Life before Christ

I grew up in a christian family. From a young age, I went to church, heard Bible stories, and prayed before meals and bedtime. I’m grateful for that, because it gave me a strong foundation and showed me early on what it means to know about god. But even though I was surrounded by faith, I didn’t fully understand it for myself. For a long time, I thought being part of a christian family automatically made me a christian. I figured that since I went to church and tried to be a good person, I was doing what god wanted. But in reality, I didn’t have a real relationship with Him. I believed in god, but I didn’t know him personally. I believed in him, but it felt like something I was born into rather than something I had chosen. I also was questioning my belief, since my closest friends were atheist, and didn’t understand why I would believe in god.

How I became a christian

My belief changed at the Senior High fall retreat last year in 2024 I went with my church. At first, I was just excited to go and spend time with people, and I didn’t know how much of an impact this would have on my faith with god . But during one of the prayer sessions, something happened that changed me. As we prayed, I felt god’s presence in some way I had never experienced before. In that moment, it became clear to me that faith can’t just be from my family, and it had to be mine. I saw that I was a sinner who needed forgiveness, and that Jesus’s death and resurrection weren’t just stories I had grown up hearing, but the truth that gives me new life. At that retreat, I prayed honestly to god, and I felt so good and happy. I confessed my sins and asked Jesus to forgive me and be the Lord of my life. It wasn’t forced or anything, or just another habit I learned from my parents, it was my choice. The praise session was amazing as well, I could feel god’s presence when people were shouting his name and singing along with the Band. After the retreat, I knew that he was alive, and he was my god.

Life after Christ

Now, I feel like my life has changed, I see things in a new way. Now I think god isn’t just the god my parents believe in, he is my god. My faith isn’t about a habit anymore, it’s a personal relationship.
That’s why I want to be baptized. Baptism doesn’t need to save me, but it’s a public declaration that I am a follower of christ. I may have been born into a christian family, but through my experiences and personal connections with god, I know for a fact that he is the true god. I want everyone to know that my life belongs to Jesus, and I want to follow him for the rest of my life.