Excuses Have Expired

Jeremiah 1:6-7

“O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!”  The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you” (NLT).

As human beings, we are good at making excuses, especially when we fail to do what we are supposed to do or have no inclination to fulfill our obligations. Teenagers always have an excuse for nearly everything. It’s either there wasn’t enough time; someone didn’t remind them; someone didn’t do something; it rained or seemed like it would; the sun was too hot or so it seemed; the glass fell down; I’m not tall enough… name it, it has an excuse.

Ask an average teenager to minister in the church and get a load of excuses: I don’t know how to do it; Other people can do it; It’s not my job; My parents won’t permit me; People will laugh at me; I’ve been too busy lately… just to mention a few.

Jeremiah wasn’t different from the excuse-making club members when God called him to be ‘a prophet to the nations’ (Jeremiah 1:5). A prophet is one who has been chosen and authorized to be God’s spokesperson. The role of a prophet was indeed demanding, unpredictable and had no guaranteed income. Perhaps, this may have been a concern for Jeremiah as with many teenagers today which may lead to such questions as, “Why me, of all people”? “Can I really cope”? “How will I survive”? “What if I fail”? There is a difference between angst, a cry for help and the articulation of excuses.

Jeremiah barely allowed God to finish when he released his excuse, “No, I can’t do it o… I’m too young… I can’t speak in public”. Jeremiah’s response revealed his deep sense of immaturity. He felt inferior, inexperienced and intimidated by the size of the task he was being called to undertake. Well, he is in good company. In Exodus 4:10, Moses wailed, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled” (NLT).

Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America, once said, “He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.”

For every task that God calls us to undertake, He always gives His promise. He knows that we are human and full of feelings of inadequacy, fears, anxiety and worry. But God does not make His choices blindly. He told Jeremiah, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). God hand-picked Jeremiah and commissioned him for service. Our understanding of how God works should give us the assurance to let go of our own plans and to embrace His plans for us.

When God calls us into His vision, He always makes provision. So as Jeremiah lamented his lack of public speaking skills, this is what God did: “Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said, “Look, I have put my words in your mouth”! Simple as A-B-C… Jeremiah received the gift of prophecy, just like that!!! All we need to accomplish what God has asked us to do is His touch… there is power in God’s touch. His touch makes something ordinary to become extraordinary.

Age is not a barrier to God’s purpose and assignment. Even as Jeremiah saw himself as not matured enough, God cautioned him in vs. 7 and gave him His promise to provide him with security (vs. 8). God doesn’t give us a task and leave us to the elements. No, He takes the walk with us, giving us the strength to face any attack. Our Lord Jesus Christ had the presence of God around Him as He went about His assignment here on earth and He accomplished all that He did with that assurance.

Jeremiah’s assignment was a dangerous one. He would deliver a tragic message of judgment to recalcitrant Israel. He stood the risk of being misunderstood, threatened and even persecuted by people who had no ear for the truth and would rather continue in their idolatry and rebellion against the will of God. But God gave him the assurance to endure: “For see, today I have made you strong like a fortified city that cannot be captured, like an iron pillar or a bronze wall. You will stand against the whole land—the kings, officials, priests, and people of Judah. They will fight you, but they will fail. For I am with you, and I will take care of you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” (Jeremiah 1:18-19).

On our own, we are completely helpless but with God, there is the strength to prevail, to be victorious, to be successful. What has God called you to do that you’ve riddled with excuses? Maybe it is about time you faced the truth - Get ready to obey… Get ready for action (vs. 17)… Put an end to the excuses! You have nothing to worry about. God will equip you; enable you; accompany you; protect you; and fulfill His purpose in you. Ever heard the phrase, “Go with the flow”? With God, do just that. Excuses just got expired… just like the out-going year!!!

Wishing you all a Happy New Year in advance... see you in 2018 by the special grace of God.

Teenagers Ask – What is the Meaning of Christmas?

Isaiah 9:6

“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (NLT).

The Christmas season probably means different things to different people, including members of the same family. For many, it signifies a holiday period – schools on recess, companies shutting down at year-end, etc. For many families, there’s so much shopping for provision and gifts; Christmas trees to decorate; visiting family and friends; churches filled to the brim; so much colour everywhere.

