Steps to change
- Suomeksi: Stoorit | Askeleet muutokseen
- Svenska: Berättelser | Steg för att ändra
- English: Stories | Steps to Change
- Русский: Истории | Шаг к изменению
- اللغة العربية: القصص | خطوات التغيير
Your chance
The past years have shaken our sense of security dramatically. In February 2022, Russia started an aggressive war on Ukraine, and we have heard devastating news of the fates of innocent people. Because of the shift in the security of the nearby region, Finland has applied to become a member in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO.
COVID-19 and the war have caused food and fuel prices to skyrocket, which is influencing everyone’s personal finances, and creating a sense of economic instability.
Many people wonder why God is allowing all this. Does He even exist? What is the meaning of life anyway? These things came up in the BBC study, in which they mapped out what questions occupied people’s minds the most.
In this book, people from many walks of life tell their stories of searching in various circumstances. They have found a sense of direction and deep meaning in their own lives.
I found it – and so can you!
The basic questions of life
Life is full of questions.
Some are easy to answer.
Some are more difficult.
What is the meaning of life?
How can I find peace?
Is it possible for my life to change?
You can search for answers in newspaper columns,
friends, or philosophies.
Has it crossed your mind
that Jesus may be the answer to your questions?
What is the meaning of life?
Imagine you are planning on building a house. You have already made a contract with a construction company. Then, you become horrified when you notice that the building engineer is not examining the plans created by the architect but winging it without a plan. How careless! Surely, the building engineer knows what kind of foundation, walls, and windows should be built. That is the only way your home will become the kind you want it to become.
Life is the same. How can we build our lives if we don’t ask for advice from the Great Architect? Him, who has created every one of us for a unique purpose. The Bible says, “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (Jeremiah 29:11)
God has a plan for everyone. Your life has a meaning. And when you are living the life according to His plan, He will have a lot of good things in store for you.
We can find the meaning of life with God’s help. St. Augustine stated this hundreds of years ago with these words, “You have made us for yourself, God, and our heart is restless until it finds rest in you.” When you ask Jesus, the Son of God, to be the foundation of your life, you start to understand why He has created you and why you are alive in the first place. You can find true peace and answers for your life in Him. Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
How can I find peace?
You may live a life filled with fear and anxiety. Maybe you are worried about your work situation, a relationship, personal finances, or your health. You may even be preoccupied with the problems of your children or family.
Please, do not be alone with your troubles. Jesus promises to give strength and peace to those who struggle with their hardships. This is very good news, because Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
Jesus also says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
“You have made us for yourself, O Lord,
and our heart is restless
until it rests in you.”
St. Augustine
Can my life change?
Honestly, we must admit that we do things we shouldn’t be doing. We may lie or say something we regret afterwards. We spread rumours and gossip or speak ill of others. These kinds of wrong choices can lead to a dead end.
We also have wrong attitudes. We may think we are better than others or selfishly only take care of ourselves. All the wrong actions, acts of neglect, hard words, and approaches are what the Bible calls sin.
However good we may regard ourselves; sin always separates us from God. ”For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” as the Bible says (Romans 3:23). Nevertheless, we don’t have to stay in this miserable state, because Jesus is offering an opportunity to change.
Jesus has already solved our sin issue. Because of Him, we are forgiven for our wrongdoings, failures, attitudes, and bad thoughts — all our sins. His death on the cross of Calvary 2,000 years ago paid for our wages of sin once and for all. As forgiven children of God, we can have a real relationship with our Heavenly Father and feel His love.
Imagine a car driver getting caught speeding on the road and having to go to court. The judge discloses the amount of the speeding ticket. The amount is so big that the car driver cannot possibly pay it off. Then the judge comes over to the driver, gives him his wallet, and offers to pay the whole ticket in full. Now, the only thing the driver must decide is whether to accept the judge’s offer.
Think about two brothers, one of whom has committed a murder. The innocent brother takes on the charges and goes to prison voluntarily even though the crime was not his.
These examples give an idea of what Jesus has done for us. He knows our sins and wrongdoings and is ready to forgive us. He carries the punishment for our sins and offers us the gift of grace – completely free of charge. Our only job is to accept this forgiveness.
