It’s so easy to get caught up in preparing interesting lessons, planning creative activities, and trying to stay on top of the latest trends in teen culture that sometimes I find myself forgetting what I’m really doing. At the heart of it all, I’m in this to see girls’ lives changed for Jesus Christ.

The point isn’t to be the most trendy, fun, and exciting ministry. It’s to see lives changed, to see girls encounter God.

The tricky thing is we really can’t make this happen in our own power. As much as we plan and prepare (which are both good things), these things are really just vehicles to help our girls experience the Lord.

The most important thing we can do in preparation for our girls deepening their relationship with the Lord is to pray for them. Sometimes it can be hard to find time to pray and to even really know what to pray. Here are some ideas for creative ways to pray for your girls.

Multi-task. As much as it would be nice to be able to set aside an hour a day for prayer for your girls, it’s probably not realistic. Any amount of time that you can set aside to pray specifically for your girls is invaluable. It’s also important to make the best use of your time. Pray while you’re driving, fixing dinner, or cleaning up the house. Personally, I’ve had some of my most memorable and effective times of prayer while I’m doing other tasks that don’t require much additional thought. I love to put on some worship music and spend time with the Lord while I’m organizing my junk drawer or cleaning the kitchen.

Be Aware. Taking prayer requests is a great way to stay up-to-date on what’s going on in your girls’ lives. Sometimes they’ll be willing to request prayer for something they wouldn’t normally share with the group. It’s also good to be aware of your girls’ school and athletic schedules. Pray for your girls when you know they’re approaching finals or a big game. It will mean a lot to them to know that you’re praying for them in the things that are important in their lives.

Pray in the Spirit. Allow yourself to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes He will bring a girl to mind who is in need of prayer. Take time to pray for her. If you pray in the Spirit, do that. Pray for the Lord’s protection and guidance for her. When you see her again, let her know that you felt led to pray for her. This could be an incredible testimony of the Holy Spirit’s guidance to pray for her during a critical time. At the very least, she’ll know you care enough to pray for her outside of church.

Pray Scripture. One of the most effective ways to pray for others (and ourselves) is to pray through the Scripture. A favorite passage of mine to pray is Ephesians 3:16-19 (NIV), “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

My prayer for each one of you who lead or parent teen girls is from Ephesians 1:17-19 (NIV), “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”