Some teenagers actually enjoy the Christmas season as it affords them time and opportunity to visit with family and friends, participate in fun and games in the family, neighbourhood, church, etc, and time-off from every school work. But some others may feel like they’ve outgrown some of the family’s Christmas traditions and so are averse to all the ‘noise’, ‘crowd’ and fuss. They’d rather have some peace and quiet. You can't blame them.

While there is nothing wrong with shopping, decorations, giving of presents, visiting with family and friends, and enjoying some fun and games, the real meaning of Christmas speaks of a much more urgent matter – Salvation!

So, Christmas can be both fun and meaningful for teenagers. It is important to emphasize that the holiday is all about our Lord Jesus Christ coming to Planet Earth to save us. God sent us the Saviour in the person of Jesus Christ. Salvation, therefore, is the greatest need of mankind because “all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory” (Romans 3:23). The salvation given to us by the Almighty God reconciles us with Him and transforms our life for our journey here on earth and for eternity. That is the gift that the birth of Jesus Christ brings to us. And for this, we celebrate Him at Christmas.

A major objective of God’s salvation is to move us from the “life of self” to serving God and other people. That is why the Christmas period provides ample opportunity for caring and sharing. The Bible is filled with the various works of Jesus Christ, serving and helping people and giving to others. Teenagers can be encouraged and mobilized to identify the needs within the community and to volunteer to serve and help to meet those needs.

Instead of packing the Christmas season with constant activities, teenagers can actually enjoy some quiet and fun times visiting with orphaned children, the elderly and the sick. There, they can talk about their favorite Christmas memories as a child; the message of Christmas which is salvation by Christ Jesus; and share functional gifts with them. Donate food items, toys, old clothing (including shoes, etc), books, etc, to the less privileged at this time. It is also a good time to spend with relatives.

The season of Christmas has been so commercialized that the reason is almost lost on us. Teenagers must not be fooled any longer. A bigger tree; a table filled with food; new clothes, shoes and toys; all kinds of colourful decoration and stuff have no bearing, really, on our happiness. After the holidays, many people fall into debt; cannot meet their financial obligations; engage in asset stripping, etc, just to make up for the excessive spending during the festive period. The birth of our Lord Jesus should not lead us to wasteful celebration. Let's keep Jesus in the season!!!

The Children of Issachar! Part 4

How can we raise our "Children of Issachar"? It’s Back to the Basics:

The problem we have as a society is that we raise our children in the ‘present tense’ and not the ‘future tense’. We call them ‘leaders of tomorrow’ and prophesy on their destiny - that they will be ‘greater than their parents’ - and then go on to live our lives before their very eyes, the exact opposite of what we preach and teach. So, they have indeed become greater - in indiscipline, indolence, violence, corruption, immorality, cultism, idolatory, ignorance, irresponsibility, etc. It was not so in the case of the children of Issachar. They were raised from childhood to become people of distinction and of extraordinary value to their community.

As a family, a society, and a church, we need children who understand the climate and temperament of the times. Children who understand public affairs, the global temperature, and the tendencies of current events so as to manifest divine wisdom; children who possess the spiritual knowledge, judgment and keen insight into the spirit realm (Ephesians 5:15-17); children who know the best course of action and will provide us with crucial information to make wise decisions (Isaiah 33:6). So how can our children be like those of the tribe of Issachar?

·         Let's Train them: There is education and there is training. We have to guide them; discipline them; build up their academic, physical, emotional, mental and spiritual databank (knowledge); and their physical and spiritual immune system (discernment) in the way of the Lord (Proverbs 22:6). We are their parents and the authority over them; telling them what to do is part of our job description. There is a difference between ‘discipline’ and ‘punishment’. Discipline has to do with regulation, control, restraint in order to extract compliance, while punishment involves correction, chastisement, and persuasion.