“I am still far away from God,
and it causes me great internal agony
having to know that He is my life and my being.
I acknowledge that my own misery and wickedness
separate me from Him.”
Mahatma Gandhi
Your life can change!
Do these thoughts sound familiar? “I would like to follow Jesus, but I fear I cannot live a Christian life after all. I have made mistakes. I regret my actions. I have temptations and I do inappropriate things. I couldn’t live a life like that.”
You are right. Even if you are the best person in the world, you cannot live a Christian life by your own strength. But when you ask Jesus to come into your life, your broken connection to God will be restored and you can start with a clean slate with His help. He himself starts to change your life. And the change comes through his work, not by your own striving.
So, what does Jesus give you? He gives you a purpose and a goal in life. You will start to have internal peace. He will forgive all your sins. He will give you the power to change and an eternal life. He will give you the strength to serve daily. When Jesus becomes your life’s foundation, God’s good plan starts to reflect in your life through practice.
Jesus is promising a lot, but who is He really? And can you trust His promises?
Who is Jesus?
Jeesus Nasaretilainen on maailmanhistorian merkittävin henkilö. Hänen
Jesus of Nazareth is the most important person in the history of the world. His birth changed how we look at our calendar. Because of Him we celebrate Christmas, Easter, Ascension Day, and Pentecost. His impact is even seen on the Finnish flag.
The Bible tells us that Jesus was born from a virgin supernaturally and lived on earth completely sinless. For a few years He taught His followers, healed the sick, and helped those who were in trouble. He was sentenced to death and nailed onto a Roman cross when He was just over 30 years old.
Jesus rose from the dead after being buried for three days. He first appeared before His disciples and then before more than 500 people. After 40 days, several people saw Him go up to Heaven.
The story of Jesus is miraculous, some even think it’s too unbelievable to be true. For these people, Jesus may just be a significant religious player and a great teacher, but surely, He couldn’t have been God Himself.
Oxford University professor and author, C.S. Lewis, describes this situation in his book “Mere Christianity”, as “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse.”
Lewis also writes, “You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us.”
True or false?
When Jesus claimed to be God, was it just early church’s wishful thinking?
Did the followers of Jesus add this interpretation to the Bible later?
Most researchers think that the Gospels were written a few decades after Jesus’s death and resurrection. If that were the case, the people who saw him resurrected and physically teaching were still alive. They could have easily been able to deny the claims of the written Gospels if they were based on a lie or misrepresentation.
There is plenty of proof of the credibility of Jesus and the Gospels. Jesus’s life is more broadly recorded than the lives of Plato, Homer, Julius Caesar, and Alexander the Great.
The ancient Greek historians are forced to base their research solely on eight manuscripts, all of which describe the Peloponnesian War. They are written by Thucydides. The earliest of them were made about 1,300 years after the original work. Bible scholars have over 20,000 Bible manuscripts to work with, and most of them were written less than 200 years after Jesus’s death.
“The Bible contains more evidence of its credibility
than all ancient pieces of history combined.”
Sir Isaac Newton
Liar or lunatic?
Jeesus itse julisti olevansa Jumala. Hänen väitteensä on joko täyttä totta
Jesus Himself declared that He was God. His claims are either full of truth or plain lies. If Jesus is not God, He is a liar who intentionally misled people. If He genuinely believed to be God, but wasn’t, He was a lunatic.
If you think Jesus is a liar, He should be characterized as a bad man. However, Jesus encouraged people to be honest no matter what. He promised us an everlasting life in which there is no pain or sorrow. He proclaimed people’s sins to be forgiven. Wherever He walked, He always helped people. He was not a bad man.
The thought of Jesus’s lunacy is equally unconvincing. Jesus’s words and deeds were not those of a deranged person. Even His most fervent opposers could not point out mistakes in His teaching. Instead, Jesus was regarded as a profound and powerful teacher beyond compare.
If Jesus did not proclaim to be God,
why did the people who worship only one God
fall to their knees and adored Him as God?
Could He be the Son of God after all?
If Jesus was not a liar or a lunatic, there is only one explanation left: He was the one who He said he was, God who became a man. This conclusion is both logical and justified by the exceptional and miraculous things that happened through Him.
