Youth -- Why You Might Like a Mentor

Who am I?
What do I want to do with my life?
Where do I belong?

These are questions you may be asking and trying to figure out life as you grow up and become an adult. While growing up, we may not always have a person that we feel safe asking for answers to our questions. As we make life’s toughest decisions and ask hard questions, we need the support of those around us to help us and being mentored is one of the ways that we can receive that support.

What is mentoring? It’s a safe place for you to come, ask questions, and get to know someone who wants to help you grow as a person. God never intended for us to try to figure out life’s hardest and deepest questions on our own, but that’s often what we try to do. Instead, mentoring allows God to use someone else to speak into your life and help you to discover answers.

The beautiful thing about being mentored is entering into a relationship with someone who is there specifically for you and where you are free to be yourself. You are free to ask honest and real questions. You are free to communicate your hopes, fears, doubts, and dreams, without judgement and in confidence, and have someone help you walk forward into the plan that God has for you. Everyone can benefit from mentoring despite age; in the next 10 years, mentoring can benefit greatly because you will experience more life changes that at most any other season in life. We invite you to come experience what it means be mentored and reap the benefits of these great relationships.

Why I'm a Prayer Partner -- Mark Peterson

“The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” – James 5:16 ESV

I was reading in Daniel the other day, and was struck by how important and vital is prayer.  In Daniel 6, we see that Daniel’s practice was to spend time in prayer three times a day.  Then in Daniel 10, he witnesses an awe-inspiring vision that leaves him speechless and trembling.  He is then visited by a super-natural messenger who tells him that God sent him to speak to Daniel the first day he prayed for understanding.  However, ‘the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me…”

I find this to be an amazing window into the world of spiritual warfare.  Think of it: a messenger is sent from the throne of God to Daniel, but the forces of the evil one keep him engaged in warfare for 3 weeks!  Meanwhile, Daniel persists in prayer and help is dispatched to the messenger so he can be freed up to come to Daniel.

This illustrates to me how potent and essential prayer is as a tool in our arsenal as Christ-followers.  We struggle as Christians to find the time to pray.  However, if we look at examples in scripture of the amazing results of righteous people praying, we should be motivated to re-assess our priorities.

In Ephesians 6:12, we are told, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”  We are further encouraged to put on the armor of God and to “pray at all times in the spirit, with all prayer and supplication.”

This is why I am glad that I have a Prayer Partner, and happy to be a Prayer Partner for another.  It is a vital and integral part of a mentoring relationship.