Sean Nathaniel Dy, 11 years old, 1st Place, Philippines.
Rhycelle Savanna Cruz, 14 years old, from 1st Place, Philippines.
Prayer Was My Path to Peace
By Elvis Luanda , 14 years old, 1st Place, Peru.
Peace as Words
By Althaia Roche, 8 years old, 1st Place, Philippines
My Prayers and I
By Thalia Chanelle B. Fajardo, 10 years old, 1st Place, Philippines
I felt the quickness of the darkness
covering my room.
It also felt like my very own doom.
I knelt down,
facing the One who wears the crown.
Even though I felt a fright,
I prayed every day and night.
Something blocked my way,
like I had to pay
for the bad actions I play.
Praying made me change my life.
Even if it was tiring as a hike,
it gave me peace without a strike.
Praying made me bigger, better, stronger.
Praying helped me find a light
that led me out of frights and fights.
My life is like a puzzle with a missing piece,
and that missing piece was peace.
Praying helped me find peace.
By Geovanna Bawn, 13 years old, 1st Place, HCFM School, Meghalaya, India
Prayer roots me in gratitude,
lifts me in hope,
and anchors me in love.
In the silence of prayer,
I am reminded of who I am and whose I am.
Peace does not come from answers,
but from assurance—
from knowing that I do not journey alone.
Prayer is my secret place,
my breeze’s calm,
the embracing fold that leads me into peace.
And so I pray—
not because I have all the right words,
but because I need the right heart.
In every breath,
every whispered plea,
every grateful sigh,
I walk the pathway of prayer—
and there I find peace.
“Do not be anxious about anything,
but in every situation,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
— Philippians 4:6–7
By Vincy Immanuel, 17 years old, 1st Place, Kenya
Prayer—my pathway to peace.
After a long night of harm,
our morning has finally come.
After a fight that made us lame,
our prayers have made us firm.
After a long season of shame,
respect would again be our name.
After this tiresome game,
we have finally regained our fame—
through prayer, the pathway to peace.
It has been a dark night.
It has been a tough fight.
It has been a fearful plight.
But through prayers, it came out right.
And now we are enjoying this bright light,
shining like the moon on a cloudless night.
Because we are now clean and white,
if there is something that can bite,
I think it’s too late—
because we have prayer, the pathway to peace.
It is almost impossible to believe
that today I can breathe and live.
That I survived the merciless edge of the knife.
The thief had nothing to forgive,
but only to steal—everything, even my life.
Yet prayers relieved me.
Now I am still alive,
walking the pathway to peace.
Some of you are in a critical condition.
Some of you are in a difficult situation.
Maybe it is because of infection,
or maybe due to hypertension.
But listen, take this to your attention:
prayer is the best solution.
Even if you did not complete your mission,
even if you did not achieve your ambition,
because of one reason—
it is now your time and season.
Free yourself from that prison.
Wake up and pray without hesitation,
and you will finally achieve your expectation.
One time I found myself in a mess,
so weak I could not even dress.
I only lay still on that mattress;
the grave was my next address.
But my family fell on its knees in distress,
begging God for mercy on their mistress.
And yes! God relieved their stress,
and gratitude is what we express—
because prayer has been our pathway to peace.
It is time that you try prayer.
It is time to come and take your share.
Even if you are not a mayor,
remember—God is equal and fair.
So obey as I give you this dare:
if you don’t, you’ll bear the snare.
But if you do, survival will be there.
That’s why I now declare—
TRY PRAYER! IT WORKS!