In the Gospel of John (5:1), there is a story of a man who had been sick for 38 years. After meeting Jesus, he got healed. Another man was born blind. Jesus touched him and his eyesight was restored (John 9:1). Lazarus had been in the grave for four days but resurrected by Jesus’s command (John 11:38).
Great miracles, which go against the laws of nature, are hard to believe. Still, even Jesus’s opposers had to admit that they happened when they, for instance, saw a paralyzed man walking (John 5:9-16).
Where do we find the power to change?
Crime, financial troubles, and human suffering seem to be here to stay. Many people feel that the future is uncertain. But Jesus is offering an alternative. In the Bible, He tells us that it’s possible for a person to find peace with God. Jesus is the way to reconciliation between people and God.
The power to change and a meaningful life comes from Jesus. The Bible talks about Jesus’s birth, his teachings, death, and resurrection. It also tells us what Jesus is offering to us: love, forgiveness, and a chance to start a new life.
This book is about what it means to know Jesus on a personal level and to live as His follower.
Why is God interested in me?
God created you. He loves you so much that He wants to spend eternity with you. Jesus says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 2:16)
Prophet Jeremiah writes about what God thinks about you. “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (Jeremiah 29:11) Jesus came to the world so that we could come to know Him personally. Jesus also gives us a purpose in life.
Can you save yourself?
Jumalan alkuperäinen tarkoitus oli, että meillä olisi läheinen suhde ja
God’s original purpose was that we would have an intimate relationship and a strong connection with Him. However, sin broke this connection.
The Bible says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Despite our good efforts, we tend to do things our way and stumble as a result. It may be active rebellion against God or passive indifference.
The Bible calls these attitudes sin. Sin means spiritual, physical, and eternal separation from God, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
It’s typical for people to try to reach God by their own strength. Still, we fall short. Our good deeds, new philosophies, or new adopted lifestyles are not enough. We can never avoid making wrong decisions in our own power.
When Jesus gave His life for us, He opened for us the only way to God’s presence. Through Jesus, we have a chance to feel God’s love and learn how to know God and His will for our life.
Sin separates us from God. Jesus died on the cross in a place called Calvary, a hill just outside Jerusalem, and He took upon Himself the punishment meant for us because of our wrongdoings. Jesus cried out on the cross, “It is finished.” The atonement He offered for us is perfect and sufficient. There’s no adding to it.
Instead of us trying to reach God through our own striving efforts, we can simply receive the grace that Jesus is offering to us. Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
In addition, Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25–26)
By giving His life for us
Jesus Christ opened the only way
to be connected to God.
Through Jesus, we can feel God’s love
and know God’s will for our lives.
What is faith? What is love?
Jesus not only died for our sins, but He also resurrected from the dead. He conquered the power of death. Therefore, He can give us eternal life. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, He forgives our sins. We start to feel His love, and our life’s purpose begins to crystalize. Accepting Jesus means that you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the redeemer of your sins.
Accepting the atonement of Jesus can be described as a train that is on its way to a specific terminal. The name of the terminal is Heaven. If a person does not agree to board the train, they cannot reach the terminal. It doesn’t help a person to know where the train is going. The only thing they need to do is to hop on the train. The train ticket is already paid – by Jesus.
Faith does not only mean accepting intellectually that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is waiting for you to commit to Him personally. If you do that, you’ll agree to be His follower, and make the most important and the best decision of your life.
Committing your life to Jesus happens by turning to God and accepting His reconciliation. You can confess that you’ve gone against God, your neighbour, yourself, and ask God to forgive your sins. Then He will come to your life as a true changing power.
When you are ready to make this decision, you can tell it to God. If you don’t know how to put it into words, you can say this prayer:
“Lord Jesus Christ, I confess my sins to you.
I’m regretting all the bad things I’ve done.
Forgive me and take me as your child.
I want to turn away from all that I know is wrong.
I believe that you are Jesus Christ, God’s only Son,
and you died for me to atone my sins in Calvary.
I want to follow you.
I want to confess that you are my Lord, also in front of others.
Fill me with your Holy Spirit.
Help me understand the Bible.
Thank you that according to your promises I am now a child of God
and I believe my sins to be forgiven.
Thank you for being with me always.
Amen.”
