 |
Teenagers have special problems, needs, and aspirations. Author Jonah has organized a grouping of prayers and exercises that can appeal to their particular requirements. The prayers are divided into nine basic categories: "The New Beginning" (realizing God's power and mercy perhaps for the first time); "Personality" (individual foibles that make religious life difficult at times); "My Future" (academic performance, use of time); "Setback" (insidious tendencies like envy and backbiting as barriers to faith); "Ecstasy" (sex and self-control); "Crossroads" (drugs, phobias, low self-esteem); "Family and Friends" (interactions positive and negative); "Celebration" (holidays and birthdays); "Eternity" (rapture, heaven or hell). Each prayer page has a space to add points and thoughts. It also includes quotations from other noted sources, biblical passages that support the prayer subject, and definitions of certain keywords in the prayer to clarify their context.
Jonah, who works as a schoolteacher and acts as the teenagers' coordinator in her church, has prepared this collection with great care. She frankly presents subject matter that deeply affects young people who face physical, mental, and social problems of adolescence, such as education issues, home and family strife, possible abuse, and crowd following tendencies towards drugs, alcohol, and sex. She then offers sincere prayers for God's help and guidance. The prayers are carefully couched in language geared to teen realities, asking for advice from God about avoiding drug use, showing off one's appearance for flirtation and temptation, helping parents make ends meet, dealing with bullies, and controlling hormonal urges. By allowing for the reader's input and showing how the prayers are supported in scripture, she instills confidence. Her book could easily be used in any religious setting geared to teenagers, and individual teens will likely want copies to consult as they encounter difficult life situations.