As a fourteen-year-old student, Azriel’s walk with God had been a gradual but transformative journey. He was born into a Christian family and learned that he could come to God in his worst times. When he was sick and prayed for healing, God answered. His started attending River, the youth group at ICA about a yearand a half ago. He gradually began to love the community God had brought him into. They strengthened his faith and gave him a heart for evangelism.
Recently, he had been praying about how to share about Jesus with his friends. When Alpha Youth was announced, he saw it as God’s answer to his prayers. With boldness, he took seven invitation cards to pass on to his classmates. He shared, “I felt God’s presence. I prayed about it and I wasn’t scared at all to tell them. I was using the opportunity that God gave me to tell them about it.” To his joy, most of his friends were open to coming.
On the day of the Alpha Youth Launch, almost all of his invited friends came, exceeding his expectations. He was excited and shared, “I just wanted to be like Jesus and tell people about my Father in heaven. I want them to understand what God is doing in their lives.” His friends were amazed by everything – from the welcoming atmosphere to the worship experience. The videos helped them see God’s work in people’s lives clearly.
On the day of the Alpha Youth Launch, almost all of his invited friends came, exceeding his expectations. He was excited and shared, “I just wanted to be like Jesus and tell people about my Father in heaven. I want them to understand what God is doing in their lives.” His friends were amazed by everything – from the welcoming atmosphere to the worship experience. The videos helped them see God’s work in people’s lives clearly.
A few weeks later, Azriel and his friends experienced a powerful moment came during the prayer portion of the Alpha Youth Day. One of his friends, who had been struggling with addictions, experienced God’s love and peace. He realized that despite what he had been doing, God still loved him. He was moved to tears and committed to put everything behind him and invited God to fill his heart. Many of his other friends also had tears as they felt God’s presence. They realized God had been working in their lives and wanted to commit to following Him. They all felt the Holy Spirit’s peace as they supported one another and praised God together.
Looking back, Azriel is grateful for how God answered his prayers and used him to bring his friends closer to Him. These experiences in Alpha Youth taught him that when he steps out in faith and trust God’s plan, God always works beyond his expectations. Through sharing his faith authentically and allowing God to work, lives continue to be transformed in beautiful ways.
