Teens: Prayer and Reflection

In this section you’ll find:

Food for Thought
Prayer Focus
Lectio Divina
Musical Reflections

Prayer and Reflection

We aim to make this page a little oasis, that will offer you a selection of prayers, music and short reflections that you can to tap into during your day, to bring you closer to God and provide you with a source of encouragement or inspiration…

Food for Thought

Prayer Focus

The Examen

The Examen prayer is an ancient prayer which was crafted by St Ignatius as one of his Spiritual Exercises. The foundation of this prayer is the understanding that God is always present.

The basis of this prayer is the belief that we can speak to Jesus as we would a close friend and that we can find God is all things – in all parts of our day. So the Examen encourages a focused reflection on the presence and movement of God in our day. If we take a magnifying glass to the ordinary-ness of our daily life, we will encounter the divine!

Here is some written guidance as to how to pray the Examen

Lectio Divina

Lectio Divina or Holy Reading is the practice of taking time to read passages from the Bible and to really ask yourself what it might be saying.

Begin by reading the prayer below
Invite the Holy Spirit to be with you as you read
Read one of the suggested passages – slowly – twice over
Take some quiet time to think about what you have read
As you read and reflect, be aware of any lines or words which particular strike you
Thank God for what you have read – His living Word!

Father in heaven,
Thank you for your sacred Word.
As I read, help me to hear you speaking to me.
Lead me towards an encounter with you,
each time I delve into the Scriptures.
Be powerfully present to me open my heart to the message of life that you offer me.

Amen

Romans 8: 14-17

Brothers and sisters:
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,
but you received a Spirit of adoption,
through whom we cry, “Abba, Father!”
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit
that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs,
heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,
if only we suffer with him
so that we may also be glorified with him.

Matthew 28: 16-20

The eleven disciples went to Galilee,
to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.
When they all saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.
Then Jesus approached and said to them,
“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

Musical Reflections

In times of thankfulness

1 John 4: 11-12