Conclusion of Developing Eagerness to Preach

What results from such diligent study?  The apostle Paul says:  "Faith follows the thing heard."  (Romans 10:17)  As your faith and conviction grow, your attitude is sure to change.  A Brazilian youth named Elisangela concluded:  "Being a Christian is an honor, not something to be ashamed of.  Indeed, as your faith grows, you find yourself compelled to talk to others-including your classmates. Paul said:  "We . . . exercise faith  and therefore we speak." (2 Corinthians 4:13)  Besides, how could you be "clean from the blood" of others if you withheld life-giving knowledge from the young ones you see every day? -Acts 20:26, 27.

Some young Christians, though, feel ill-equipped to talk to others about the Bible.  "If you don't know what to say," says a youth named Joshua,  "trying to preach is not very much fun."  Again, getting a deeper understanding of the Bible will help you to handle it competently.  (2 Timothy 2:15) In congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses, youths can approach the congregation elders and request personal assistance in developing teaching skills. Says a German youth named Matthias:  "When I started really speaking with people-not just offering Bible literature-I started to enjoy preaching."

Finally, you can pray for God to help you speak with boldness.  (Acts 4:29) The apostle Paul personally experienced God's help in this regard. At 1 Thessalonians 2:2, he says: "We mustered up boldness by means of our God to speak to you the good news of God with a great deal of struggling."  According to one reference this statement may be rendered, "God took fear out of our hearts."  So why not pray and ask God to take the fear out of your heart? 

Next time: YOUNG PEOPLE ASK . . How Can I Preach to My Schoolmates?/Identifying Yourself

From the Awake! magazine