After saying this prayer, Jesus Christ will come to your life as He’s promised. When you accept what Jesus did for you, you have become a member of God’s family.
When we confess our sins, we are forgiven. Everyone who has faith in Jesus will get an eternal life. It starts already now and continues in Heaven, with God.
When we accept Jesus’s redemption, we get a right to become children of God. In His Word God promises, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)
Our sins is are atoned for. When you confess your sins, God forgives them. God promises to give you an eternal home with Him.
When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour,
He forgives our sins, and our life’s purpose begins to crystalize.
There’s a promise for us
The circle depicts a person’s life, and the throne depicts life control. The circles illustrate three kinds of people.
A person without God
A person who does not have a relationship with God, has not opened the door for Jesus, and the Holy Spirit does not live in them. Jesus is not part of their life, but He is outside of the circle. This kind of person is controlling their own life.
A person controls their own life.
Jesus is not part of their life.
The centre of their life is their own “self”, which often leads to conflict and frustration.
A Christian who trusts God
A Christian who trusts that God has accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. He trusts in the Holy Spirit and lives a life of a Christian. Jesus is not only in this kind of person’s life but also their guide.
Jesus controls a person’s life.
A person is following Christ.
The mind is fixed on Christ which deepens the connection to God.
A Christian who only trusts themself
A Christian, who only relies on themself has accepted Jesus in their life, but only trusts their own efforts in life. They try to control their own life. Christ is with this kind of person, but not in charge of their life.
A person tries to control their own life.
Jesus is in their life, but not in charge of it.
The centre of their life is their own “self”, which leads to conflict and frustration.
Which of these examples describes you?
Which of these examples would you want to describe you?
Food for growth
How will Jesus change your life?
Should I be perfect or flawless after asking God to forgive me and change my life?
No. The Christian life is not flawless or perfect. It is first and foremost a life spent with God and depending on His grace. Christians fail and sin too but also ask God for forgiveness daily.
In the beginning of your new life, you must have a lot of questions, and some doubts as well. When you have invited Jesus into your life, your relationship with God is on a secure basis. You have entered a new life with the God Almighty.
On the next pages, we find out what it means to grow as a child of God.
What happened when you invited Jesus into your life?
- He forgave your sins.
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us, with all wisdom and understanding.” (Ephesians 1:7-8) - He gave you the right to become a child of God.
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John 1:12–13) - He came to your life never leaving you alone.
Jesus says, “And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)
“All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (John 6:37) - He gave you a new life.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17) - He gave you an eternal life.
“–and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:11–13)
Even if you died tonight, you could be sure of it that you would spend eternity with Jesus.
Everything mentioned before is possible only through Jesus Christ. These things cannot be earned through our own works, they are a gift from God to all who believe in Jesus.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9)
How to approach doubt?
Now that you have invited Jesus into your life you have a new relationship with God, your Almighty Father. He is your Father, and you are His child. He forgives your sins. He presents you with new life and gives you a promise of eternal life. He will never betray or forsake you.
Even though you have given your life to God, you may have times of doubt. You may feel that maybe you aren’t a Christian after all.
Many things affect our feelings, for example, health, life circumstances, and relationships. Feelings fluctuate, and they should not be trusted. Faith does not depend on feelings. However, despite what you may be feeling, you can always trust what God says and the promises in the Bible. You can bring your worries to God in prayer as well as your doubts.
How to approach sin?
Sin means that we speak, think, and do things that are not Godly and that break relationships with other people. When old habits and attitudes try to emerge, don’t be discouraged. You are still a child of God. You are fully forgiven, but sometimes you must admit to yourself that you did something wrong. Regret your sins and confess them to God.
If you notice yourself wanting to do something wrong, you can talk to God about it in prayer. Remember that everybody sins. You read that correctly: even all Christians sin. That is why we need God’s forgiveness every day.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you[a] alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:13-14)
“He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalms 103:10–12)
Although forgiveness is perfect, you should still deal with the things that bother your relationship with God. Confessing sins is important.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
When God brings up some sin in your mind:
• confess it to God,
• thank God for His forgiveness,
ask God to change the wrong attitudes and actions. You can trust that He will do it.
Turn to God, and at the same time, away from sin. It’s repenting that restores your relationship with God and your neighbours.
“Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin.” (Psalm 32:5)
Trust in the Word of God, the Bible. It tells you that you are forgiven. Don’t listen to your feelings if they tell you something else.
God encourages us to fix and replace the wrong actions as much as possible and ask forgiveness from those who we have mistreated. This way our relationships can heal and become stronger.
Find a trustworthy Christian friend with whom you can share things that trouble you and pray for them. Find yourself a church. In the church there are trustworthy counsellors, and it’s a place where you can listen to Bible teachings. God will equip you with His power to live a Christian life.
Church and faith community
The Bible encourages us to spend time with other Christians. We can discuss, share experiences, encourage and support each other.
Get involved with a church, a Christian community, a prayer group, or a Bible study. Tell somebody, for instance, your friend this week that you have made your life’s most important decision and created a personal relationship with Jesus.
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)
In the church, you get to meet other Christians and learn how to get to know God. You can also participate in the Holy Communion in the Church, which strengthens your faith because Jesus’s redemption applies to you. Bible classes, other Christian meetings, and Christian TV and radio shows can be useful if you want to grow your faith.
The Holy Spirit
To serve according to God’s purposes we need power from the Holy Spirit that lives in all believers of Jesus.
The Holy Spirit is God.
“For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.” (1 Corinthians 2:11-12)
The Holy Spirit lives in you.
“You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.” (Romans 8:9)
“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13)
“Therefore, I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:3)
The Holy Spirit reveals sin.
“When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment.” (John 16:8)
The Holy Spirit teaches truth.
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” (John 16:13)
The Holy Spirit always glorifies Jesus.
Jesus says, “He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.” (John 16:14)
Jesus also says,” Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4–5)
The Holy Spirit makes your relationship with God stronger.
“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” (Romans 8:14–16)
The Holy Spirit changes you to the likeness of Jesus.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22, 23a)
In Ephesians (5:18) God encourages us, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” (Colossians 2:6-7)
The Holy Spirit is the source of power for a Christian. Since God wants to fill you with the Holy Spirit and root you in Jesus Christ, you can trust that He will do it, when you ask Him in prayer.
So, how can you get to know God better? The answer lies in the next section.
The Bible and prayer
Make time and a suitable place for a daily Bible reading and prayer. For example, you can start reading the Bible from the Gospel of John. After reading it, you can move on to the other gospels and New Testament letters. The New Testament will make you familiar with Jesus and His teachings.
While reading, you can underline verses that speak to you. Pray and ask God to open what you are reading, so that he can guide you to understand the Bible and apply its teachings to your own life. Christian bookstores, online stores, and book stands in Christian events are full of constructive literature for reading.
Pray daily. In prayer we tell God our thoughts and needs. Jesus taught us how to pray for God to give us our daily bread in the Lord’s Prayer. Our everyday needs and worries are important to God.
You can also pray for others. Jesus encouraged us to bless other people, even those who are against us. In prayer we express our wishes that His will be done in our lives.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7)
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we asked of him.” (1 John 5:14–15)
When we pray, God hears us and answers us as He sees fit. Thanksgiving is part of prayer. You may thank God for all the good things He has given you.
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
“Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:20)
You can use the Lord’s Prayer, which Jesus taught us:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom and the power
and the glory are yours forever.
Amen.
You can pray and study the Bible with other Christians in a church or some other small group.
Talk about Jesus
Every day we are dealing with people who don’t know God. Our relationship with God will be reflected in our words and actions. That’s why a Christian is sometimes called “the fifth gospel”.
The most important mission and privilege as a Christian is to spread the message of Jesus. A life of a Christian will tell others that Jesus is the only name and the way through which we can be saved.
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
Jesus says, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
Closing words
Please, go to a church, find a Christian community, find a Bible study, or a prayer group. You need the connection and support of other believers.
Spend time in prayer and reading the Bible. That’s how you will come to know His will and how you’ll grow in your faith. The Holy Spirit will work within you.
Go to church regularly, spend time with other believers, and tell others about Jesus.
We want to welcome you as part of the family, as part of God’s children, and encourage you on the road you have chosen. We bless you with the Lord’s Blessing:
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make his face to shine upon you,
and be gracious to you.
May the Lord turn his face toward you,
and give you peace.
Amen.