With Beth Shriver
WEEK 13-Friendship
DAY 1-
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Proverbs 17:17
Ask Your Teen:
Do you feel closer to your friends than your siblings?
Saying no to peer pressure is thought to be more acceptable due to awareness but is not any easier. Having the permission to say no helps teens but they still need to have the confidence to follow through.
“Real friendship is shown in times of trouble; prosperity is full of friends.” A. Kuyper
Lord, help our family to continue to support one another. Even if we don't know everything our teens is going through, You do, and we trust in You to watch over them and help guide them in Your ways.
DAY 2-
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24
Ask Your Teen:
Do you have a lot of friends or a few close friends?
Bullying has become violent to a new extreme, something most teens will face in some way. This means that teens have and the ways they go about their revenge has reached a new level. Helping a teen to feel safe and know what to do in case of such an emergency is as important as a fire drill, and much more probable.
“Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person: having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but to pour them out. Just as they are—chaff and grain together, knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness, blow the rest away.” Geo Eliot
Lord, help ___ discern which friends will always be there. Don't let them get caught up in with the ones who will fail them and let them down. Uncover their eyes to see the real person and know their hearts.
DAY 3-
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17
Ask Your Teen:
Tell about a time when you sharpened a friend, or a friend sharpened you.
When a teen can't go to a friend, good teen therapists can help with coping skills. The old stigma of the need for counseling has subsided somewhat, leaving an opportunity for teens who need help to receive it without as much judgment.
“When two go together, one of them at least looks forward to see what is best; a man by himself, though he be careful, still has less mind in him than two, and his wits have less weight.” Homer
Lord, equip ___ to know how to sharpen friends and for them to have the will to have this completed in them. Let their friends be kind enough to tell them when they are faltering and lift them up, and for them to do the same for others.
DAY 4-
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Ask Your Teen:
Who of your friends would do this for you?
Truancy and skipping class is tempting and common, teens need to know when to draw the line. It sounds fun, everybody's done it, so why not your teen? What can it hurt, missing one class? Not much, but getting away with it once usually leads to a second and third time and can lead to other offenses which are more severe.
“Friendship doubles our joys and halves our grief.” Dolly Madison
Lord, enable ___ to gather around others who share your mission. Let others surround them who are strong willed and not fearful of standing alone. Let them be that example to others when the need arises.
DAY 5-
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12
Ask Your Teen:
How can this be a good thing, or a bad thing?
Teens can easily be made to feel that they can't stand up to others. This creates low self esteem and a target for those in the wait. Helping your teen to present themselves with humble pride, even when they don't feel it, can get them through tough situations.
“If you have a friend worth loving, love him. Yes, and let him know that you love him, ere life's evening, tinge his brow with sunset glow. Why should good words ne'er be said of a friend—till he is dead?”
Alexander Macleod
Lord, help ___ to submit to you the control to lead them to other teens that are a good God fit. Only you know who can work best in their lives, help us to stand clear and let You work in their lives, drawing others near who will lift them up.
DAY 6-
Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so? Amos 3:3
Ask Your Teen:
When have you felt like you were walking together with someone, but the other person wasn't really walking with you?
Not following the rules of school can lead a teen to alternative schools. A good friend can help pull a teen away from trouble. There are so many choices of where to send kids to school now and each child is different, so the decision can be complicated. Taking into consideration each teen's needs and how they best learn can be a daunting and ever changing task but pays off when you find the appropriate place for them.
“It may be true that he travels farthest who travels alone, but the goal thus reached is not worth reaching.” T. Roosevelt
Lord, help ___ to find trustworthy friends that they can pour their heart out to. Not just someone to spend time with but a friend who has a heart that longs for You. One that they can tell anything to with trust and knowledge of You.
DAY 7-
Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:23
Ask Your Teen:
Think of any one in your life who you believe would do this for you. Who would you actually give your life for?
The internet is an overload of information for a teen, even finding who they might think is a “friend”. There are many temptations on the net and a teen's judgment can easily be clouded. Keeping a close eye on their time spent using the computer, cell phone etc. can help you know what they're being exposed to .
