Voice of The Youths – 17 December 2021
Deacon Arlene Burton presents “The Voice of The Youths – 17 December 2021”. Deacon Burton owns the copyright to this post. We reprint here with her permission.
Hi Everyone, the Voices of our Youths are here! God’s blessings and favour. We hope that you are well, if not, let us know. Today’s encouragement was done by Anjesh Zodge. He is 14 years of age, and currently in high school. He is a member of the Grace Youth Ministries (GYM).
The Gift
I am certain without a doubt in my mind that you are aware of the term ‘gift’. You know, when you give someone a token for their birthday, anniversary, to show appreciation or just because you want to do something nice. That is a gift.
By definition, a gift is something willingly given to someone without expectations of payment, or any service in return. Throughout our lifetimes, we have all either given or received a gift at least a few times. It is a great feeling. Whenever we get one there is a tendency to cherish it for a while and use it. We are usually thankful for the gift and the person who gave it to us.
Something to keep in mind is the fact that in the scenario of gift-giving, there will always be two sides. One side is the giver. They are the ones who are handing the gift over to the other party. They give with open hearts and loving minds, without expecting something in return. The second party consists of the receiver. The receiver is the one who gets the gift. They should take the gift with a thankful and open heart. Both sides are essential for gifts to be freely given and well received.
We have all received a gift. Collectively, we were given a gift that is eternal and more significant than any other gift. God Himself gave it to us. This gift is salvation that came through Jesus Christ, His Son’s sacrificial act of laying down His life to save a lost world. If it were not for God sending Jesus into the world, there would be no way for our sins to be forgiven and we would all perish in hell for our wrong-doings. Thankfully, the Lord gifted salvation to us through His Son Jesus.
Romans 6:23 tells us what that really means, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NIV). This verse perfectly captures the amazing gift the Lord has provided us with. It is not just a gift for the present but also the future, and the benefits are endless.
Lastly, we must remember that when a gift is given, there are always two parties. If God is the giver, then that means we are the receivers. We have to open our hearts to receive it. At the end of the day, we cannot and should not take this gift for granted or abuse it. We should cherish it and be thankful for it.
God gave us this gift expecting no payment in return. This gift gave us the ability to simply ask for forgiveness whenever we do wrong, and God will be willing to forgive us, something no one else could truly do. Treasure this blessing provided and always be thankful.
Just in case. Do you need to receive this gift? You can pray a simple prayer. Say, Lord, come into my heart, forgive all of my sins. I believe that you raised Jesus Christ from the dead. I receive the gift of salvation that came through His death on the cross. Please be my Lord and Saviour, in Jesus’ name. Amen. If you prayed in this manner, please contact us and we will provide you with further guidance.
Let us Pray.
Righteous and Heavenly Father, we are here before You today to worship and magnify Your name Lord. You have done so much for us and we cannot express our gratitude enough to You. We thank You for putting clothes on our backs, food on our plates, and so many other things You have blessed us with. We thank You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ. You sent Him to this world to be crucified just so we could be saved.
Father, we come in the name of Jesus Christ confessing that we have sinned against Your name. We try our best not to but it is in our sinful nature and we feel like we cannot help it. But we come before You now asking for forgiveness.
Lord, we pray for our country especially our leaders of government, the opposition, businesses, schools, churches, communities and homes. We ask that You give them wisdom, knowledge and understanding and an ability to properly lead. Help us to be good citizens who do not rob, steal and kill.
Lord, we pray that You will be with us in our hearts from now on and forevermore. Keep us from even thinking of doing anything wrong. We ask these things and so many more with thanksgiving in Your name.
Amen.
Our Prayers of Encouragement are for everyone. Therefore, if you also need prayer or comfort, please contact us with your request. We would be happy to share with you.
