Now more than ever life is so busy for youth. Balancing school, homework, extracurricular activities and church has become tougher. There are plenty of distractions and excuses! Yet many feel that they do not have any time to pray or concentrate on spiritual needs. For those who live in an environment that promotes the spiritual needs of children and encourage the active participation in church activities, youth has a better probability of strong spiritual adaptation. However, we are seeing numerous dysfunctional families and parents who are running crazy after the material things and power. As George Carlin says in his Paradox of life: “we have bigger houses and smaller families; we have fancier houses but broken homes; more conveniences, but less time; read too little, watch TV too much and pray too seldom….we have learned to make a living, but no life; we have added years to life, not life into years…” This aptly describes the paradox of current family environment and the youth in these circumstances are under lot of pressure.
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Prayer, retreats and spiritual guidance can immensely help our youth in facing these challenges. The greatest privilege God gives is the freedom to approach Him any time. The way to begin a close relationship with God is to receive His son Jesus and accept him into your life. “If you draw near to me I will draw near to you” (James 4:8). Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
How can I pray in the midst of agony and frustration?
Many of you, at one point or other, have felt powerless to change anything that comes their way and they cannot cope with anger and frustration that comes with the setbacks in their school, relationship at home or with friends, victimized by the peers or ridicule one has to bear. Many experience feelings of emptiness and frustration. Although it may seem there is nothing God can do, there is a way prayer can empower you to rise above these situations. There is multitude of testimony to this effect. When you pray to Jesus you are inviting Holy Spirit into you. We should not deny the power of the Holy Spirit. With Jesus in your life you will come to experience Him and one “who is about to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us (Ephesians 3:20).
