Archive

10 minute study: God has a plan for you!

Does God have a plan for you? Of course He does. But more often than not it’s something we can get really wound up about. What am I going to do with my life? I’m a rubbish Christian – is God really going to use me? Does He even care?

Life can throw us some pretty rubbish times. Stuff can happen to us – or be done to us – that we have no handle on. It can make us give up on God’s plan. But, we need to trust. God does have a purpose for each of us, no matter who we are or where we find ourselves.

Rebecca is a doctor and the leader of a small church from Indonesia. She also started a Sunday school and after-school club for a bunch of street children in her village. As the project grew, Islamic fundamentalists became furious that Christians were gaining a presence in the area. Rebecca was arrested for speaking about Jesus. She was sent to a notorious prison for five years.

The prison was a scary place. The other women were jihadists, terrorists or murderers. Prison officers would only go into the block wearing full riot gear. The walls of the cells were covered in excrement because the other inmates had become so dysfunctional.

In the first 24 hours there, Rebecca heard the voice of God speak to her. She called the prison guards and asked for buckets of water and disinfectant. She washed out and cleaned all the cells. Then she started to cook for these women, giving away her rations to serve them.

Image: Dr Rebecca serving those in her community…

The atmosphere in the prison changed. By the third week a prison guard came to Rebecca, knowing she was a doctor, and asked for her help. He had severe stomach cramps, so she wrote down the medicine he needed to get to make him better. By the end of the following month, around 40 prison officials were coming to Rebecca for professional medical advice.

At the end of the third month the prison supervisor invited her into his office. He said:
“I had heard that you were subversive, so I was going to break you. But you have been a blessing to the entire prison population. How would it be if your church came to prison on a Sunday? They will be safe here, we will take care of you. You can say whatever you want to your church when you are here.”

Isn’t that ridiculous? The place intended to silence Rebecca became a place where she could host a church and speak openly about Jesus – wow!

Rebecca was released two and a half years early. The week after she was set free from prison, she went back to disciple the 47 people who had become Christians during her time in jail.

We don’t know God’s plans for us, we don’t know where He will lead, but He asks us to step out and trust Him, no matter what we face or where we are. Even in the darkest situations, God can use us in amazing ways. He does have a plan.

Bible:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, don’t lean on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6

Think and act:

1. Read the passage from Proverbs. This is one of Rebecca’s favourite verses. Memorise it, dwell on it, repeat it over and over in your head. Write it on your hand and let it sink into you today.
2. Rebecca called the experience she had in prison her ‘university of trust’. Have you gone through – or are you going through – a time when you feel God is stretching and challenging you? If so, how can you respond like Rebecca did?
3. Even in the bleakest situations, God can still use us to bring His light and life to the world. Commit to trust God no matter what you face and ask the Holy Spirit to help you step out and act when God speaks, just like Rebecca.

Pray this:

Father, Thank You for Rebecca and many like her who trust You no matter what they face. Be with them, bring them comfort, love, compassion, energy and belief to keep going. Holy Spirit, help me trust deep in my heart, knowing that no matter what I face, you will be there. Thank You for the freedom I have, but help me use it for good. Give me boldness to step out and act when I know you have spoken. Inspire my heart, my words and my actions to bring glory to you, and help me never limit what you can do because of my ‘own understanding’.
Amen.

Join the Blackout for silenced Christians around the world!

Sign up to go screen free and get sponsored to shut down your devices for anything from 6 to 48 hours. Raise money, prayer and awareness for silenced, persecuted Christians like Rebecca. Sign up and get a free pack!
Join the Blackout today…

10 minute study: God can change you!

God can use you even though you don’t think you’re ready. You just need to be willing. None of us are perfect, but, the reality is, as we journey on with God, He will help us to change – He’ll help us be more like Jesus.

Be brutal. What are the things you don’t like about yourself? What are the things you think God doesn’t like about you? It’s easy to think we’re not pretty enough, cool enough or generally good enough. We might have a bunch of habits that we know we need to deal with. Our mates might easily lead us along. But give all that to God. He’s big enough to hear it, and big enough to help you get through it. Don’t believe us? Well, get inspired by Pablo.

Pablo’s story is pretty insane. He’s from Colombia. When he was a teenager he smuggled drugs for rebel soldiers. He would drive about in a big truck dropping off cocaine to various dealers and pass out anti-government leaflets. One day enemies of the gang he was working for caught him. To save his life he told them everything he knew. He escaped, but was on the run.

