A Teenager's Prayer

A TEENAGER'S PRAYER

by HELEN STEINER RICE

GOD, HERE I AM IN A "CHAOTIC STATE"

SEEKING SOME WAY TO DO "SOMETHING GREAT"...

I WANT TO BE SOMEONE WHO CONTRIBUTES TO

MAKE A LESS VIOLENT WORLD FOR EVERYONE'S SAKE...

BUT WHO CAN I GO TO AND WHO CAN I TRUST,

WHO'LL SHOW ME THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LOVE AND LUST?

I'M WILLING TO LISTEN, I'M WILLING TO DO,

WHATEVER IT TAKES TO MAKE THIS WORLD "NEW"...

BUT IN THE CONFUSION AND THE NOISE ALL AROUND

WHERE CAN THE ANSWER TO MY QUESTION BE FOUND?

DEAR GOD IN HEAVEN, HEAR A TEENAGERS PLEA-

SHOW ME SOMEWHERE WHAT YOU WANT ME TO BE!

PSALMS

I WILL GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD

ACCORDING TO HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS,

AND WILL SING PRAISE TO THE

NAME OF THE LORD MOST HIGH.

PSALM 7:17

NAS

MY HEART IS STEADFAST, O GOD,

MY HEART IS STEADFAST;

I WILL SING AND MAKE MUSIC.

PSALM 57:7

NIV

SING A NEW SONG TO THE LORD!

SING IT EVERYWHERE AROUND THE WORLD!

PSALM 96:1

TLB

BUT I WILL SING OF YOUR MIGHT;

I WILL SING ALOUD OF YOUR

STEADFAST LOVE IN THE MORNING.

FOR YOU HAVE BEEN A FORTRESS FOR ME

AND A REFUGE IN THE DAY OF MY DISTRESS.

PSALM 59:16

NRSV

PRAY AS IF

EVERYTHING DEPENDED

ON GOD, AND WORK

AS IF EVERYTHING

DEPENDED UPON MAN.

FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD.

JAMES 2:26

KJV

THE TROUBLE

WITH STRETCHING

THE TRUTH IS THAT IT'S

APT TO SNAP BACK.

A FALSE WITNESS SHALL NOT BE UNPUNISHED,

AND HE THAT SPEAKETH LIES

SHALL NOT ESCAPE.

PROVERBS 19:5

KJV

A BLIND MAN

WHO SEES IS BETTER

THAN A SEEING MAN

WHO IS BLIND.

"BLESSED ARE YOUR EYES, FOR THEY SEE:

AND YOUR EARS, FOR THEY HEAR."

MATTHEW 13:16

WE HAVE THIS HOPE AS AN ANCHOR

FOR THE SOULS FIRM AND SECURE.

HEBREWS 6:13-20
NIV