One of the many healing activities available to Cal Farley’s youth is the prayer ride.

Prayer rides begin as a traditional horseback trail ride, and are led by members of Cal Farley’s chapel staff. Snaking along the rugged mesas and breathtaking vistas surrounding Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch campus, youth ride single-file in silence across the vast wilderness — alone with their thoughts and their Creator.

“We just focus on God. And, we get to pray for … other people. It’s just a really special moment,” explained Taryn, 16.

As the hour ticks toward sunset, prayer riders arrive at an awe-inspiring overlook called “The Edge of the World”. Here, facing west, jagged rocks stick out of the cliffside, overlooking a majestic drop to the Canadian River below.

“We get to enjoy … what God has given us,” Taryn said.

Youth are invited to dismount their horses for prayer and sharing. For a time, they pray in stillness and solitude. After their prayer time is concluded, each child picks a stone, on which they write a source of pain, a question for God or similar thought. Before concluding the prayer ride, the youth gather in a prayer circle to add their stones to a group of rocks that have been gathered by their Boys Ranch peers through the years.

Again, the youth pray — together, this time — for themselves, their peers, their loved ones and certainly their problems. They seek love, forgiveness and guidance. In this moment of shared reflection, the youth find belonging and identify both with the others around them and all those Cal Farley’s youth who have gathered there throughout the years.

“The feeling of God’s presence is palpable,” Taryn said.

“It’s a sign, a chance for God to be more close to us. It’s a magical feeling. You just instantly feel like you’re closer to God.”