20 Years….

Morning Peeps!

Just wanted to share with you all a special occasion…. 20 years ago today I got baptised! 🙂

We believe in full-body baptisms, like in the Bible, and only when the person is ready to commit their life to Christ.

I’d prayed the prayer, asking Jesus to come into my life, about 6 months beforehand and had been taught what happens at baptisms and why.

Basically, you start a new life trying to live God’s way. The laying back in the water is symbolic of you ‘dying’ to your old life and coming up again represents the Resurrection we will have in Christ.

Water is also very significant in Jewish traditions and the washing of yourself before God was an important part of many religious festivals and temple visits.

The baptism is significant in 2 ways: 1) the Bible says to do it as part of salvation (Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.) so it’s an act of obedience. 2) it shows the world an outward sign of the inward change; everyone can see you’ve chosen to live like Christ.

Being a teenager at the time, I was nervous about saying my declaration and the whole thing was something I’d only seen once or twice…so naturally, I was a bit scared. But the feeling of peace, the knowledge that you’ve done what the Bible asked and the testimony it shows other people make it one of the best things you can ever do!

If you want to start that journey with Jesus, it begins with a prayer: You ask Him to forgive you and help you to change the things that need changing, you declare who He is and that you believe in the resurrection and then promise to walk with Him.

Here’s a sample prayer you could pray:

God, I know that, in my lifetime, I have not always lived for you, and I have sinned in ways I probably don’t even know yet are sins. I know that you have plans for me, and I want to live in those plans. I pray to you for forgiveness for the ways in which I have sinned.

I am choosing now to accept you, Jesus, into my heart. I am eternally grateful for your sacrifice on the cross and how you died so I can have eternal life. I pray that I will be filled with the Holy Spirit and that I continue to live as you desire for me to live. I will strive to overcome temptations and no longer let sin control me. I put myself–my life and my future–in your hands. I pray that you work in my life and guide my steps so that I continue to live for you for the rest of this life.

In your name, I pray. Amen.

 

If you’re ready to pray that (or have already), then find a Christian and tell them and they’ll guide you in the next step.

God bless.

Anna x

 

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