“He is your friend who pushes you closer to God.” Abraham Kuyper
Lord, give ___ the same kind of honor to their friends that we give You. Let them be wise with who they choose to follow and to lead. Help them keep you as the focus in each and everyone of their relationships.
WEEK 14-Holiness
DAY 1-
You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own. Leviticus 20:26
Ask Your Teen:
If this is true, are you holy? Explain how.
It's hard when a teen doesn't feel chosen in life and so important for them to feel chosen by God. They need to know their relationship with Him is the first and foremost and with that, others will come.
“It is not a question of our equipment but of our poverty, not of what we bring with us, but of what God puts into us.” Ibid
Lord, guide ___ in wanting and trying to stay clean and wise in their decisions. Let them feel the cleansing that only you can give. And once they know this purity let them want it again and always.
DAY 2-
You and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today.
Deuteronomy 30:2
Ask Your Teen:
What or who have you given your heart and soul?
Whatever is important to a teen will control their heart. There are so many temptations that will lead them astray and make them lose their priorities. Whatever gets them plugged into church is a priority. From choir to missions help them find their niche.
“I am never better than when I am on the full stretch of God.” Geo. Whitefield
Lord, let ___ always see you as worthy of giving their heart and soul. Don't let the evil one cover their eyes to see or their ears to hear the truth in your ways. Let their path always lead to You.
DAY 3-
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
Ask Your Teen:
Do you feel it easier to make these choices, or the opposite?
Knowing what stresses your teen will help them with tough
choices. We all have weaknesses and to pin point what might tempt your teen can help you with interference before they get close enough to cause harm.
“The Lord sends no one away empty, except those who are full of themselves.” Dwight L. Moody
Lord, bring ___ back to you when they stray. Help them learn from their mistakes so they can become stronger in You and not depend on things of the world.
DAY 4-
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ . Romans 8:1
Ask Your Teen:
When do you feel condemned?
Teens often feel picked on or oppressed, sometimes because they don't fit in with the crowd or because of their faith. Help them learn to be confident in their belief or if they are different, by your example and those of others around them.
“Since I am crucified with thee, from sin and self I am set free, how can I still enjoy the world, or seek its vanities unfurled?” Watchman Nee
Lord, lead ___ along your narrow path and into your ways. Help them know when they are nearing the edge and need to veer one way or the other to get to the middle again. Let them feel Your gentle nudge to encourage them they are doing what is right.
DAY 5-
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. James 1:21
Ask Your Teen:
God has provided a way to live a pure life. What is your part?
Purity goes much further than sex, it's a teens entire life choices. Feeling good about themselves will go far. Feeling accepted by peers and finding a place in their world will help them from doing something just to fit in.
“O God, light of lights, keep us from inward darkness; grant us so to sleep in peace, that we may arise to work accordingly to Your will.” Lancelot Andrews
Lord, continue to encourage ___ to come to you when they need to be cleansed. Let them know that Your grace is enough, that they are forgiven before they ever asked and that they are white as snow in Your eyes.
DAY 6-
Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Ephesians 4:8
Ask Your Teen:
What makes you feel loved?
Help a teen see the positive things when they see the negative. Things can become overwhelming at times and everything in their lives may seem as though it is under attack. The devil knows our weaknesses but the Lord, even more so, knows our strengths. Remind your teen what those are.
“When you carry out acts of kindness you get a wonderful feeling inside. It is as though something inside your body responds and says, “Yes, this is how I ought to feel.” Rabbi Harold Kushner
Lord, keep ___'s thoughts on you and what is excellent in your eyes. Teach them what You want of them and how to succeed in life glorifying You.
DAY 7-
But as we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus , his son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:7
Ask Your Teen:
Do you walk in the light?
Vile language is a part of a teen's everyday life. It can be found in music, movies, books and conversation. Helping a teen to identify feelings when they indulge in these types of negatives can help them know when to say “no, stop” and what they need to look for as an alternative.
“The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.” Solomon
Lord, don't let ___ go towards the darkness but keep them in the light. Expose Satan and his evil ways and teach them how to protect themselves with Your word, prayer and their Holy Spirit.
