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Praying the Scriptures for Your Teens: Discover How to Pray God's Purpose for Their Lives
Prayer can be your greatest asset and source of wisdom in raising teenagers in today's world. This book offers palpable help to pray about the stormy issues your teen faces.
It's never been tougher to be a teenager--or the parent of one. Thankfully, from your teen's first date to the next time he or she borrows the car keys, you can take your concerns to God through prayer. Drawing on the power of God's Word, Praying the Scriptures for Your Teens equips you to pray about the difficult issues your teen may face:
Relationship challenges
Doubts about their faith
Depression
Rejection
Sexuality
Eating disorders
. . . and much more
This book also guides you in praying about everything from your teen's character and safety to the purposes and plans that God has for his or her future.
Filled with engaging historical, biblical, and contemporary illustrations, Praying the Scriptures for Your Teens shows how to make the Bible your source for prayers that can powerfully influence your teen's life. With humor and a warm, personal style, author Jodie Berndt encourages you that there is not a need your teen will face that God has not already thought of, and provided for, in his Word--and that, no matter how far away our kids may be, they are never out of his reach.
It's never been tougher to be a teenager--or the parent of one. Thankfully, from your teen's first date to the next time he or she borrows the car keys, you can take your concerns to God through prayer. Drawing on the power of God's Word, Praying the Scriptures for Your Teens equips you to pray about the difficult issues your teen may face:
Relationship challenges
Doubts about their faith
Depression
Rejection
Sexuality
Eating disorders
. . . and much more
This book also guides you in praying about everything from your teen's character and safety to the purposes and plans that God has for his or her future.
Filled with engaging historical, biblical, and contemporary illustrations, Praying the Scriptures for Your Teens shows how to make the Bible your source for prayers that can powerfully influence your teen's life. With humor and a warm, personal style, author Jodie Berndt encourages you that there is not a need your teen will face that God has not already thought of, and provided for, in his Word--and that, no matter how far away our kids may be, they are never out of his reach.
302 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2007
281 people are currently reading
415 people want to read
About the author
Jodie Berndt
22 books33 followersJodie Berndt is an author and speaker. She has written or co-written seven books, including Praying the Scriptures for Your Children and Praying the Scriptures for Your Teenagers. She holds a B.A. in English from the University of Virginia and is a former television writer and producer for CBN’s 700 Club. Jodie and her husband, Robbie, have four adult children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
April 15, 2023
This book contains great collections of applicable scriptures one can use as a basis for prayer for just about any situation concerning our families.
There was one quality of the book, however, that put me off. In her real life examples, it frequently goes something like this: teen is experiencing problem X, Mom prays using scripture A, problem resolved in just a few days, or weeks. This isn’t always how it works, though. It’s possible this is just how the examples seemed, considering the fact that her stories were extremely condensed, but oftentimes we are called or required to press through - to pray without ceasing, with faith, until God answers, and it can take a very long time. She did have one chapter where the answer was slow in coming, but it would have been more encouraging to me to see more situations where resolution took a longer time. In my opinion, it would match reality better.
In spite of this, I do recommend this book, especially to any parent looking for a roadmap of prayer points to cover for their child.
There was one quality of the book, however, that put me off. In her real life examples, it frequently goes something like this: teen is experiencing problem X, Mom prays using scripture A, problem resolved in just a few days, or weeks. This isn’t always how it works, though. It’s possible this is just how the examples seemed, considering the fact that her stories were extremely condensed, but oftentimes we are called or required to press through - to pray without ceasing, with faith, until God answers, and it can take a very long time. She did have one chapter where the answer was slow in coming, but it would have been more encouraging to me to see more situations where resolution took a longer time. In my opinion, it would match reality better.
In spite of this, I do recommend this book, especially to any parent looking for a roadmap of prayer points to cover for their child.
July 10, 2018
I enjoyed the writing style which included a real life example/story, how to be poised for prayer in that situation and then actual scripture prayers for the topic. Excellent! As a Mom’s in Prayer mom for many years, this book provides an excellent tool also! I wish I had it many years ago but I’ll certainly re-read and utilize these prayers even as our teen heads off to college!
