The Struggle  

Each of us will face difficulties in our lives. It is not a question of if but when. So, we prepare our teens to know that hardship will come, but we do not have to be shaken. As we help guide our teens, we want to encourage them to build a solid foundation of hearing and doing the will of God and learning to trust Him through all things in life.  

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These five chapters give you a good scope of this month’s themes in a scriptural context. They can be used for your own reading, or you can invite your whole family to join you throughout the month. By the end of the month, you will have read 20 chapters in God’s Word. 

 Ps. 27, 1 John 4, 2 Cor. 12, Philippians 3 & 4

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Parents, this is a Scripture-inspired prayer that we encourage you to pray over your family each day this week. 

The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— 
whom should I dread? When evildoers came against me to devour my flesh, my foes and my enemies stumbled and fell. Though an army deploys against me, my heart will not be afraid; though a war breaks out against me, I will still be confident (Ps. 27:1-3). 

Lord, You are my light and salvation. Because of You, I have nothing to fear. You are the stronghold of my life. Because of You, there is nothing to dread. When someone comes to harm me, You will foil their plans. Even if an army comes against me, my heart will not be afraid. No matter how big it may seem, I will still be confident in You.  

This conversation starter is designed for you to read one verse of Scripture on your own in order to invite your child into a conversation with you. The goal is for your child to see you studying the Word and working to apply it to your own life.   

You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4).  

I was reading in 1 John 4, and it reminds us that the One in us is greater than the one who is in the world. When you are facing something difficult, are you reminded that God is with you? How can this help us?  

Parents, this conversation starter is designed to help you open the Bible as a family and start a conversation that leads to the application of the Word. 

What are some examples of times when you have felt strong and when you have felt weak? 

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Cor. 12:9-10). 

In your own words, what do you think it means in verse 9 when it says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness”? 

What is this verse teaching us to do when we face hardships?  

What characteristics of God do you think we can experience when we are weak?

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Because of Christ, we can experience true joy and freedom found only in Him. We want to provide you with a way to apply this month’s theme and experience joy as a family.

Your teen faces big and small struggles every day. Blindly, we see some struggles worth praying about, and others we believe we can handle on our own. Helping our teens, and even ourselves, see so many opportunities as chances to pray and seek the Lord is habit forming in a way we should live each day. Invite your teen into your world this week. Ask them if they will join you in praying for something coming up in your life. It may be something happening at your work or just a simple worry you have. Inviting your teen into this will allow you to remind them of the value of prayer.