Youth camps are awesome, and our church’s recent youth camp was no exception. Attending this year’s camp as a leader was a unique opportunity to see things from a different perspective. Whenever a few hundred young people come together to worship in one place, it is an incredible thing to be a part of. I witnessed young teenagers worshipping, praying and accepting God into their lives for the first time and renewing their commitment. It was an abundant week of faith building.
I witnessed and heard testimonies of God shattering the brokenness, the emptiness, and filling the void of confidence and love that these teenagers had been holding onto in their lives. I also saw God set them free from the words they had allowed to seep into their minds, and then revive what He originally placed in their hearts to begin with.
There are many issues young people are dealing with today and the camaraderie that comes when people realise they are not alone is something else.
Vision
At the beginning of this year, after I was given a group of girls to lead within the youth group, I received a vision from God. In this vision, I saw a group of young girls shackled with doubt, guilt, insecurity, pain, low self-esteem, and every other problem that can hold us down from the purpose God has for our lives.
I felt God tell me that there would be a revival within our young people and that shackles would fall off. He also told me that as leaders assigned to the role of leading, we are a vessel for God as he works through us to help mentor them, build them up, and help them break free of all that is holding them down.
Restoration
Throughout the year these promises came to be. The young people in our youth have grown incredibly in their faith, trust, security, hope and perseverance in God. God has restored and built up, in such little time. This is the power of God.
God loves this generation (and every generation) and wants them to come to Him, to rely on Him, and to trust in Him. The Bible says in Matthew chapter 19 verse 14 ‘Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’
Healing
There are often times discouragement, disappointment from others, pain, and pessimistic words etch away at us. But God wants to heal us and free us from the bondage of negativism that we have collected and stored up in our minds that only pull us further from the promises he has planned.
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 5, ‘We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.’
If it is not what God would want you do be listening to, watching, taking on in your own life, or telling others, do not pursue it. That is a tactic from the devil, and it is his way of disabling us from what God has planned and purposed for our lives.
When God breaks through, we see healing in body, spirit, and mind. This was witnessed within the four days at youth camp. I, along with another leader, were blessed to pray for healing over a young girl. She had been dealing with pain for quite a while.
God set her free from her pain right before our eyes and it was amazing to witness. When we pray and ask God to heal us and restore us, he does. Mark chapter 5 verse 34 says, ’He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
Watching that young girl go from crouching in pain, to being healed and walking around with a smile on her face was beyond miraculous and overwhelming. God came through, and she was set free.
Declaration and Promise
I love how God is a God of declaration and promise, not hesitation. Every time God speaks, his words resound in confidence and promise.
2 Kings chapter 20 verse 5 says ‘I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you.’
Exodus chapter 15 verse 26 says ‘…I am the Lord, who heals you.’
Jeremiah chapter 30 verse 17 says ‘“But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,” declares the Lord.’
Restoration
In each of these verses, God declares his promise to us–He WILL heal, He WILL restore, declares the Lord. In confidence, we must let go of doubt and start releasing those shackles that are holding us back from God’s declarative promises. We must allow him to heal us, to restore us, and to pull us through what we can’t see the end of. That is faith.
As children of faith, we must learn to trust his word and allow him to do His will. If the youth ministry at my church can rise in faith, ask God to show them a way out of their pain and suffering, seek Him in all that they do, and continuously knock on the door for breakthrough, then He WILL do the same for everyone else who asks, seeks, knocks and has faith that God will prevail.
Hindering ourselves with doubtful thoughts, and allowing the devil to have control of our minds is a danger zone. But if we have faith, believe in His power, and allow him to release us of our shackles, we will be set free.
Matthew chapter 7 verse 8 says ‘For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.’
Cartia Moore is a sword fighter, trained and skilled in the art of fencing. She is currently studying a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Screen & Media Studies, and minoring in Drama and Creative Writing. Her focus is film, television and swordfighting sequences. She is a youth leader, and has a passion for bringing young girls to God and helping them to seek and find their worth and value in Him.
Cartia Moore’s previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/cartia-moore.html