October 20, 2023
We should be equally faithful in love as the prodigal’s father and equally expectant in prayer.
There was a wealth of scripture to pray over your child and I liked the set up. Some of the examples were formulaic and repetitive but it is a great resource and I would highly recommend the scriptures and the end of each chapter.
There was a wealth of scripture to pray over your child and I liked the set up. Some of the examples were formulaic and repetitive but it is a great resource and I would highly recommend the scriptures and the end of each chapter.
November 16, 2024
Very applicational; it's good, and a good challenge to read. But nothing groundbreaking.
August 7, 2022
Fantastic book!! There was something to pray about in every chapter. Even in the chapters I thought did not apply to my kids at this time, there were points/illustrations/themes that sparked prayers for the future. Jodie does a great job wording the prayers at the end of each chapter using scripture, which is what I love about Moms in Prayer. We will be using this book in our prayer group this year!
January 12, 2024
Love. Use this weekly.
March 21, 2024
Helpful and encouraging.
Read
February 19, 2023A must-get for any parent. A great gift for any parent of teenagers.
January 19, 2024
I can’t recommend Jodie’s books enough! They have opened up my prayer life and taught me how to pray the scriptures. Relatable stories along the way with each chapter and prayers at the end of each to insert your teens name. I finished this one slowly and prayed for a month over each chapter but you can read one a day or take it slow. So well done Jodie!
March 26, 2019
This book is a wonderful guideline for praying for your teenagers! I am always at a loss for the words to pray so this is super helpful. It is always on the night stand so I can grab it when I need it which is all the time. It is a book you will reference for many years!
July 15, 2021
This is sort of a devotional book you can read cover to cover or search by topics. Each chapter has a short story based on the topic and then has two-three pages of scripture for you to pray for your teens! I highly recommend it if you are in a slump for what to pray for your ever-changing teens!
June 1, 2023
This honest, practical book is one I will come back to again and again. The prayers are scripture based and easy to reference when you need specific topics covered. There are a few places that I didn’t agree 100% with the narratives, but the scripture based advice was always on point.
April 6, 2021
A beautiful resource to help parents prioritize praying over their children. These are not empty prayers, but filled with scriptural promises. The format fits a devotional approach (read a chapter, see applications at the end of the chapter), but my copy is dog-eared from referring to it so often. This isn't a read through one time, this is a handbook for focused, diligent prayer.
The author has also created additional resources available at her website (for example: a calendar printout with a prayer per day).
The author has also created additional resources available at her website (for example: a calendar printout with a prayer per day).
October 26, 2021
I like the examples of scriptures to pray, but most of this book felt like stories and examples of how praying a certain prayer changed a teenager. And it seems to me that we have to be careful to not consider our prayers as promises that God will fix things. Sometimes we will pray something for our teen and it won’t change. And God is still good even in that.
October 13, 2022
I loved her 30 days of prayers so much this summer, I asked my son’s friends’ moms to read this one with me. So 15 of us have been reading and praying for our freshmen boys together. I love the format - how she writes about a topic, provides scripture and prayer examples. These books are such a handy reference when you want ideas of what to pray.
March 8, 2019
This is a fantastic resource for Christian parents of teens to help guide their prayers for their kids. It is divided into topics and structures the prayers in each section on Scripture.
December 12, 2019
A great resource with lots of advice - and prayers right out of God's Word - for parents of teens.
March 16, 2021
Best Parenting Tool
when you are looking for a powerful tool to talk to God about your teens, this is one of the greatest sources full of scripture guided prayers.
when you are looking for a powerful tool to talk to God about your teens, this is one of the greatest sources full of scripture guided prayers.
August 20, 2022
Loved it. This book will have a permanent place on my nightstand for the next several years, I am sure. I love the specific scriptures at the end of each chapter.
February 11, 2024
Just like Praying Scriptures for your Children…this was a tremendous tool for me during those tough teen years! If you have a teenager…this is a must for your library!