·         Let's Make them a people of prayer: The place of prayer is the place of revelation. It is in the place of prayer that knowledge is given understanding. So let us teach them to pray - communicate and interact with God; to develop such a relationship with God that will change the course of their lives to the fulfillment of divine destiny. Let us teach them to fast and deprive their bodies, temporarily, and regularly, of nourishment in order to seek the face of God and to obtain divine truth. Life is not all about convenience. There is responsibility and accountability. As Christians, we will have need to commune with God in the place of prayer, either for our individual selves or for the sake of others. Our children must be given that divine direction, just like those of Issachar!  

·         Let's Make them a people of the Word: Jesus told the Pharisees and Sadducees in Matthew 12:3, "It is because you do not know the Scriptures." Many of our children do not know the Scriptures and there lies the difference between them and the children of Issachar. Our children do not read, or study, or meditate on the word of God. And this is because we, their parents, do not teach or encourage them or we, ourselves, are not as committed to the word of God as we portray. The truth of the matter is that we cannot give what we do not have.

Is it that, as parents, we have not experienced the efficacy of the word of God? Are we not confessing and testifying enough? Let the word of God abide in us and in them (John 15:7). David said in Psalms 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path”. When our children know the word of God, their confidence level and self-esteem will increase. They will take decisions based on knowledge and understanding, like those of Issachar, not through peer pressure, and ignorance.

·         Let's Make them a people of the church: Teach them to love the fellowship of the brethren and be active in the Church. When we were teenagers, we cleaned the church every Saturday and it was fun then to work alongside our friends and peers. But now, the church has to pay for this service and before then, the elders did the cleaning. Our children must know that it is the people, not the building, that make the church and that they make up a great component of the Body of Christ. That God wants us to be different from those in the world; not prejudiced or judgmental but loving, tolerant, and kind but discerning; to be the solution to global problems. Let us teach them to respect others and to support church leaders and elders so that their lives can be enriched by superior experience and pastoral blessing just as the children of Issachar supported Prophetess Deborah and Barak in battle.

·         Let's Make them a people of Influence: The children of Issachar were influential. Their brethren looked up to them and heeded their counsel. The little children in our society today observe the youths, the parents, the elders, teachers, public officials and politicians. We are the Bible they are reading. What kind of influence are we exerting? To be a people of influence, there must be integrity; reliability; and trust. It’s all about character! Let them know that it is character, not wealth that makes a person. Teach them that a tree is known by its fruit (a more enduring identity), not its leaves (outward appearance); that kindness, respect, perseverance, and hard work, still pays. Then they carry the mandate to do ‘exploits’. The world is indeed waiting, in expectation, for the manifestation of the children of God!

The time has come for us to evaluate our role as parents. We cannot behave like the ostrich - putting our heads in the sand while there is trouble all around. We will be held accountable for the turn-out of our children on the Day of Judgment. Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) said this and I quote;

“The things that can destroy a nation and its people are no other than,

-politics without principle;

-pleasure without conscience;

-wealth without work;

-knowledge without character;

-education without learning;

-business without morality;

-science without humanity;

-worship without sacrifice”.

May the Lord show us mercy in Jesus name. Amen. Concluded!!!

The Children of Issachar! Part 3

They are a people of influence:

Influence here also implies power, authority, and inspiration. 1 Chron. 12:32 says, “… and all their brethren were at their commandment”. Obviously, the children of Issachar were found to be reliable, persuasive, and as such, highly regarded in their community. They were evidently, men of integrity and had a positive impact on their people. Over time and in several situations, the people connected and benefited from their good judgement, charisma, and maturity. So the people trusted them and did their bidding.

As few as they were, just 200 men, they were able to rally the people round to support the choice of God.

According to Vocabulary.com, “Influence is the power to have an important effect on someone or something. If someone influences someone else, they are changing a person or thing in an indirect but important way”.

Below I reproduce an article from Dr. Alex Lickerman on “WHY IS INFLUENCE IMPORTANT?”

Control over our lives is something we all want. But in a universe in which everything is mutually interdependent, none of us has absolute control over anything except ourselves (and even over ourselves our control is indirect and partial only). Instead, what we all have in abundance is influence, the power of which seems to function linearly: the closer personally and physically others are to us, the greater our influence over them, and vice versa. Even more interestingly, unlike our attempts to control, our attempts to influence don't require our conscious intent. Which is why our ability to influence others is so much more important that our ability to control them: we're always exerting influence simply by being who we are, saying what we say, and doing what we do. The only real choice we have in the matter is whether or not the influence we exert is good or bad.