WEEK 15-Joy
DAY 1-
A joyful heart is good medicine. Proverbs 17:22
Ask Your Teen:
How has this ever been true with you?
Knowing how to feel joy through God is different than what we find of the world. Helping a teen to identify the difference is important because joy from God may not seem as intense as the temporary joy of this earth, but God's joy is everlasting.
“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.” James M. Barrie
Lord, enlarge ___'s understanding to know that You are the ultimate good feeling. Let them feel You in what makes them happy in this world, and to discover that You are the one that created it.
Day 2-
He has filled our hearts with joy. Psalm 4:7
Ask Your Teen:
How would this verse help you at times when you are not joyful?
Knowing the Joy will return. If teens can know and trust this they will not lose hope as we know so many do. They don't always look past the very moment they are in . To look to the power that only God can give will help them cling to what is good.
“The days that make us happy, make us wise.”
John Mansfield
Lord, let the Holy Spirit guide ___ in learning how to find inner peace through you. Let it be automatic that they seek you during times of trouble and learn to depend wholly on You.
DAY 3-
Let us sing for joy to the Lord! Psalm 95:1
Ask Your Teen:
Do you sometimes take your faith so seriously that you can't enjoy it?
Worship is a way to celebrate joy and keep focused on Him. When we get into ourselves we take it all too seriously. For a teen to feel free enough to worship freely will also free their soul.
“Into all our lives, in many simple, familiar homely ways, God infuses this element of joy from the surprises of life, which expectedly brighten our days, and fill our lives with light. Samuel Longfellow
Lord, help ___ to live out their relationship with You in such a way that they would with a friend. Let them feel You as one that understands them and feels what they feel.
DAY 4-
A happy heart makes the face cheerful. Proverbs 15:13
Ask Your Teen:
Can you tell if a person is a Christian? If so, how?
Teens have to know that being Christian doesn't mean life will be any easier but something to hope for . That goes for friends too. Just because someone calls themselves a Christian doesn't always mean they will act like one. None of us do at all times. Forgiveness and grace are ours to show to others just as God showers them on us.
“I'm not happy, I'm cheerful. There is a difference. A happy woman has no cares at all; a cheerful woman has cares but has learned how to deal with them.”
Beverly Sills
Lord, help ___ to hold on to their true self and not let go. Build them up to be like You in Your forgiving ways and loving heart. Let them overlook the blemishes of others and work on their own transgressions.
DAY 5-
The Lord has done great things and our hearts are filled with joy. Psalm 126:3
Ask Your Teen:
Why then, are our hearts not always filled with joy?
Reminding a teen of the highs and the lows will give the joyful times more meaning, and help them know the lows will pass. Just knowing this can encourage a teen when things seem wrong or unjust. There will always be those that are unfair but to know God is always fair just gives great comfort.
“The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each other's burden, easing others loads, and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic.” W.C. Jones
Lord, enable ___ to experience the joy that only you bring. Let them see that it comes from You and only You. That this kind of Joy is the Lord's and no other can claim what only You can do.
DAY 6-
Be joyful always. 1 Thessalonians 5:16
Ask Your Teen:
Is this possible? Then why does is say to do it?
Let teens know what they must strive for . To be realistic in what they can expect from themselves but not to settle for less than that . Help them to achieve their highest goal, knowing they are doing it for God.
“One of the things I keep learning is that the secret of being happy is doing things for other people.”
Dick Gregory
Lord, empower ___ to seek after your joyful ways and to truly experience life. Life through You, Lord the way and the truth you show us that enables us to live the life You want us to live.
DAY 7-
You fill me with joy in your presence. Psalm 16:11
Ask Your Teen:
How does this verse answer yesterday's question?
Knowing God is there always is a powerful thing. For a teen to take this to heart, and carry it with them during times of trouble, can give them courage and confidence.
“Peace is seeing a sunset and knowing who to thank.”
Anonymous
Lord, deliver ___ to Your loving presence. Keep them there safe with You in Your loving embrace. Let them fear nothing knowing You are beside them.
