A pivotal time for prayer

The teen years are a pivotal time for faith, especially around the time of confirmation and starting high school.

For eighth graders receiving the sacrament, “it’s often their first encounter with the Lord,” St. Joseph Cottleville youth minister Danny Zink said. “They’ll ask: What do I do?”

Building a prayer routine is important, especially outside of regular Mass attendance. Danny shared several ideas for teens who want to boost their prayer, including:

Make the time: When a teen approaches him and says they want to boost their prayer life, Danny will ask them when they’re praying. Oftentimes, the answer includes going to Mass, so Danny encourages them to think beyond Mass and set aside a specific amount of time and time of day. Maybe it’s 10 minutes in the evening between completing homework and going to bed. “It’s so easy for them to slide into a mindset of, ‘When I get to it, I’ll get to it,’” he said. Making a specific plan will help develop a good habit.

Embrace tech: Teens definitely spend a lot of time on their phones, and using apps such as Hallow or Magnificat are a great way to encourage prayer, Danny said. Other online resources he shares include YouTube channels such as Ascension Presents, LifeTeen and talks from the SEEK conference and Steubenville youth conference.

Get a good Bible: Finding a good study Bible that includes commentary or other footnotes can be helpful when diving into the Scriptures, Danny said. Teens “want to get into Scripture more … but when I talk to them and they’re reading Scripture outside of the Gospels, they’re like, what’s going on,” especially the Old Testament. He recommended study Bibles produced by Word on Fire, LifeTeen and Ascension’s The Great Adventure Bible.

Build Catholic community: As a youth minister, Danny said he wants to know what teens want. “We want to feed them how they want to be fed,” he said. Word Wide Open is a weekly Bible study offered at St. Joseph and the result of high schoolers who approached him and said that while they attend Mass, they don’t always understand the Scripture readings. Because of the world they live in, they desire a Catholic community and want Catholic friends, Danny said. “They’re looking for a safe place to be a Catholic. Encouraging them to get involved more directly … will help them grow spiritually.”

This is the third in a six-part series on keeping prayer alive in the home. The series also will explore ways to foster prayer with adults, multi-generational families and seniors.