February 13, 2025
Plan to read again and again
November 18, 2021
I read all or parts of this book every year for the past 4 years. I even have some of the prayers saved in my Echo app to pray over my boys.
January 14, 2012
Author: Jodie Berndt
Title: Praying Scripture for Your Teenagers
Description (source): It's never been tougher to be a teenager---or the parent of one. Thankfully, from your teen's first date to the next time he or she borrows the car keys, you can take your concerns to God through prayer. Drawing on God's Word, Praying the Scriptures for Your Teenager offers palpable help to pray about the stormy issues your teen faces: Relationships, Depression, Rejection, Sexuality, Eating disorders, and much more. This book also guides you in praying about everything from your teen's character and safety to the purposes and plans that God has for his or her life. Filled with historical, biblical, and contemporary illustrations, Praying the Scriptures for Your Teenager shows how to make the Bible your source for prayers that can powerfully influence your teen's life. With humor and a warm, personal style, author Jodie Berndt encourages you that, in this sometimes daunting new world, 'when you pray the Scriptures, you tap into the same power that has kept teenagers safe for generations.’ (book marketing info)
Writing style: Berndt is the author of Praying the Scriptures for Your Children (which I haven’t read); six years later, she followed it up with this title on praying for your teenagers (probably even more needed than the previous book!) I was given this book at a youth event at our former church. It’s comprised of short (5-7 page) chapters that detail a specific problem or issue that teenagers face, give an example, and then list prayers (with Scripture references) that Berndt suggests.
Audience: Christian parents of teenagers—that would be me.
Major ideas: Because of the timing of its publication (six years after her earlier book on praying for your children), I’m guessing that Berndt has experienced issues or worries about many of the topics in this book, and has prayed through many of these scriptures herself. I thought the scriptures she chose were appropriate, and appreciated having the suggestions of the many ways to pray—sometimes we can all get in a rut.
Wrap-up: I only have one criticism about this book, and it’s not significant. Every chapter has at least one example of a teen who has had difficulty with the issue addressed in the chapter; these are always friends’ children (who I’m sure have been given pseudonyms). Now, I can understand how the author’s teenagers would be horribly embarrassed if Mom ever revealed their own sufferings or shortcomings in her books, and she doesn’t. She does, however, include plenty of their triumphs. The result that the author’s family looks like the only ideal family amid a sea of friends who have teenagers beset by every possible problem, while her teens have sailed through these difficult years unscathed. I would have preferred that she not refer to her own family at all, rather than causing them to appear to be misleadingly perfect. Overall, though, I recommend the book—our teenagers need all the prayer we can spare! 4/5*
Title: Praying Scripture for Your Teenagers
Description (source): It's never been tougher to be a teenager---or the parent of one. Thankfully, from your teen's first date to the next time he or she borrows the car keys, you can take your concerns to God through prayer. Drawing on God's Word, Praying the Scriptures for Your Teenager offers palpable help to pray about the stormy issues your teen faces: Relationships, Depression, Rejection, Sexuality, Eating disorders, and much more. This book also guides you in praying about everything from your teen's character and safety to the purposes and plans that God has for his or her life. Filled with historical, biblical, and contemporary illustrations, Praying the Scriptures for Your Teenager shows how to make the Bible your source for prayers that can powerfully influence your teen's life. With humor and a warm, personal style, author Jodie Berndt encourages you that, in this sometimes daunting new world, 'when you pray the Scriptures, you tap into the same power that has kept teenagers safe for generations.’ (book marketing info)
Writing style: Berndt is the author of Praying the Scriptures for Your Children (which I haven’t read); six years later, she followed it up with this title on praying for your teenagers (probably even more needed than the previous book!) I was given this book at a youth event at our former church. It’s comprised of short (5-7 page) chapters that detail a specific problem or issue that teenagers face, give an example, and then list prayers (with Scripture references) that Berndt suggests.
Audience: Christian parents of teenagers—that would be me.
