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A friend recently asked what he should tell a youth group his pastor asked him to address. He had this grand idea about explaining all the ways the world is more challenging and complicated than before, especially for youth. He was then going to articulate several points on how to combat each complexity in deep detail.

Although my friend’s heart was in the right place, he was overthinking the issue. “Just acknowledge that life is hard, then reiterate how daily prayer, scripture reading, and church attendance draws us closer to God than any other habit.” Upon telling him this, he looked at me with newfound clarity and determination. “Thank you,” he said. “I’m gonna try this.”

When I saw him the following week, he approached me with a big smile. “It worked!” he exclaimed. “The kids loved the simplicity of the message.” I was happy to hear this.

But the truth is these three habits work for more than just youth. They are for anyone who feels overwhelmed by temporal challenges, moral dilemmas, or the spiritual demands of religion in general.

In short, daily prayer, scripture reading, and weekly church attendance has blessed my life and nurtured my faith more than any other spiritual habits.