WEEK 16-Peace
DAY 1-
You will keep in perfect peace those who are steadfast, trusting in you. Isaiah 26:3
Ask Your Teen:
Why do you think there are times when you're not in perfect peace?
Trusting in ourselves is confidence. Trusting in the Lord is faith. Showing your teen how much more meaningful faith is might increase the faith they already have. For them to know that they are trusting with their heart and not their head means something and they should take comfort in that.
“Be careful to preserve your health. It is a trick of the devil, which he employs to deceive good souls, to incite them to do more, that they may no longer be able to do anything.” Vincent de Paul
Lord, let ___ desire to be steadfast so they might trust in You. Help their faith never to falter, to be unwavering in their lives. Not only to secure their own spirit but to show an example to others.
DAY 2-
The Lord blesses his people with peace. Psalm 29:11
Ask Your Teen:
What do we have to do for this to happen?
No matter what we do, God's peace is always there for us. An amazing thought if we really drink it in. To have peace from the Lord is so big we can't grasp it but just think if we didn't have it. This is what makes us count our blessings.
“Every one of us has in himself a continent of undiscovered character. Happy is he who acts the Columbus to his own soul.” Sir J. Stevens
Lord, help ___ to feel your forgiveness and be worthy of You. Don't let others rob them of what You offer to them. Let them grasp this and run to You, not looking back.
DAY 3-
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, guards over our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus . Philippians 4:7
Ask Your Teen:
Have you ever experienced peace without understanding how that could be under the circumstances?
“The peace that comes from God is always there. Peace that comes from things comes and goes. This is a lesson that is hard for all of us to learn. Sometimes it seems that non-Christians have more fun because they don't have the same integrity. Knowing this and carrying on as an example speaks louder than words.
“It is not my ability, but my response to God's ability, that counts.” Corrie Ten Boom
Lord, let ___ feel Your all affirming love and peace.
DAY 4-
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. John 14:27
Ask Your Teen:
Is this too simple to be believable?
Putting our mind on God, rather than on ourselves is often difficult, but the rewarding peace is there for us when we do. Ask your teen if they've ever felt God's peace. For them to know this and recognize it and not give the credit to something other is even more meaningful when it happens again.
“Into thy hands, O Lord, I command my spirit.” Christopher Columbus-Last words
Lord, let ___ submit to You and find Your peace. Help
them to know you and know when You are working in their
lives. I pray they are open to You and accepting of your
ways.
DAY 5-
He himself is our peace. Ephesians 2:14
Ask Your Teen:
How does this relieve pressure from us?
We are taught to work for what we have, but peace is God's gift. This puts things in perspective knowing His peace is all and there is no other to compare.
“Accept, O Lord, my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my will. All that I am and have thou hast given to me; and I give all back to thee to be disposed of according to thy good pleasure. Give me only the comfort of thy presence and the joy of thy love; with thee I shall be more than rich and shall desire nothing more.” St. Ignatius of Loyola
Lord, let ___ desire You and the calm only You provide. Help them to know that You are there during the hard times and to give You credit for the good times as well.
DAY 6-
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27
Ask Your Teen:
How is the peace from God different from the things of the world that give us peace?
The peace of the world is deceiving and short especially in a teen's world. It's hard to keep up with the changes but to know God has a plan can give one the peace to enjoy life while we have it.
“There is no pillow so soft as a clear conscience.” French proverb
Lord, lead ___ away from strife and into Your world of peace. Help them to know the peace that only You can give and want them to have if they'll only reach for the prize.
DAY 7-
You will keep in perfect peace, him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3
Ask Your Teen:
How can we remain in God's peace?
Putting our mind on God rather than on ourselves is often difficult, but the reward of peace is there for us when we do. It's hard for a teen not to get caught up in the, "me" attitude of our culture and to stay focused on God.
“How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer's ear! It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, and drives away his fear.” John Newton
Lord, give ___ the hunger to go to You and they will gain the peace You give. Let this be a habit for them to know they can go to You no matter what the situation and You will be there for them when “things” will not.