About a week ago, I got a text from my pastor asking if he could pray for me. Life has been especially stressful on me the past two months, so his offer was exactly what I needed, even if he hadn’t known why.
As a Christian, I do of course encourage prayer, and I believe in the power of prayer. But if I’m being honest with myself, I struggle with prayer. I have difficulties committing to daily prayer. I struggle to understand if my prayers are reaching God and seeing that silence is still an answer. Over the past few months, I’ve been more conscious about listening to where God is pulling me, as I need His guidance most right now, and it seems He’s trying to get the concept of prayer to me in any way I’ll listen.
For Adults
I feel as if I just became an adult yesterday, even though I know I’ve legally been an adult for a few years now. It also just recently hit me that I had to “up my game” when it came to prayer books. If you’re in the same boat, there are plenty of prayer books to dive into. Is God Listening: Making Prayer a Part of Your Life is a great book for understanding the nuances of prayer and how it should fit into your daily life. It does a fantastic job of answering common questions, including “Is God even listening?”
If you’re looking to study a specific prayer, why not start where we all started, with the Lord’s Prayer? I’ve been working with Our Way Home a lot, listening to how author Daniel Paavola uses his wonderful voice to illustrate the beauty of the Lord’s Prayer. This book is perfect for picking a prayer to study this month. The Lord’s Prayer is so dear to us all as Christians that it should be given special attention on more days than Sunday.
For Teens
There are so many good options to give to teenagers and young adults that are made specifically on topics that are relevant to their daily lives. Imagine That! Devotions for Teens by Teens is perfect for young adults and teens looking to hear real-life advice from people their age. Teenagers, my past self included, are notorious for not listening to parents, but they’re far more likely to listen to prayers from their peers.
If you’re looking for something they can take with them into early adulthood and through all of life’s trials, My Prayer Book and Teens Pray are amazing options. Both come with numerous prayers made for teens on various topics such as forgiveness, patience, family situations, and more.
For Children
Starting a foundation of prayer in children is incredibly important. It helps children learn how to pray, why they should pray, and reminds them that God is always listening to them. Prayer: Learning How to Talk to God and God, I Need to Talk to You are both wonderful children’s books that illustrate going to God in prayer about everything. Not only can they teach your children that God is merciful, loving, and wants to talk to them, but these books teach about different morals and living a Christian life.