BECOMING A GOOD INFLUENCE

You never know who's watching you. And someone always is, whether your child, your sibling, your spouse, your friend, or a stranger in another car on the road. Emotions and inner life states are transmitted like viruses along the vectors of our words and actions, even from the quietest and smallest. Nothing can encourage us like someone else's good example. They're frankly few and far between—but they're there if you look for them. Want to create value with your life? Become a good influence.

Stop and think. What better service can you provide someone else besides being a good example to them? Not with conscious intention, which always seems contrived and has little power to encourage, but by simply (oh, ironic word) becoming the examples you yourself want to see. When you've actually become something, others see it in almost everything you do.

Samuel Rodriguez, President of the Hispanic Evangelical Association, summarizes it thus;

Issachar’s tribe lived surrounded by paganism, idolatry, unrighteousness, consternation, angst, and flux. Yet the men of this tribe understood the times and subsequently proceeded to provide direction for Israel through influential leadership.

Accordingly, as Christ-centered, Bible-based, 21st century “Sons of Issachar,” we carry the power to exert catalytic influence in our respective communities. We can initiate change by reconciling the vertical and horizontal planes of the Christian message, renewing a Spirit-empowered ethos, repudiating complacency, and redeeming the narrative of prophetic activism.

Today, Christian men (and women) are poised to influence family, community, church, and culture when we understand the holistic message of the Cross where Christ’s sacrifice communicates this amazing message: love, grace, and eternal life. As Sons of Issachar, we can and will exert maximum influence when we lift holy hands in conviction and stretch out helping hands with compassion. Dear Sons of Issachar, it’s our time to arise. This hour represents the greatest opportunity to redeem the narrative of prophetic activism.

When next someone asks you, “What do Christians do besides go to church on Sunday”? Tell them that;

We love.
We forgive.
We turn the other cheek.
We bless our enemies.
We walk in integrity.
We live abundantly.
We give food, water, and clothing to those in need.
We welcome strangers.
We preach in and out of season.
We worship in the Spirit and in truth.
We shine the light of Christ.
We do justice.
We love mercy.
We walk humbly before God.
We change the world!

The Children of Issachar! Part 2

·         They knew “what Israel ought to do”:

Despite the general indecision and deadlock, the people of Israel had to appoint a king. The stalemate, at the time, was too dangerous for Israel. There was so much bickering among the different tribes and factions and possible threats from hostile neighbours. The children of Issachar could probably foresee the risk that this disarray could expose Israel to in the absence of a clear king-leader. So they took the best political decision and rallied other tribes together, to give their support to David as the next king, according to the will of God – this is what Israel ought to do.

In Genesis 49:14, Jacob said, “Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens”. They are natural arbitrators. In the event of any logjam, because they have knowledge and perception, they can mediate perfectly.

In Judges 5:15, the children of Issachar supported Prophet Deborah and Barak in a worthy battle while their cousins, Reuben, Gilead, Dan and Asher stayed away. They possess such deep insight that in the event of any major happening, within the tribe or nation, the children of Issachar know what ought to be done.

Living in today’s world is a real challenge for any teenager. There are disagreements, misunderstandings, inconsistencies, etc on a daily basis. The good thing is that the word of God addresses all these situations. How many teenagers are conversant with the word of God to know what ‘ought to be done’?

There are serious conflicts between the word of God and the world’s moral compass. What does the word of God say, for instance, about pornography, homosexuality, examination malpractice, bullying, narcotic drugs, alcohol, illness, frustration, relationships, politics, entertainment, etc? Do we have teenagers who are aware, informed and knowledgeable in these (and more) matters? Would they know what “ought to be done”?

The children of Issachar knew what “Israel ought to do”. What should we do, as individuals, as a community, as a church, and as a nation?

The Children of Issachar! Part 1

“And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment” (1 Chron. 12:32).

