Voice of the Youths

Voice of Youths for Youth Month – 12 November 2021

Deacon Arlene Burton presents “The Voice of Youths for Youth Month – 12 November 2021”. Deacon Burton owns the copyright to this post. We reprint here with her permission.

Brothers, Sisters and Friends, we are hoping that you are well. However, if not, please let us know by sending your prayer requests

Hi Everyone, God’s blessings! Shalom! Today’s encouragement and prayer come to us from Romeo Elliott. He is the Vice President of Grace Youth Ministries and a tertiary level education student. Please read, meditate and feel free to give a response, as you have been doing.

Being Confident as a Young Christian

We all would like to be more confident, wouldn’t we? What would it feel like to know you knew the right answers to the quiz at school? How would you feel if you knew what to say to your crush?

If we’re honest, confidence for many of us can feel like it’s lacking. Maybe you want to try out for the football team, but you wonder if you’ll crack under the pressure of the crowd watching you, so you don’t try out at all. How many times does a lack of confidence stop you from doing something?

What is confidence? We could say that confidence is a feeling or belief that we can rely on something or someone. Confidence can be placed in someone or something. Where does confidence come from? Where do you go to get confidence when you lack it? Does your confidence come from having the right clothes or the right friends? Is it from likes or followers on social media? What determines how confident you feel on a day-to-day basis?

Our beliefs are linked to our confidence. Our faith is our belief, so we can choose to believe in God or man, in the things of this world or the things of God. Faith comes by hearing; hearing the word of God as we go through the scriptures with the guidance of the Holy Spirit building our beliefs, or we may choose to build our beliefs otherwise.

The Bible helps us to understand how we build our lives. It is based on where we put our confidence. The Bible also helps us to understand that the person who builds their life or confidence on anything other than God’s word is someone who builds their life on the sand. “But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ‘The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.’” – Matthew 7:26-27 (NIV).

When we build our confidence on superficial things such as the number of followers we have on a social media platform, or how popular we are, we are building our lives on the sand. Remember, the sandy ground is not so solid. When those followers follow someone else who is more interesting or funny, where do we go to get our confidence? Instead, the Bible encourages us to build our confidence in Jesus, our firm foundation, a solid ground, our rock.

Where are you standing? Are you on sandy ground or a foundation made of rock? As the word of God says, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house. Yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” – Matthew 7:24-25 (NIV).

When we build confidence in Jesus, we won’t be shaken by the things of life. When followers leave, we can remain confident because Jesus is the foundation for our confidence. Even when friends may become fickle, we can know that we’re still loved because our confidence is in Jesus. So we can still stand.

PRAYER

Dear Lord, thank You for continually being an awesome God! Thank You for Your great love and blessing over our lives. Thank You that Your favour has no end, but it lasts for our entire lifetime.

Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask that You forgive all of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Forgive us for sometimes forgetting that You are intimately acquainted with all of our ways, that You know what concerns us, and You cover us with a shield. We also ask that You help us to walk in Your blessing and goodness today, that You cause Your face to shine on us, that You would open the right doors for our lives and our loved ones, that You would close the wrong doors and protect us from those we need to walk away from and keep at a distance.

Lord, establish the work of our hands and bring to fulfilment all that You have given us to do in these days. We pray that You would make our way purposeful and our footsteps firm out of Your mercy, goodness and love. So give us a heart of wisdom to hear Your voice, and make us strong by Your huge favour and grace.

Lord, we pray for those who are leading in our homes, communities, the health sector, private sector and government. We ask for Your continued wisdom and knowledge upon them. We ask that You strengthen, provide for and protect those in our workforce and education sector (especially our youths and children). Grant excellence, wisdom and success among our people but cause it that we put You at the centre of our lives, as our firm foundation.

Lord, I give my life to You, my all. Just take control and guide me along the way. Thank You, Father, for giving me the strength and courage to face my fears and stand up for myself. Dear God, there are times I may think that I do not have the strength to do what is right. Restore my courage and faith in You.

Please, help me to focus more on Your word and have the confidence to trust You to deliver me from all my doubts and fears. May I grow in confidence to face these trying times. So thank You for all that You have done in my life and all that You will continue to do. In Jesus’ name, I pray, with thanksgiving.

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.

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