He didn’t have anywhere to go, and this is where God stepped in. Pablo met some Christians; they told him about Jesus and he realised God had spared his life for a reason.

After meeting an Open Doors volunteer, Pablo decided to go back to smuggling, but this time he’d be taking Bibles, rather than drugs, into dangerous parts of Colombia.

It’s not an easy job. The rebel soldiers he used to work for are violently committed to their beliefs, and the gospels that Pablo delivers offer a very different way of thinking. There is a price on his head. He’s had to go into hiding a few times – they see him as a target and the Bibles that he delivers as lethal weapons. But he keeps going, keeps serving and keeps growing to be more like Jesus.

If God can change a drug smuggling teenager from Colombia and miraculously use him, don’t be surprised to hear that God can definitely change you and use you too.

Image: Pablo sparking to an Open Doors worker…

Bible:

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
Ezekiel 36:26

Think and act:

1. What would you love to see God change in your life? Look up the passage from Ezekiel and read it through a few times. Ask God to give you a new heart. Ask Him to meet you where you are and give you the courage to live differently.
2. Pablo knows what we sometimes forget. Changing isn’t just about knowing you’re a good or bad person. It’s about knowing that we are totally accepted and loved by God. It’s only when we know how much God loves us that we can truly change and be more like Jesus. And when we grasp that, God can transform us, just like He has transformed Pablo.

Prayer:

Father, thank You that You love me no matter what I do or how I am feeling. Help me understand that love, and to properly grasp it. Please Holy Spirit, help me to not look for value in all the stuff I own or the way people see me – or even the positions I hold or places I go. Like Pablo, help me find my value in You. I pray for Pablo and other Christian leaders in Colombia who risk everything to share Your love with others. I ask that each Bible Pablo delivers would find its way into the right hands, and that the stories of Jesus would reveal your love and transform many lives. Amen.

10 minute study: Know God accepts you!

We’re all looking for acceptance. We all want to know people think we’re alright, that what we do matters and who we are is valued by someone. We try and find that meaning and acceptance in all sorts of places. Some of us want to be popular. Some of us try to be funny. We want people to like us. It’s a pretty basic human need. Some of us put music, sport or a particular scene above all else as the place we find a bit of meaning, acceptance and purpose.

But is it enough? Do these things really help us feel like we’re truly loved – not for the ways we behave and act, but just for who we are, deep, deep down in our very being?

Family is an important one. For Arezki from Algeria, it was everything. In his rural community, family and tradition were central to daily life. But Arezki was unsettled. Something wasn’t quite making sense. Then a friend told him about Jesus and he became a Christian there and then. Being from a pretty conservative Muslim area, the reaction wasn’t great. He began speaking to his friends and neighbours about Jesus, which caused problems for his family.

One day he came home to find all his Christian books and CDs had been burnt. Arezki’s family were desperate for him to come back to Islam, but he couldn’t. He knew where he’d found true meaning, purpose and love. His Dad asked him to leave the family home. Arezki responded,

“I told him I was in Christ, the God of greatness in whom I had found healing, life and peace.”

Arezki found something in Jesus he couldn’t find in another religion, in friendship, in work or even in his family. But have we? We’re surrounded with things that promise meaning and acceptance. But do they really deliver? Arezki realised that when he met Jesus, that was enough. He didn’t need to look elsewhere. It’s something we could do with learning.

Look up this verse…

“For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will.”
Ephesians 1:4-6

Think about these…

1. What or where do you look for acceptance and meaning? The number of likes on your Instagram feed? The grades you get? The friends you have? The clothes you wear? None of these things are bad, but if we put them before finding love and acceptance in Jesus, we’ll always feel like something is missing.

2. Note down some of the things you’ve thought about and pray about them. As you pray, read through the Bible verse and take in the words. God has chosen you, He’s adopted you, and He was happy to do it. Let that sink in and let God become the one who gives you true meaning, love and acceptance.

