Devotional aims to light fire in youth for Christ

Joe Drake wants teenagers to light up.

Far from encouraging Maine’s youth take up smoking, the Stillwater author wants young people to develop a burning desire to form a relationship with Christ.

With his devotional “Lyt ‘M Up” published this fall, Drake, 42, said he hopes the Bible and its teachings will become more accessible to Maine’s teenagers.

“I tried to use simple words, I tried to find verses that had young people in them, and I tried to make it relevant,” he said.

A music minister at Abundant Life Church in Bangor, Drake is a father of two and a 19-year employee of the United Parcel Service Inc.

As Drake made deliveries to various area schools, he encountered what he believes is inappropriate language and attitudes among some of the students – toward each other and to their teachers, he said.

So he began writing during his lunch hours, hoping to create a resource for youth in need of spiritual direction and guidance, he said.

Although sometimes disrespectful, teenagers often prove more willing than adults to adopt spiritual change, Drake said.

“When I was young, I read a devotional, and it helped me through the teen years,” he said. “Once they get to be 40, it’s too late. They’ve made up their minds by then.”

Each chapter of the book begins with a quoted piece of Scripture, followed by inspirational writing and a suggested prayer. Designed to be read in small doses over a period of six months, the book’s teachings are nondenominational and randomly ordered to “break up the monotony,” said Drake, a Protestant.

“It is not a doctrinal book,” he said. “I have found in talking to people that they don’t want doctrine. They want Bible, but they don’t want doctrine.”

Since beginning the book in 1995 on his home computer, Drake said, he has developed a resource that highlights the seldom-discussed role of youth in Christian history, including in biblical tales of the Prodigal Son and David and Goliath.

“There’s young people listed throughout the Bible,” he said. “It’s not just an old people thing.”

Designed with a youthful audience in mind, the book remains accessible and for readers of all ages, Drake said.

“It’s like a snack. It doesn’t fill you up, but it keeps you going,” he said.

“Lyt ‘M Up” costs $14.99. It is available at area bookstores or by calling (866) 909-2665. Copies are also available on the Internet at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.