How to Help Teenagers Spend Time with God

There are so many great reasons why many of us stepped into youth ministry. Maybe it was the promise of regular pizza parties, the unmatched chaos of dodgeball, or the strange joy of watching a teenager actually laugh at one of your jokes. These are all valid reasons—but underneath all the fun, we were really motivated by the possibility of helping students grow in their faith.

That’s the heart of what we do. We want to see teenagers know Jesus, follow Jesus, and build a faith that lasts. But as you’ve probably learned, helping students grow can be a little more complicated than it sounds.

• How do you measure spiritual growth?
• What “counts” as progress?
• Which habits actually matter over time?

You can’t always see spiritual growth as it’s happening—and you certainly can’t force it. But you can pay attention to the habits students are building and how those habits shape their faith. That’s why our discipleship strategy focuses on four spiritual habits—Spending Time with God, Spending Time with Others, Using Your Gifts, and Sharing Your Story.

We believe these habits sit at the center of discipleship, and they become the lens through which you see everything you do each year—your teaching, your events, your parent strategy, and even how you equip your volunteers.

These habits form the decisions, behaviors, and rhythms that help students grow spiritually over time. And anytime we see a teenager practicing even one of them, we can celebrate it as a real sign of growth.

So in this blog, let’s focus on just one of these habits—

SPENDING TIME WITH GOD

Spending time with God is the habit we’re probably most familiar with. In fact, it’s often the first—or only—one that comes to mind when we think about spiritual growth. While spending time with God isn’t the whole picture of discipleship, it is a crucial habit to develop.

If students are ever going to live out their faith, they need to learn how to spend time with God on their own. That might look like opening the Bible, having honest conversations with God, or discovering how they best connect with God through worship. What matters most is helping students see that spending time with God is personal, meaningful, and possible in everyday life.

So how can we help teenagers learn to Spend Time with God in ways that stick? Here are a few practical ways to start…

• GIVE THEM A BIBLE. Reading the Bible might not be the only way to spend time with God, but it’s a great place to begin. Give students a Bible written in language they can understand—and would actually use. We love the NIV, NLT, The Message, and The Voice translations because they’re approachable, clear, and easy to engage with.
• HELP THEM MEMORIZE SCRIPTURE. Teenagers are experts at memorizing song lyrics, movie quotes, and viral TikToks—so Scripture memorization is absolutely within reach. Help by offering simple, practical tools: a texting or social media prompt, phone wallpapers, or even an old-school notecard. The more students memorize Scripture, the more God’s Word becomes part of how they think, pray, and make decisions.
• TEACH THEM TO PRAY. Prayer can feel strange or intimidating—especially for students who are just learning how to talk with God. Help by offering simple prayer models and reminding them that prayer is really just conversation. Model prayer regularly by praying out loud together, and give students chances to pray alongside you. Inviting a student to pray in small group can feel vulnerable, but it also creates a safe space for them to practice.
• HELP THEM DISCOVER HOW THEY’RE WIRED. Every student connects with God differently. Help them notice what helps them feel close to God. Some students connect best outdoors. Others through music, art, movement, learning, serving, or quiet reflection. Teaching teenagers to embrace the way God uniquely wired them—rather than copying someone else’s approach—helps faith feel personal and sustainable.

And if you’re looking for new ways to help students spend time with God, here are a couple of great places to start…

• Recharge Quiet Time Prompts are designed to help make the habit of daily quiet time simple and creative. Teenagers will get their own deck of cards, including prompts for praying, reading the Bible, memorizing scripture, or worshiping. They’ll be encouraged to try new ideas throughout this activity, helping them grow closer to God and discover a few habits they may want to keep doing long after this activity is over.

• In The Rhythm Prayer Prompts are a deck of 40 prompts challenging students to talk with God in a new way each day. While perfect for the Lent season leading up to Easter, these prompts can be used anytime to help students build a habit of prayer. You can print and distribute the decks for students to use at home or make this a small group experience by having volunteers text a daily prompt to their groups. You can even share them on social media to encourage students to pray together as a community.

There’s so much you can do to help students spend time with God. And if you’re feeling overwhelmed right now, we’d love to help. When you use Grow Youth Ministry Curriculum, you’ll find everything you need to help teenagers build the habit of Spending Time with God—weekly teaching materials, complete event guides, discipleship activities, small group discussions, and tools that help parents invest at home. Grow is more than just curriculum. It’s everything you need for your ministry—for the whole year, or just for next week!