When I look back on my own “youth years” I realise now what an extraordinarily difficult period it was – the explosion of hormones, the pressure to be in the “in” crowd, the stresses and expectations placed upon you – it all seemed to come together at the same time! When you are a teenager, you have no concept that this cauldron of racing thoughts, emotions and confusions will settle down. You have no idea that ahead lies easier seasons and that life is not all or nothing, “living the dream” or complete failure, but that there are many pathways and possibilities for happiness. At this age I remember how my life would see-saw between great moments of maturity and then complete meltdowns just hours later as though I was a toddler! Yet amidst all this I remember chinks of clarity, times of connection and flashes of faith forming in my soul. Nurturing and sometimes nursing a young adult through these years can be a roller coaster of a ride. As we seek to care for our in-betweeners, let’s remember the challenges of life as a teenager and extend fountains of grace to them as they navigate their way through.

The following prayer seeks to bring order and hope into this maze of teenage existence. It recalls all the different elements that bring inspiration and meaning to life and offers these beautiful things back to God in love and service. If you are a young person, use this film now as a space to hear and connect with God and his heart for your life. And if you are of an older generation, please use this video as a prayer for someone you know who is going through this period of great transition in their lives, and ask for God’s presence and voice to be with them: –

Prayer for Youth

Dear God,

Thank you for the amazing world you have made.
Help us to care for every aspect of your creation.

Thank you for the wonders of physics, medicine and astronomy.
Help us to engage with each facet of the universe.

Thank you for the power of the creative arts.
Help us to pioneer new vision and sounds in our generation.

Thank you for our incredible minds and bodies.
Help us to become all we could be as individuals.

Thank you for our family, friendships, community and relationships.
Help us to accept, nurture and forgive one another.

Thank you for all these great things in our lives.
May we play our part in bringing peace, prosperity and justice to all.

Amen.

This film can be downloaded for small sum by following this link.