Questions from a Youth Group
Assumption: We get counsel and value the perspectives and opinions of others to help us understand what God might be saying to us. God is the sole source of wisdom and the Bible is our authority and the primary way God gives wisdom to us.
My response to these questions is not an attempt to fully answer but rather to launch/continue the search for God’s answer to each one seeking truth and wisdom. Look up the suggested starter verses; read and think carefully/meditate on them; talk to other friends and/or a leader you value; journal your thoughts and discoveries; continue to look up other verses.
2. How can I help my friends know God?
3. How do I hear and recognize God’s voice/what He is saying to me?
4. How can I know God’s plan for my life?
6. How should I begin dealing with issues of pride?
7. Why pray since God already knows everything?
8. How do we exercise godly fear in prayer?
9. What does Christ mean by ‘vain repetitions’ in Matthew 6:7?
10. What does ‘pray without ceasing’ look like?
11. How can I stop worry and anxiety? How do I break a bad habit?
12. How can I grow in/get increased faith and not doubt?
- How do I get to know God? Romans 10:17
Be sure you are a child of God: Believe in Jesus Christ and who He is – Creator and therefore Owner/Lord and begin to relate to Him on that basis. John 1:1-13
Forsake all others to follow Jesus. Philippians 3:8-11; 1 John 1:3-6
2. How can I help my friends know God?
A way to begin is to be an example by the way you live and then read and discuss the passages in question 1 with them as you have opportunity.
3. How do I hear and recognize God’s voice/what He is saying to me?
How do you get to know and recognize the voice of a friend? It’s different in that with a friend we use the 5 physical senses of hearing, sight, taste, touch, and feel but with God, who is Spirit, we must use spiritual senses by faith. 2 Corinthians 5:7 And the relationship deepens and matures with intentional effort, trust, vulnerability, and time.
God/Jesus is speaking and wants increasing intimacy/relationship (=eternal life John 17:3) with us. John 10:27,28
God uses the Bible primarily to speak to us. 2 Timothy 3:16-17; John 5:39;14:6; John 7:16-18; Psalm 119:104,105
4. How can I know God’s plan for my life? (He does have a plan for you – Jeremiah 29:11)
Be willing to follow it as/when He makes it clear. John 7:17; Romans 12:2
Search for it with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13; Romans 12:1; Psalm 32:8,9; Psalm 16:11; Proverbs 3:5,6; Matthew 6:33
5. How do I conquer lust? (Here are a very few of the verses to h6.elp you begin/continue this life-long pursuit/discipline.)
Believe God can lead/enable you to victory. Ephesians 3:20; Psalm 119:9-11; Romans 12:1,2 (a vital part of mind renewal is scripture memory/meditation); Romans 6; 8:1-15; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; John 8:31-32; Galatians 5:1; Philippians 2:13; Hebrews 4:16; 1 John 1:9;
6. How should I begin dealing with issues of pride (focus on self – extroverted or introverted)? (Here are a very few of the verses to help you begin/continue this life-long pursuit/discipline.)
Consciously practice dying to sin and self. Luke 9:23; Romans 6:11; Galatians 2:20; 5:24; 2 Corinthians 5:17
Live increasingly out of a new identity in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:20; 5:16-17; Hebrews 12:1-2;
7. Why pray since God already knows everything?
The primary purpose of prayer is for us to get to know God. God invites us to close communion with Him and Jesus died to make that possible so that we can know things. Jeremiah 33:3 He commands us to pray for our good. Deut. 10:12-13
8. How do we exercise godly fear in prayer?
The better you get to know God, the more you will revere God. Exodus 20:20; We learn to fear God from the word of God. Psalm 119:38; Deut. 17:19
9. What does Christ mean by ‘vain repetitions’ in Matthew 6:7?
Vain repetition is very different from persisting in prayer as taught in Luke 18:1-8 Vain repetition focuses on the repetition of the prayer itself, kinda like a magic formula, to get results while persistence focuses on the Lord as the only one who can answer.
10. What does ‘pray without ceasing’ look like?
Prayer is to be the posture and attitude of our heart. It is much more than saying words; it is looking to Jesus for the help and answers needed for life. Heb. 12:2 It involves relying on the Holy Spirit’s intercession for us. Romans 8:26 It is the practice of our conscious thoughts returning to a conversation with God when not engaged otherwise.
11. How can I stop worry and anxiety? How do I break a bad habit?
Continuing in prolonged anxiety is failure to trust God and so is sin. Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Peter 5:7; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 Refocus your thoughts on God’s promises. 2 Peter 1:2-4
Breaking habits of sin: Psalm 119:9-11; Romans 6; 8:5-13; John 8:31-32,36
12. How can I grow in/get increased faith and not doubt?
The disciples asked Jesus this very thing. Luke 17:5-10 Note vs. 6, You don’t need much. Vs. 7-10 touch on why do you want more faith? Check out 1 Corinthians 13:2 as well.
We do need to deal with our doubts by looking more intently at Jesus and His promises. James 1:6-8 But the opposite of faith is actually unbelief. We can have doubts and still step out in faith. Doubting to the point of refusal to act would be unbelief.