Pray this…

Father, thank You that You’ve chosen me. Thank You that You know me and love me with an amazing, unending, never leaving, always there, love. I’m sorry for the times I look to find my meaning, purpose and acceptance in something other than You. Help me be like Arezki, and understand Your love so I can find my security and future in You. Be with Arezki today. Bless him and his family. Keep him, and the many who choose You in the toughest circumstances, safe. Give them strength, courage and meet their needs. Today, use Arezki to help other people come to know true meaning and acceptance in you.
Amen

Faithfulness

Maryam and marziyeh are from Iran. Being christians they had to be careful. In Iran followers of jesus are second class citizens. Islam is the official religion, and the country’s government is based on Islamic law. Many muslims won’t even touch christians or eat food with them. You could be arrested simply for talking to non-christians about Jesus.

And that is what makes Maryam and Marziyeh’s story incredible. They were young – in their mid-twenties. But they were passionate about sharing God’s love. They decided the best way to do this would be to give out Bibles.

So, they would fill a back-pack with copies of God’s Word. Then they would pray, asking Jesus where they should distribute them. Then, under the cover of darkness, they would travel around the city placing the Bibles into people’s letterboxes. They estimate that they gave away 20,000 Bibles across Tehran (the capital of Iran) in this way.

By the time they were caught, they were wanted criminals. They were put in Evin prison, one of the most notorious prisons on the planet. They had friends in the prison that were abused, tortured, beaten, and even killed.

We’re not afraid to die… What we’re afraid of is a life without faith

Almost on a weekly basis the girls would be brought before a judge. He would give them an opportunity to be free. He wanted them to write one sentence – one sentence that would say that they had denied their Christian faith and converted to Islam.

Each time Maryam and Marziyeh refused. And each time the judge would grow more and more frustrated. He’d say ‘You don’t understand. Unless you convert, you will die here’. They replied ‘No you don’t understand. We’re not afraid to die… What we’re afraid of is a life without faith – a life without our saviour Jesus Christ’.

Incredible.

After 249 days, and a global campaign pressuring the Iranian government to free them, Maryam and Marziyeh were released. Amazing.

But for many, the situation doesn’t end happily. Many who are imprisoned across the Middle East for their faith in Jesus will not be released. Many will continue to be interrogated. Many will be mistreated. Some will die.

This is the reality. And that is the reality that Maryam and Marziyeh faced. They didn’t know they would be freed. They were given an easy way out of prison – a prison they weren’t sure they would ever leave. But, they chose to stay with Jesus no matter what the cost. They stuck with it. That is true faithfulness.

Think

As with many stories from Christians who are persecuted for their faith, this challenges the core of our faith. Have a think.

Do we expect God to rescue us when life goes wrong? Do we expect that He would come and bring us to safety every time we feel uncomfortable or face tough times? Do we only consider that God is ‘faithful’ to us when we get what we really want?

These are tough questions. But Maryam and Marziyeh challenge us to think differently about our faith. Faced with death, they had such a passion for Jesus that nothing else mattered – not even their personal safety. They had faith when everything else had been taken away.

So often we think it’s God’s job to be faithful to us – and by that we mean that He should rescue us when life goes wrong. And sometimes He does. But Maryam and Marziyeh challenge us to realise that when things turn bad in our lives, sometimes it’s up to us to remain faithful to God. Because He is forever faithful.

Bible

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23

Reflect

• How does your walk with Jesus get affected when life gets tough?
• What comes to mind when you think of God’s faithfulness?
• How does the story of Maryam and Marziyeh challenge you?
• Read the passage above. Look it up in your Bible. Read what comes before. The writer is not in a good place. He has to remind himself of God’s love. Often we struggle to look beyond our circumstances to see God’s love and beauty. Ask God would help you to see Him more clearly.
• Spend some time remembering when God answered your prayers or you felt close to Him. Thank him for those times.
• Ask God to help you remain faithful when trouble or tough times come.

Pray

Father, Thank you that You are faithful no matter what. Help me understand that You love me even when life turns rough. Help me to stick with You no matter what I face. Thank you for the example of Maryam and Marziyeh – and that they were freed. I pray for all those currently in prison because they have chosen You. Be with them, give them strength, courage, hope and peace. Help them know Your love deeply. I pray for their freedom, but even more I pray that their faithfulness to you would inspire many, including those who imprisoned them.

Thank you that You are a God of grace and love, and no matter how far I go, You are there for me. Help me share Your love with the same passion and boldness as Maryam and Marziyeh. Holy Spirit, be with me today and help me know Your love more and more.Amen.

