Many teenagers long to stop and open themselves to God. But often they feel they need permission to set aside the numerous agendas, expectations and amusements in which they find themselves entangled.

While regularly interviewing young people about their spiritual lives over a period of ten years, Mark Yaconelli was fascinated to discover that they experienced their deepest encounters with God during moments of rest, solitude, silence, reflection and contemplative wonder. His hope is that Helping Teenagers to Pray will encourage a different pace within youth ministry, churches and families – one more in keeping with the rhythms and spirit he has glimpsed within the lives of those who share their stories in this volume.

Helping Teenagers to Pray is divided into two sections: the first offers some reflections on the nature of prayer and adolescence; the second describes a variety of prayer experiences, exercises, traditional prayer methods, settings and strategies to help young people uncover the presence of God in their lives.

Mark Yaconelli is the co-founder and director of the Youth Ministry and Spirituality Project housed at San Francisco Theological Seminary. The author of Contemplative Youth Ministry and Growing Souls (see below), he is in demand as a retreat leader and speaker throughout the USA and, increasingly, in the UK.