Every new start presents a clean slate. It is another year and opportunity to renew your walk with God to enable you to maximize the fullness of His presence. Assuredly God has guaranteed, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”  Exodus 33:14). This means that you’re not be doing this year alone.

Lurking thoughts of uncertainties might have already crept in, considering how the past years have been, and as a result of this, you are afraid of what this one holds. The first month of the year might have even started badly, which has led you to be conclusive about the remaining months. Do understand that one bad month cannot be the parameter for determining the outcome of the rest months of the year.

God has promised that His presence will be with you throughout this year. He is going to guide your paths and direct your steps. It is, therefore, needless of you to be afraid of anything. Temptations and trials will come, challenges will arise, and you might even fail at some point. However, God’s word is sure. When you pass through the waters, He will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. (Exodus 43:2).

Face the year with confidence and boldness. Get up and be done with fear. Revisit that project, sign up for those classes, create your prayer time, take up the gym membership, reach out to more souls for Christ, let go of those toxic relationships, visit that resort, go on that vacation, try out new things, network more, leave that job, declutter your space, protect your mental health, and what have you there? Just step out of the old you and make that bold step and do those things you keep pushing because of fright. God is there for you to steer you in the right direction.

It is possible to miss out on the presence of God, even though He is ever present. Thus, you have to be sensitive to his lead and be deliberate in experiencing it. Create space for Him to come and reign in your life. God doesn’t force Himself where His presence is not welcome. He gives the power of choice for you to make your decision. Give His company a priority in your life. Do you want Him? Then invite Him.

Every word you hear influences your behavior. The words you hear mold your beliefs, and your beliefs form your thoughts, and your thoughts dictate your actions. For faith–trust– comes by hearing and by hearing the Word (Romans 10:17).

Negative reports are flying around the globe daily, from the media to our streets, and one cannot help but wonder what is going on. But in all these incidents, there are still positive occurrences. Streamline the words you hear because of the impact they can have on you, for the life of a man is a reflection of his thoughts, or as Proverbs 4:23 puts it, “Guard your heart with all diligence because out of it flows the issues of life.”

So who or whose words do you listen to? Mentees are reflections of their mentors. There are always two voices on the divide to control your thoughts, which are the voice of God and the voice of the devil (Galatians 5:17). As a child of God, the Word of God will become your reality if you constantly feed on them. God’s word is God Himself, so much so that God honors His Word more than His name. And His Word is Spirit and life.

You may be at that point in your life where you are confronted with lots of challenges, and you don’t know what to do. This is not the time to lean on your own understanding. Instead, what does God’s Word say about that situation?  Take it as the source of your strength. Don’t allow fear, the opinions of others, or doubts assailing your thoughts to make you disregard God’s Word. It is your bet to victory, and Jesus reinforced this when He said, “Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” (John 5:39).

Consciously choose words that can shape your destiny positively. Let the Word of God be a lamp to your feet and a light unto your path (Psalms 119:105). Hold firm to God’s Word, that is your reassurance.

Isaiah 26:3

Hebrews 12:1-2

So many Christians have a desire to be on fire for God.  Often you’ll hear some of them saying that they want to be like Elijah or David. They want to do great exploits for the kingdom of God. It is great to have that desire. It is godly. But very few of us accomplish that.

The truth is while most of us want to know God, we allow other things to take center stage in our lives.  We are not so keen on knowing Jesus on a deeper level than we already do.  We skim through the Bible and spend little time in prayer and yet expect to be like Elijah.  Yes, we have other things to do, like going to school and doing chores, but those things should not hinder us from spending time with the Lord and focusing on Jesus.

Honestly, finding balance in life and ensuring that everything is in its proper place is hard. This is more so when you have to prepare for exams, engage in different church activities, and do what your parents want. It can be overwhelming, right?

David was a king, and that means he had a hectic schedule.  But he found time to spend with God and focused on him, and that is why he was a man after God’s own heart.  He did not let his position in Israel influence his relationship with God.  Instead, David ensured that his relationship with God influenced his position as a king.  Not that he did not make any mistakes, he did but quickly turned back to God.

The same should be true about us if we want to be on fire for God. Other things should not take up the place of God. Know that as a youth, you have all the time in the world to work on your relationship with God and become a great instrument in his kingdom. Yes, you have responsibilities, but they do not take much of your time now as they will in the future. This is the right time for you to deepen your relationship with God.