Five minute study: Perseverance

Got a few spare minutes? Use them! Put your phone away, turn off the telly and check this simple, short study to grab some thoughts on perseverance, inspired by the story of Layla from Tajikistan. It might only take you a few minutes to read, but hopefully the words and ideas will stick with you the whole day!

Layla, Tajikistan

Layla is from Tajikistan, a largely Muslim country in central Asia. As a 16 year old, a teacher at Layla’s school told her class about Jesus. Layla chose to become a Christian there and then, and started going to a local church.

Layla’s family weren’t too worried about her church going… they thought she’d grow out of it. But as her passion for Jesus grew, they became increasingly worried, and angry. Her mother would shout at her – a few times her brother beat her. Then things got worse. They tried to silence her growing faith. They would lock her in her room alone when it was time to go to church. But it didn’t work.

Finally, to keep her quiet and to stop her from being with other Christians, her brother and a friend held her down and shaved off her hair. Everyone would now know she’d brought shame on her family. But Layla didn’t give up. She couldn’t let go of her relationship with Jesus. She had to persevere.

Layla chose to leave. She ran away, and hasn’t been back since. She’s spoken to her mum on the phone, who’s said she can only return if she gets rid of her ‘stupid’ beliefs. She’s now living in a center for survivors of domestic abuse. But she’s still going. “I know that God is my shield and my shelter. He will never forsake me, even if the whole world is against me.”

Bible

“But they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:31

Think

Imagine it; locked in your room – your freshly shaved hair lying on the floor. Your family hates you. Hurt, shamed, alone. It would be too much. Any of us would crack… we’d give up. We’d relent. But Layla didn’t.

Sadly, too many Christians around the world know what it means to keep going in the face of massive obstacles. They know what it’s like to walk alone, to face jeers, threats and violence. But many don’t give up. They keep on – their unrelenting perseverance and love for
Jesus pulling them through.

We don’t often face trials because of our faith, but many of us know about loss. Many of us have seen friends and family go through sickness and pain. We might have seen key relationships in our lives break down, we might have been treated badly or we might just be having a bad day. But in all this, we can still depend and rely on our heavenly father for strength. He doesn’t falter – his love endures forever. That love is always there, no matter what we might face. As Layla knows, even if it feels like the whole world is against us, God isn’t. And that’s a reason to keep going.

Pray

• Pray for those, like Layla, who have had to preserve even when faced with violence and hatred. Ask God to give them strength and that they would find a new home in their church family.
• Ask God to reveal his unending, incredible love for you, and the world, to help you keep going through the tough times.

Other quick studies in this series

Silence…
Courage…
Thankfulness…
Passion…
Perseverance…

Five minute study: Passion

Got a few spare minutes? Use them! Don’t get distracted by your phone, check this simple and short study to grab some thoughts on passion, inspired by the story of Hayat from Sudan. It might only take you a few minutes to read, but hopefully the words and ideas will stick with you the whole day!

Hayat, Sudan

As a teenager Hayat fell really ill. She was left unable to walk or move properly. Some Christian friends offered to pray for her. Initially she refused, but after a while Hayat decided to let them.

As they gathered round her, she found herself praying with them. She suddenly believed God could heal her, and guess what? After they left, she was able to get out of bed for the first time in months.

She became a Christian and started reading the Bible. At this point Hayat’s family were confused. They were pleased she’d been healed, but hated the fact she’d started following Jesus. They threatened her. She was bringing shame on the family. Her life was at risk.

But Hayat was passionate about her relationship with God. She kept going to church. In the end a gang of men led by her Father and Uncle showed up during one of the services. They tried to scare her into refusing Jesus. But she wouldn’t.

So, they had her arrested. She was held for three months, constantly visited by people trying to get her to revert to Islam. To keep going she would sing to God, worshipping when all seemed lost.

Eventually she was released without charge. Exhausted, she returned home, only for her father to give her an ultimatum. Deny Jesus or leave. She told her Dad she loved him, but that she couldn’t live without Jesus.

Hayat left. She’s now being looked after by people in her church. She hasn’t spoken to her family in a long time – in their last conversation her Dad threatened to kill her.

Bible

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever”.
Psalm 75:25-26

Think

We often think of passion as something loud and triumphant. Passionate football fans shout and scream and jump up and down. But the reality is that true passion doesn’t need to shout to make a massive noise.