Major ideas: Because of the timing of its publication (six years after her earlier book on praying for your children), I’m guessing that Berndt has experienced issues or worries about many of the topics in this book, and has prayed through many of these scriptures herself. I thought the scriptures she chose were appropriate, and appreciated having the suggestions of the many ways to pray—sometimes we can all get in a rut.
Wrap-up: I only have one criticism about this book, and it’s not significant. Every chapter has at least one example of a teen who has had difficulty with the issue addressed in the chapter; these are always friends’ children (who I’m sure have been given pseudonyms). Now, I can understand how the author’s teenagers would be horribly embarrassed if Mom ever revealed their own sufferings or shortcomings in her books, and she doesn’t. She does, however, include plenty of their triumphs. The result that the author’s family looks like the only ideal family amid a sea of friends who have teenagers beset by every possible problem, while her teens have sailed through these difficult years unscathed. I would have preferred that she not refer to her own family at all, rather than causing them to appear to be misleadingly perfect. Overall, though, I recommend the book—our teenagers need all the prayer we can spare! 4/5*
February 20, 2025
I love the idea of using God’s own words for pray. This book is a great resource to help get you started on verses to use and covers a variety of topics to cover all aspects of your teen’s life.
May 1, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I picked it up at the right time because I felt that the way the chapters aligned with what was going on in my personal home life, God's hand was in it.
The writing is really easy and approachable with a lot of stories from other moms about their kids and the specific areas they were going through, like lying, music, the friends their kids were hanging out with, etc were all kind of heartbreaking but all ended up being very encouraging and hopeful which I found really to minister to my soul.
I love ALL of the scripture in the book. There were many times I underlined or highlighted many of the verses. Even sending some to my kid as well as writing them down in my Growth Book to reference again. I used them actively to pray over my kid and I feel like my prayer life especially has never been better.
My husband plans on reading this book now that I've finished it and I feel strongly that this is a book that every Christian parent should read. It feels like an extension of the Armor of God just reading through it and praying the prayers. I have a feeling this will be a book I will come to often in my parenting journey.
The writing is really easy and approachable with a lot of stories from other moms about their kids and the specific areas they were going through, like lying, music, the friends their kids were hanging out with, etc were all kind of heartbreaking but all ended up being very encouraging and hopeful which I found really to minister to my soul.
I love ALL of the scripture in the book. There were many times I underlined or highlighted many of the verses. Even sending some to my kid as well as writing them down in my Growth Book to reference again. I used them actively to pray over my kid and I feel like my prayer life especially has never been better.
My husband plans on reading this book now that I've finished it and I feel strongly that this is a book that every Christian parent should read. It feels like an extension of the Armor of God just reading through it and praying the prayers. I have a feeling this will be a book I will come to often in my parenting journey.
January 10, 2009
This book has been incredibly helpful in praying for my teenager. It's organized by topic (ie: Praying for Others-Centeredness, Praying for Her Relationship with Christ, etc), so you can quickly identify what you would like to pray for and go right there. Each chapter begins with an encouraging story about a parent who faced an issue with their teenager, prayed about it and saw God work. At the end of the chapter are several prayers based on scripture, where you simply insert your teens name in the blank and pray away. GREAT BOOK - I'll be searching for similar ones for my husband and little one.
November 30, 2024
Lots of information in this book. I feel like I could read it multiple times and glean new info each time. Very relatable and easy to read!
June 28, 2021
This book has been life-changing for me in the way I pray for my teens. It’s full of Scripture prayers, and many of them I would have never thought about praying over my kids. The book is easy to read and covers a variety of topics. A must-read for Christian parents desiring to deepen their prayer life!
June 21, 2021
As of this summer, all three of my children will be teenagers. Every day, I discover new reasons to pray for them. I appreciate the guidance and hope in this book, which is inspiring my prayer life and grounding me in God’s Word.
I purchased this book myself.
I purchased this book myself.
September 14, 2011
Great book to read and use when you have teenagers! I read a chapter daily and keep reading it every year!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews