SDA Youth Moments: First Prayers

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Philippians 4:13

I was invited by my friend to speak at their academy vesper worship. I was a little hesitant but God’s call prevailed. So I agreed to speak and prayed to God that somehow my message would be an inspiration to those students most of whom were not Seventh-day Adventists.

However, I am not writing about how God strengthened me to speak to these young people. Instead, I was fully impressed to write about how some of the participants that night acted. They were very jittery and anxious to get their parts done and bolt away afterwards. One funny thing is that they reminded me of someone I know.

In our church, the Juniors Sabbath School Class (aged 10-12) had its own Divine Worship to prepare them for service at the main church.

One Sabbath, that person was chosen by his father, who served as their adviser and guide, to offer the pastoral prayer during the Divine Worship service. He was very apprehensive. First he was not a student at the Academy and was only there for the Sabbath. Second, he was not prepared in praying for a crowd and in a gathering such as these. But with his father’s insistence, he went on to serve even when cold sweat was already dripping down his back.

He collected his thoughts and tried to plan his prayer carefully. He even tried to ask if he could just read his prayer but his request was denied. So he had to go impromptu.

 At the pulpit, he was very anxious to get his part done and go back home. But the worst came, nothing came out of his mouth. He didn’t know what to say. He paused for so long while banging his knees on the floor. The thought of banging his head and throwing away the microphone also occurred to him.

He thought how foolish he looked especially with people his age. At the end of the service, he wanted to quickly get away from this crowd and go back home where no one would even know what he did.

But what happened during that embarrassing Sabbath led him to seek God’s help and try to remove his stage fright. It took several years but later on, he became very much involved in God’s work that he can’t even count how many times he had been on that pulpit. 

So imagine how much God would strengthen you whenever you feel inadequate and unprepared for His work. It just starts with as simple prayer – even a very embarrassing one.

I hope you’ve guessed who this person is, because I am not dropping names.