After the death of King Saul, there was a need to appoint another King over Israel. The people of Israel were aware that King Saul had been rejected even before he died and that David had been anointed in his place. But inspite of this reality, the choice of the next king caused a deep division among the tribes of Israel. While some felt that the next king should come from the tribe of Benjamin, the same tribe as Saul, others preferred that it be David.

The matter was eventually resolved and David became the next King of Israel. The children of Issachar played an important role in the resolution. Indeed, they were among the supporters of David, the new King but the text above gives us more information on the unique qualities of this tribe that has become very relevant in our contemporary society;

They had ‘understanding’:

The word “understanding” also refers to discernment, wisdom, perception and knowledge. It means “to have insight; to act with prudence; to be familiar with”. The apostle Paul prayed in 2 Tim. 2:7, “… may the Lord give you understanding in all things”. It is God that gives a man understanding (Job 12:13) and His understanding has no limit (Psalms 147:5). The children of Issachar had a peculiar kind of ‘understanding’.

The Bible records that their ancestors were instructed to diligently teach the word of God to their descendants (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). So, the children of Issachar were very familiar with the word of God. They knew therefore, that God had anointed David to be king (1 Samuel 16:1, 11-13) and any contrary decision will be disobedience to the will of God, which will be disastrous for Israel. So they supported David, not because they saw others doing so, but because they had “understanding”.

God is the source of all useful and sustainable understanding. He can use our parents, elders, teachers, pastors, etc to give us understanding, but He is the source. Understanding is a gift from God. It is not something that we can form within ourselves.

Psalms 119:144, "The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: Give me understanding, and I shall live". 

God’s understanding is infinite. We can never comprehend the vastness of His understanding. Therefore, He is the very best One to go to for understanding. He gives us understanding when we ask Him for it, but we cannot get it on our own or buy it through a college education. Spiritual understanding requires the Holy Spirit, not the intellect, in order to have it and to understand it. God is so far superior to everyone else.

When we have understanding, as believers, we begin to experience the fullness of our God-given life and to know God’s way and God’s best. It is the lack of understanding that embroils us in sin and the resulting wrong philosophies and opinions of the world. We need to understand the examples of right and wrong actions that God gives to us through the testimonies of the Bible. True understanding will always line up with God’s Word. 

Deuteronomy 4:5-6, “Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people”.

Understanding means to depart from evil. A person that is not ready to depart from what he is doing wrong, even when it is pointed out to him is a person who does not have understanding. Obedience to God therefore, is necessary for a person to get understanding. The more we obey God, the greater understanding we have of the things of God and His Word.

Job 28:28, “And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding”.

Understanding is increased by studying and meditating on the word of God. We gain understanding by meditating on the success and failures that God tells us in the Bible. God has chosen the details of the accounts to share with us; so that we gain the understanding He wants us to have.

Psalms 119:130, “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple”.

Proverbs is a good book of the Bible to study to gain understanding. It is important that we hear and listen to counsel that others give. Sometimes it is the poor counsel that others have followed or the mistakes that others have made that give us direction by knowing what not to do, and therefore we know what to do.

That is why it is important for children to listen to their parent’s instruction if they are to get understanding. A child with a rebellious spirit signifies a person who does not listen to their parent’s instructions and this attitude, prevents them from having understanding. When you get understanding at a young age, it will benefit you for the rest of your life. When a child learns to hear intelligently, the instruction of his parents, he is learning a pattern for his life of listening to those who have more experience than he does (Proverbs 22:17).

Understanding is not something we get once and then have for the rest of our life. We need to actively retain it (Proverbs 4:5). Getting wisdom and understanding is our responsibility. It is also our responsibility not to forget wisdom and understanding or to neglect them. Wisdom and understanding are not something one can buy. A child needs to listen to his Godly father and mother to know about wisdom and understanding.

·         Have a desire to gain wisdom and understanding.

·         Listen intelligently to people who have wisdom and understanding.

·         Follow wise counsel.

·         Have a passionate hatred for sin and evil: pride, arrogance, foolishness wickedness, etc (Proverbs 9:4-6).

·     It is not enough to tell people what is right and wrong. They need to understand why something is wrong and what the present and eternal consequences of doing it are. Then they will have understanding and will choose much more readily to do what is right (Proverbs 15:32).

·      We can get understanding when others correct us. We should listen to them, and not think that what they are saying does not apply to us. We can learn a lot when our parents and others rebuke us. There will be times in life when people will misjudge us and scold us but even then it is important to listen to them in order to discern whether it is a wise rebuke or a foolish one. In either case, the rebuke can help you to get greater understanding.

Proverbs 16:16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!

Discipline and correction are a necessary part of education. When these are removed or avoided, the education does not succeed. A person with understanding needs to be reproved when he is wrong so that he will understand what is right. Reproof is an essential part of learning.

Daniel and his friends had a unique kind of understanding from God. 

Daniel 1:17, "As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams". 

Daniel 1:20, "And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm".

God gave Daniel understanding while Daniel was spending time with the Lord in prayer.

Daniel 10:1, "In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision '. It was while Daniel was praying that God gave him understanding of the vision.

Education is good but it has a very limited capacity to give us understanding. We can get understanding from our God and in His word. We get enlightenment when God opens our eyes of understanding. Understanding the will of God will help not to be unwise and do what seems best to us rather than first finding out His will and doing what He wants us to do.

The children of Issachar can be distinguished today because they had that special attribute - understanding. It helped them in many ways, chief of which was to stand firm in their decisions in obedience to God and according to His will. Let us therefore, seek for understanding. Spiritual truths are much more significant than what they appear to the natural mind. Therefore it is important that we take time to meditate on the Scripture and ask God to show us the hidden truths that He wants us to see.

(With excerpts from http://www.biblicalresearchreports.com)

Put God first

That sounds like the common advice that Christians give to one another. Every believer strives to please God, to be “good” Christians, to be God's No. 1 fan. And in order to do that, we have to “put God first.” If God isn't your priority, wouldn't that make you an idol worshiper?

What does it mean to ‘put God first’? What does it mean to put God at the top of your priority list?As teenagers, we have heard this phrase over and over. Good advice nonetheless but lacking in clarity. Would we say we ‘put God first’ when we;

·         Read the Bible regularly

·         Pray frequently

·         Go to church every Sunday

·         Give offering, pay tithes, etc

·         Preach the Gospel

According to Brittany, writing in TheBamBlog, putting God first has to do with understanding the precepts of Christian living… “being a Christian is about becoming like Jesus, following the two greatest commandments: Loving God and loving people”.

A typical Christian teenager’s list of priorities will probably look like this:

1.    God

2.    School

3.    Sleep

4.    Family

5.    Exercise

6.    Eating

7.    Friends

8.    Work

9.    Having Fun

10. Hobbies

When God is at the top of our priority list, He becomes a part of every area of our lives and activities – from No. 2 to No. 10 and more. God becomes priority on your list when you are dedicated to ensuring that He is honoured in your schooling; leisure; friendships; family; work, fun time, hobbies, etc.

That decision rests with you, dear teen. Make up your mind to ‘put God first’ in every of your word, thought and action. It isn’t an easy journey and these are really difficult times but you can rely on the Holy Spirit to see you through. Putting God first is His greatest desire concerning us. For when He is first, then He is everything!!!

Teens, Let us Pray!

What is Prayer?

Prayer is said to be a communication process that allows us to talk to God. When we pray, we are communicating our thoughts, needs, and desires to Him. In the place of prayer, our pride is abandoned, hope is lifted, and supplication is made in humility and dependence upon God.  Prayer is the needful staple of the Christian as an exercise of faith and hope.  Prayer provides us the privilege of touching the heart of the Almighty God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Bible talks a lot about prayer but, as teenagers, too often, we ignore prayer and seek to gain or accomplish our desire in our own strength or depend on our parents, friends and others to help us.  It is important that we realize that God is sovereign and loving and He knows what is best for us.

There are many reasons to pray. We pray to God in acknowledgement and worship of His Sovereignty; to praise and thank Him for so many causes; to seek God’s forgiveness, help and direction; and to intercede for other people, amongst others. In Matthew 6:9-13, our Lord Jesus Christ taught us to pray in what is now popularly referred to as ‘the Lord’s Prayer’. It is a prayer that every teenager ought to recite effortlessly and meditate upon often.

Prayer is a good way to grow in our relationship with God because prayer takes you to the presence of God. You have no need to be self-conscious with God. You can surrender yourself to Him, completely, in confession and dependence with nothing to hide. In quiet supplication, you reach into your deepest self and admit your needs and failures to Him.  In a nutshell, you get close to God (James 4:8).

In the place of prayer, all we need to do is to talk, no action. When we empty ourselves to God in the place of prayer, especially when we are burdened and scared, we come away with His peace (Philippians 4:6-7).  That passage refers to this kind of peace as “beyond understanding”. It is a mystery but when we come to God in prayer, weak, tired, frustrated and helpless, He soothes our angst with His peace. We just come away with the knowledge that everything will be fine.

Getting to know God through prayer

As teenagers, how can we begin to build an exciting and sustainable prayer life? There are so many distractions these days that tend to take prayer out of our priorities. There’s peer pressure, fashion, entertainment, television, and topsy turvy moral suasions with so many liberties including faith-based things. Perhaps, teenagers need better understanding and more vision for prayer.

The more teens know about God, the more they will want to talk to Him. In order to pursue intimacy with God, we need to have a prayer life that is very exciting such that we are so eager, watching the clock at school or work, waiting to get home for some focused prayer time with God.

Start. Put aside about ten minutes a day to pray, then add 5-10 minutes each week and before you know it, you’ll be praying for hours. In your initial enthusiasm, just be yourself and talk to him like you would a close parent/friend. Do not attempt to lie or cover up your deeds because you’d be wasting your time – God knows Everything; He is the Omniscient God! Let every time you spend with Him leave you craving for more of God’s presence. It takes discipline and practice to start and build a prayer life.

Try Variety. There is a lot to talk about in the place of prayer. With God, it’s a no-holds barred session. You’ll find that there are times when you just want to worship and praise Him. You can sing as loud as you want and dance whichever way you like. There will be times for wry conversation, like telling Him what’s happening in your life; asking for His input about an issue; and seeking direction on some project you are embarking on. And sometimes, you will break down in tears, overwhelmed by the enormity of the pain and heart break. In those moments, you’ll criss-cross between confusion and anger, pain and hysteria. You are in His presence, feel free!

Pray with Psalms. I encourage teenagers to make the Bible their favourite book. As a teenager, I could recite so many psalms which have helped me so much today. There’s Psalm 23, 27, 91, 100, 121, 150 and many more. Start by reading each chapter and praying along that line to God. The Book of Psalms has in it verses that we can sing and praise and pray with.

Stay focused. Sometimes it may seem like your mind is drifting off into all kinds of thoughts and imaginations. You may even feel like falling asleep. At this point, begin to pray aloud. Don’t remain in one spot, pace back and forth slowly as you pray. It will help you to remain focused on the Lord and keep you awake even if you are tired.

Get your personal space. You need a private and quiet place to pray, not a busy spot with people moving about and making noise and banging things. Jesus advised us to pray in our closets (Matthew 6:5-6). There, you’ll put off the TV and the phone and anything that will distract you so you can concentrate and pay maximum attention to God.

Praying isn’t easy

It isn’t easy for many teenagers to pray. Rather than try to put together ‘the right words in the right way’, do simple things – songs that come to mind, say ‘good morning, Lord’, thank Him for what you’ve received, for family and friends, for opportunities to go to school and to work, etc. Instead of struggling alone, ask a strong Christian friend or family member to be your prayer partner. Then, you’ll be growing together spiritually, praying for each other and for others.

Prayer works!

When we pray to God, our prayer has the power to affect what happens in our today or govern the circumstances that will happen in our tomorrow. That is what happens when we exercise our faith in our prayers (Matthew 11:24-25). In Acts 16:16-40, two of the apostles, Paul and Silas, were arrested by the Jewish rulers, beaten and thrown into prison. While in the prison, they took to praising God and in prayer. At midnight, the angel of God literally tore through the prison and rescued them.

Conclusion

There’s lots of time for many teens to play, gossip, engage in silly jokes and pranks but not enough time to pray to God which is a priority activity. I think it is time we stopped talking to each other so much and start talking more to God.