Focus on  Jesus and allow him to be your all-in-all.  Do not just focus on your family and friends. Don’t misunderstand. It is good to love them, but Jesus should be the first in your life. It is only by focusing on Him that you’ll be able to ignite a flame for Christ not just in your life but also in society.

Action:

Find out the things that have been coming between you and Jesus, and then eliminate them if you can. Or give them their rightful position.  Practice putting  Jesus first in everything that you do.  Focus on him even as you go about your studies and other activities at school and home.  Let him be your first priority in all that you do. Surrender every idol in your heart to God and ask Jesus to help you focus on him alone.

Short Bible Verses to Memorize

Verse memory is an integral part of living the Christian life. Psalms 119:11 says, “I store your word in my heart that I may not sin against you.” We have to know God’s word to follow it. At the same time, memorizing verses can be very intimidating, and you may not know where to start. Well, here are 7 verses you may try. Choose 4 of them, take one each week, and you’ll have 4 verses memorized in just a month!

“We love because he first loved us.” — 1 John 4:19

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:18

“For we live by faith, not by sight.” — 2 Corinthians 5:7

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” — Acts 16:31

“So keep the words of this covenant to do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.” — Deuteronomy 29:9

“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” — Colossians 3:2

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” — Ephesians 4:32

5 Bible Verses about Joy

There are many commands in the Bible: Don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t commit adultery…

But have you ever read the one about joy?

In Deuteronomy, scripture commands us to REJOICE ALWAYS!

Over 30 verses commanding joy are in the Bible. Today, we’re going to show you 5 of them!

 “But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You.”

— Psalm 5:11

 “Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.”

— Psalm 98:4

 “Fear not, O land; Be glad and rejoice, For the LORD has done marvelous things!”

— Joel 2:21

“Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

— Matthew 5:12

“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”

— Philippians 4:4

Here’s some homework after reading these:

1. Sing a song of the Lord’s praises!
2. Fill a blank sheet of paper with all the marvelous things God has done for you.
3. Pray to God and thank Him for His goodness!

How to Give Your Anxiety to God

If you’re here, I’m sure you’ve heard all the anxiety verses. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you,” and Philippians 4:6-7 has told us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” And while these verses sound good, it can sometimes be hard to put them into practice.

As an anxious person, you’ll often be told to give your anxiety to God, but it’s less often someone will tell you how. So it’s a good thing you’re here! This isn’t a one-size-fits all step-by-step sort of endeavor, but trying some of these things may help you ease your anxiety and cling to God’s comfort.

#1: Try Meditating

We often thing of meditating as sitting on a rubber yoga mat in front of our beds our outside and humming “om” or “namaste,” but you may be surprised to find that to meditate in the biblical sense really means to mutter or repeat words.

Try talking to God. Whenever you feel anxious or that your chest is a bit tighter, close your eyes and talk to Him. It doesn’t have to be fancy or descriptive. You may also find it useful to choose a phrase. Here are a few you may try:

“I’m giving it to you, God.”

“Here it is.”

“I’m stressed about…”

“Please help me.”

“I know You’re here right beside me.”

“God is with me.”

#2: Write It Down

Journaling can often be a daunting thought. But it doesn’t have to be. In fact, you don’t even need a journal, just a piece of paper or the notes app on your phone. Write down every single thing— and I mean every single thing— down that’s bothering you or stressing you out or has you worried. By writing it down, you are releasing any fears to God.

And if you can’t pinpoint it? Try this instead:

1. Write down everything you have to do in the next day. Then do the next week. Next month. Next year.
2. Write down anything happening in the same time ranges as above.
3. Write down 7 past things God has handled for you.
4. Tear off (or delete) 1 and 2, and start a prayer thanking God for 3
5. Then, take your prayer from there.

#3: Have a Jam Session

Music is a medium of art that can speak to our souls more than television or movies. Those can be fine, but you may find yourself even more sensory overloaded than when you started. Go somewhere quiet and set a timer for 10 minutes. Then put on your favorite worship song.

Now, if you’re also feeling a little sad, you may not want to make it something slow like “Oceans.” A fast or upbeat song may leave you feeling energized or fulfilled. Find a song that can remind you of God’s constant grace and care.

Need help finding a list? Start here.

Anxiety is a normal part of life, but we don’t have to let it take over or keep up from receiving the joy we are promised as children of God. Always remember: God is in charge. God is in control. The Kingdom is near.