A little while back we had a night where our students were able to express themselves to God during worship through journaling prayers.  After reading and hearing students share their prayers and be open and real with God, I was blown away.  Despite the number of adults who think middle school students can’t own their faith and have a relationship with Christ, these students proved them wrong with what they were able to articulate and what they live out in their lives.

Here are some excerpts:

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Lord, help me to think about others and help others.  Lord, I want to be so much closer to you.  Please, please help me to find and make time in my day for you.  I want to praise you and be with you.  I love you, Lord.  Thank you for letting me know you.
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Thank you God for listening to me tonight.
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God, you have given so many blessings to us, yet we don’t return them to you.  I want to thank you for your son, our homes, jobs, money, and friends.  We live an incredible life.  Your love is everlasting and I love you Lord!
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Show me how to live, God.
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Dear God, Let me get away from distractions and things that draw me away from you.  All the people that make me think things are important even though I know they are not important to you and shouldn’t be important to me.  Just let me love no one more than you and show that in my life.
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Dear God, let me become more like you.
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God, you are always there for me and I thank you for that.  Please help me to want to seek you more.  I want you to be the number one thing in my life but it’s really hard and I need your help.  Please just help me to see you!  I need your help through this.
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Dear God, I would like to praise you for everything and giving us the money we need.  You are just so great.  I can’t wait to see what you’re going to do next.
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God, I just want to be able to connect with you so bad, it’s not even funny.  I want to put you first and I want to love you more than anything else but it’s hard.  I guess I just need to spend more time with you or something.  But whatever it is, I’m going to try to put my whole heart into growing closer to you.  I don’t think we realize how powerful you are.  I don’t think we always see the constant battle of good and evil going on.  I don’t think we realize it, but please help me to understand these things.
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Thank you God for your love, forgiveness, and grace.
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Thank you for my friends and a girlfriend who likes me for who I am.  I love you for being in my life and for everything you have done for me.
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Lord, I’m sorry.  I’m sorry that it’s been all about me.  That’s why I haven’t been with you.  I wanted to feel something, not praise you, Lord.  I give you all of my stress Lord.  I haven’t been letting go.  I want you to have it all.  I don’t want it to be about me anymore lord.  I want to be back with you again.  I’m sorry for falling into the pressures of this world.  I give my life to you again Lord.
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Lord, I apologize.  You don’t deserve the way I treat you sometimes.  I’m sorry for being so focused on myself that I lose track of you and bringing others closer to you.  I guess I just need more grace than I thought.  Thank you for the desire to know you and follow you more.  Please help me to make that translate into actions instead of just words.  Thank you for being willing to use me despite my failures.  Thank you that the more honest I am with you, the more useful I am to you.