, fears, and hurts often make a relationship with God more difficult, but they also make it more important.
Kids look to their parents as examples of how to stay connected to God. If you've kept this relationship private, let your teenagers in on ways you stay in touch with God. Also share ways it has sustained you through life's ups and downs, and assure your kids that the same will be true for them, too.
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Dare 2 Share Ministries president Greg Stier discusses staying connected through prayer:
Prayer is emptied of its power when it's for public show or word-count dependent. How fancy our prayers sound doesn't matter to God; it's whether or not we actually believe he will answer our prayers. In James 1:6, God tells us how a Christian should approach God in prayer: "But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind" (NIV).
We must teach our teenagers to pray in faith. How? By showing them how to pray! Every time you pray with your kids, you have an opportunity to exemplify authentic, faith-filled conversations with God. Remind teenagers of the awesome encouragement prayer brings. When you feel the odds are stacked against you, just imagine the scene in heaven as the Holy Spirit and Jesus himself are praying for you in that very moment.
Prayer is an unbelievable honor. The way is open through the sacrifice of Christ for us to have direct access to the supreme power in the universe.
Take time to pray. Make time to pray. Run to Jesus! Kneel by his side and the Spirit's side at heaven's prayer bench, and watch what happens.
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Search Institute researchers surveyed more than 7,000 kids in eight countries (including America) to gauge how teenagers around the world view their relationship with God. Some responses:
* What nourishes teenagers' spiritual lives?
o Nature-87%
o Listening to or playing music-82%
o The influence of parents-76%
o Spending time helping others-76%
o Being alone in a quiet place-74%
o The influence of friends-71%
* What activities feed kids' spiritual growth?
o Reading books-47%
o Praying-44%
o Helping others-44%
o Attending religious worship or prayer services-40%
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When I led my youth group in a "spiritual disciplines" retreat awhile back, I was overwhelmed at the number of teenagers who, when given an opportunity, chose to spend meaningful time cultivating their relationship with Christ. 