Hayat was passionate about Jesus, unbelievably so. She’d experienced his love, been physically healed and seen an amazing new hope enter her life. Whilst her passion was there for all to see, it led her to a really difficult choice between Jesus and her family. It’s hard to imagine that Hayat entered that final conversation with her Dad like a triumphant football fan. More realistically there would have been tears; her choice would have been immensely painful.

That is true passion; keeping going even when it’s difficult. If we truly want to follow Jesus passionately, like Hayat, then we should expect the uncomfortable. It’s not about shouting the loudest, but putting Jesus above all else. As Hayat knows, sometimes those decisions will really cost us, but a relationship with Jesus is more than worth it.

Pray

• Pray for Christians like Hayat who’ve given it all to follow Jesus. Ask that they would have courage, perseverance and boldness, and that they would know God’s unending, passionate love for them.
• Ask God to help fuel a passion for him in you so you keep going when faced with difficult choices or tough times. Pray through the verse, knowing that God is your source of help and strength.

Other quick studies in this series

Silence…
Courage…
Thankfulness…
Passion…
Perseverance…

Five minute study: Thankfulness

Got a few spare minutes? Use them! Don’t get distracted by your phone, check this simple and short study to grab some thoughts on thankfulness, inspired by the story of Isaac from Nigeria. It might only take you a few minutes to read, but hopefully the words and ideas will stick with you the whole day!

Isaac, Nigeria

Isaac was only there to help. The night before, a bunch of extremists had charged through a Christian area of town, killed 15 innocent people and burnt homes.

Isaac, was trying to find survivors when he and 22 other young men were bundled into the back of a police van. They were falsely accused of planning reprisal killings and sent to prison.

They shared cells with extremist Islamic prisoners, many of whom would have targeted and killed Christians. But in the midst of immense hatred, this group of young men chose to be thankful. Each day they would meet together to fast and pray. They would sing songs and read from the Bible. They were thankful for God’s goodness and provision, despite all that had been taken from them.

Then, amazing things started to happen. Some who were ill got prayed for and were healed. Other prisoners, drawn by the example of the Christians, started joining the meetings. Over 20 people chose to start following Jesus.

Despite everything, Isaac and his friends were thankful. They chose to embrace where they were and what they had, and God responded.

“I give God all honour who enabled me to share Christ’s love in prison. It was a sweet miracle to see 20 men giving their lives to Christ. My heart is at peace, I have no regrets about spending two years behind bars”
Isaac

Bible

Read Psalm 23
‘… You prepare a table before me, in the presence of my enemies’

Think

Isaac and his friends chose to accept where they were at. Arrested, beaten, falsely accused and thrown into prison – it would be hard to face that and stay thankful. But they chose to. That wasn’t a simple one-off decision, but something they had to do on a daily, hourly, almost minute-by-minute basis. They would continually make the choice to find God in their midst, and respond to him with thankfulness.

Amazingly, even in the darkest of places, their attitudes and actions revealed Jesus to others.

Being thankful when life goes completely wrong takes effort. It’s almost a discipline – or even an art. It’s something we need to take time to develop – choosing to find God in the little things and not longing for the next big stage of our lives. It’s so easy to be distracted by what we don’t have that we forget to be thankful for what we do have. With Jesus, what we have is an incredible hope – the hope that we need fear no evil, for he is with us, leading us and comforting us. It’s a promise summed up at the end of Psalm 23 – “surely goodness and mercy will follow me”. Now that is something to definitely be thankful for.

Pray

Thank God for Isaac and his friends. Ask God to protect those who find themselves in prison simply because they love Jesus. Ask God to give them strength, courage and a way of finding peace and joy where they’re at.

Ask God to challenge you. As you spend a few days without all the benefits of the internet, do you find yourself moaning about what you can’t do? Make the decision to be thankful, and try to find God in the smallest, simplest details of your life.

Other quick studies in this series

Silence…
Courage…
Thankfulness…
Passion…
Perseverance…

Five minute study: Silence

Everyone has got a spare five minutes at some point in the day, so why not use them! Forget getting lost on Instagram, check this simple and short study to grab some thoughts on silence, inspired by the story of Misgana from Eritrea. It might only take you a few minutes to read, but hopefully the words and ideas will stick with you the whole day!

Misgana, Eritrea

In Eritrea the choice to follow Jesus isn’t an easy one. It means being excluded, arrested, threatened and attacked. It means the likelihood of losing homes and businesses. It means being silenced.

