I Said Yes to Jesus: A 5-Day Journey to Take Your Next Steps in Faith by Youth Alive Australiaਨਮੂਨਾ

HE HEARS ME

1 John 5:14 says, ‘This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.’

Yesterday, we learned that God wants to speak to you and that we can speak to God, any time! It’s called prayer.

When I was 15, my stepdad was laid off from his job, and, with 4 kids living in our home, there was no extra money for anything except the bare necessities. I needed a little bit of money of my own to buy the few extra things I needed. So, that night in my room, I prayed a simple little prayer:

Dear Lord, I’d really love a part-time job, so I can buy a few extra things I need, like clothes. Amen.

Seriously, it was that simple. I didn’t think much about it the next few days, but little did I know, my words had set God in motion. A few weeks later, I walked past a small jewelry store at my local Westfield. An idea popped into my head to ask the shop assistant if she had any jobs available. The lady replied, ‘Oh, you must have seen the ad in the window.’ On the way out, I glanced at the store window and saw, for the first time, the ad for a junior sales assistant.

I returned with my resume, had an interview, and got the job. I spoke to God, and then He spoke to me. It was God who prompted me to walk into the shop that day at the exact time they were looking for staff. It was God who gave me favour in the interview. God got me that job. My simple little prayer had moved a big, powerful God.

Prayer is simply talking to God, like you would to a best friend. You can tell Him anything because He is interested in everything about you. You can ask Him anything. Tell Him your greatest worries and fears. Not only is He listening to you, but He loves it when you talk to Him. You can pray out loud or just in your mind. You can pray no matter where you are or what you are doing. He loves to be included in your life.

Prayer

Dear Jesus,

Please teach me how to pray. Even when words feel hard to find or my mind feels scattered, thank you that you welcome me just as I am. I’m so glad I don’t have to find fancy or eloquent words because you hear my heart.