I think God downloaded into my mind the concept of 10 minute worship ideas to keep me sane. You know the feeling: You’re in Mexico and haven’t slept in several days. Caffeine holds no effect anymore, and you hate the sound of your own name. If one more person calls for me…. Every shirt you packed is stained with teens’ tears and the dirt of the tent you’re sleeping in. Can no one remember to take their shoes off outside?!
All those lofty ideals and theories you had for moments of spiritual transformation feel as far away as—soap. Then you’re bumping down a dirt road in a 12-passenger van, avoiding potholes and perritos. No, you cannot bring that dog back across the border. Yes, that does make me a monster. No, I don’t care.
You’re breaking up a backseat argument for the tenth time that morning. Surely I didn’t fight this much when I was 12…right? So you try something desperate (er… creative?). Then suddenly eighth-graders are excited about a Bible passage.
Let me just say that last bit again. Eighth-graders were actively dialoguing about a Bible passage. Praying. And loving it. And you start to mentally backspace the resignation letter you were writing. During drives the rest of that week, we had a ton of fun with 10 minute worship ideas. Read on to learn more.
Here’s an overview of 10 minute worship ideas:
- Designate 10 minutes for this prayer experience.
- Pick one passage of Scripture. Have a student read it aloud.
- You give the group a really brief overview of relevant context and information about the passage.
- Then you turn the conversation over to students. They drive the questions, application ideas, confusion, excitement, and commentary.
- Next, give the group 60-90 seconds of total silence. Have every student write a 10-word prayer based on what they learned, asking Jesus for help living it out.
- Every student then shares their 10-word prayer and BAM! You’ve completed the 10 minute worship and prayer experience.
Middle school students often thrive on competition and social atmospheres. So the challenge of 10 minute worship ideas goes over really well. I put one student in charge of the timer, adding to the dialogue’s excitement. Quick! We have only one minute left before the silence! Any other thoughts?
This exercise also gave me freedom to pick Bible passages relevant to subjects the group needed to discuss. Kids caught on and even began requesting certain topics.
Plus, 10 word prayers are hilarious. Grammar becomes optional, talking to Jesus becomes fun, and content comes directly from what we all just collectively learned. I’ve never heard so much giggling during a prayer time.