Misgana is from Eritrea. She knows the consequences of the choice she made to follow Jesus. “In my society, the threat is very clear, if you follow Jesus, you will be persecuted. If you leave Jesus, you will live freely. Your family, isolate you. Your government hunts you… If you are jailed, your salary would be stopped”.

Churches have been closed. Silenced from talking about Jesus in public, Christians are quietly meeting underground. Misgana gathers secretly with other Christians in their homes. “I miss worshiping freely… singing and rejoicing loudly. But now, it’s like whispering. You want to rejoice but you can’t. But he hears our whisper, He is always with us”.

Despite the quiet, she hasn’t given up – her love and passion for God won’t be silenced: “Someday, somehow, we will rejoice in Jesus in our hometown. That is my prayer. We are strong. God’s grace is enough for us. Jesus saves!”

Bible

Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.
Psalm 62:5 (NLT)

Think

Being a Christian and following Jesus was never supposed to be a silent experience. Jesus was loud. He argued, preached, and caused controversy. His message has made a massive noise that has resonated with humanity for 2000 years. It’s a message that still has the power to inspire, equip and change lives – if not the world.

Misgana gets that. Forced to meet in secret, she and the others in her church know about silence. They can’t shout their praises or speak their prayers. They’ve been forced to keep quiet fearing arrest and torture if they speak up.

But silence isn’t just a negative thing. Staying quiet can help us turn down all the daily noise, so we can take a proper look at ourselves and ask God to reveal the bits of our lives that we need to work on. Often it’s in silence, when nothing else is getting in the way, when we can draw closer to God and focus purely on him.

In the quiet, Misgana experiences just that; she knows the cost of choosing Jesus and the enforced silence that comes with it. But she also grasps more and more of God’s unending love for her and his world. So, the challenge is to be like Misgana. Embrace the silence and ask God to draw you closer to him.

Pray

• Pray for Misgana and other believers in Eritrea.
• Ask that believers would be able to share God’s love with amazing acts of kindness and to have wisdom and boldness to know when they should speak to others about Jesus.
• Ask for God to speak to you in times of silence this week.
• Ask him to challenge and inspire you to live your faith out loud.

Other quick studies in this series

Silence…
Courage…
Thankfulness…
Passion…
Perseverance…

Five minute study: Courage

Got five minutes? Of course you have! Read through this super-quick study to grab some thoughts on courage, inspired by the story of a young Christian lad from Iraq. It might only take you a few minutes to read, but hopefully the words and ideas will stick with you the whole day!

Ammar, 10, Iraq

“I sometimes imagine I have a special cape, like superman wears. I think of myself as a superhero, protecting people.

“I used to play outside, but when the war started we had to play inside all the time. When we do go outside we take the car, but I help my Dad, check under the engine first for bombs. We even have some suitcases stuffed with things in case we have to leave in the middle of the night.

“A really, really bad thing happened at our church – a bomb exploded and I lost a lot of my friends. They were all killed. I didn’t see it, but I heard most of the stories. Things will never be the same, but if I have this special cape I can protect my family.

“Before bed, when my Dad prays for me, he tells me that Jesus will take care of us and I mustn’t worry. He tells me that God even loves the people who hurt us. He tells me that Jesus is love—and that it is something like my special cape.”

Bible

For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
Isaiah 41:13

Think

Being scared is easy. It’s having courage that is hard. In the face of war it would be easy to live in fear. But because of Jesus, Ammar’s Dad is showing him another way. Praying for those who would hurt, rob and accuse you is not easy. Remembering the God of love and life in the midst of destruction and death might seem impossible. But with God all things are possible. He says ‘Do not fear’. His presence brings courage. They depend on Jesus.

We might not face the same threats and devastation that Ammar does, but we can be inspired by his courage. Jesus wants us to be brave. He wants us to speak up for him and to show his love in our lives and situations. That might mean not laughing at someone’s expense, stopping the gossip or speaking up when someone is being unfairly treated. That takes courage, but with Jesus you can be braver than you ever imagined.

Pray

• Pray for children like Ammar living through some horrendous situations.
• Ask that they might have courage and strength.
• Ask that they will be protected from harm and that they will know Jesus right there with them.
• Ask God to show you ways that you can bravely stand up for him.
• Ask for courage to speak up and act differently.

Other quick studies in this series

Silence…
Courage…
Thankfulness…
Passion…
Perseverance…