A Word to the Young

This is an review of the article A Word to the Young by Pastor Paul Washer by Benjamin Burke

In the article A Word to the Young by Mr. Paul Washer, Mr. Washer covers a lot of things, like reading the Bible, prayer, surrounding yourself with godly companions, and being committed to seek after God. The first thing he talks about is to “Remember the Brevity of Life”. He says that we need to “fight” off the temptation to forget the brevity of life, and that we need to learn from the bible and remember that our days are numbered. I really like this is because he really points out that our lives are going to end just as fast as they began. We must understand that we only have one shot to do what’s right, and that is to believe in the one and only true God.

The second thing he talks about is to “Remember your Creator”. He says that the only way we can remember the brevity of life is to remember our creator. He says that “Unless you purpose in your heart to remember God and use every means at your disposal to remain true to that purpose, you will fall into vanity and your life will be wasted” ¹. This really stands out to me because if you say “I believe in God”, but don’t act on it and just leave it at that, it’s one of the most dangerous things you can say.

”Read the Bible”. Mr. Washer says that “One of the greatest things a young Christian can do is to make a lifelong practice of reading the Bible systematically from Genesis to Revelation over and over again”²… the only thing a real Christian can do to strengthen his faith is to read the Bible. He says that most Christians have a sectioned knowledge of the Bible because they don’t read it the way it is written.

“Pray”. That’s it. Pray. Its brings us closer to God. That’s the only thing that brings real happiness. If you don’t read the bible you can’t pray, if you can’t pray you can’t live eternally with God. What an awful thought. To be eternally separated from our “Creator”. Prayer is only thing that brings us closer to God, and that is the only thing that satisfies.

“Flee Youthful Lusts”. Mr. Washer points out that in the Bible God tells us to stand strong while facing Satin, but to “Flee from youthful lusts”. That’s how strong the secular world is. God makes it that specific to run away from the world. If you open that door just a tad bit, the devil can stick his “foot” in that little crack and he’ll never allow you to shut it. And the only way you can, is to ask Jesus to come into your life, and help you in that area.

Now I want to ask you a question, what do you want people to say at your funeral? Do you want them to say “I was proud of him or her”, or “He was a mighty man or woman of God”? Or do you want them to say “He or she wasted his or her life”, or “He or she knew there was a God, but chose to stray away”? Which one do you want? We must devote our lives to Him, and Him only. We have one shot at this. Our days are numbered.

Benjamin - January 2011

I am Called to Pray!

I keep wanting to press more into Jesus, to connect more with who He is and what He thinks about situations that are going on around me and in different areas throughout the earth. Many times at night I lay wanting to be able to really pray. I always start prayers with requests that the Lord help me pray. You know where the scriptures say “teach us how to pray” (Luke 11:1) and “I want to believe, help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24), those kinds of prayers.

In Ephesians 6, Paul talks about the armor of God. He describes how to use the armor. He tells us to put on the armor that we might withstand, and having done all, still be standing when we are wrestling in heavenly places. The wrestling that he is describing is a picture of being in a battle. That is exactly what it is, a battle. Thus we wear the armor. It is for protection as we stand and fight for the truth of God. And that is where Paul starts.

In Ephesians 6:14, Paul tells us to stand with our waist protected with truth, and our heart with the breast plate of righteousness, our feet prepared to take the gospel of peace, and above all to have faith as a shield to guard us from the arrows of the devil. He tells us our helmet is salvation and our offensive weapon is a sword. And that sword is the Word of God. It is a powerful weapon!

So, what I think we can learn from that passage is that we are constantly in a spiritual battle and that battle is prayer! In that battle we have to protect ourselves by speaking the truth in all things, walking in Jesus’ righteousness, and knowing we can only do those things through faith! Salvation protects our mind, and that’s why Paul tells us to put it on like a helmet. But the only way that we can come to salvation and be righteous and truthful and ready to share the gospel is by God’s word, and is through understanding God’s Word. And that is the final thing Paul tells us to “take up”, the sword of the Spirit. It is the only power that we will have to use to fight in our battle of prayer.

I do feel called to pray. Reading this passage really made me stop and think. If I want to be effective and able to pray, I will have to know and live by His word. I don’t have to be fearful and wonder what to pray. I can pray His word and know His will through doing that. I can always pray in Faith!