I grew up in a Christian home. My parents were missionaries, sharing Christ with others and starting churches. I heard Bible teaching all the time and knew I needed to be saved. I felt guilty, and so when I was eight years old, it wasn’t hard for me to pray and ask God to save me. My prayer was made in sincerity, but it didn’t do anything for me. It was just me repeating some words because I wanted to go to Heaven. I was just a child who felt guilty because of the bad things I’d done.

For the next six years of my life, I had many thoughts of guilt, fear, and doubt. As time went on, I felt worse and worse about my sins. I looked back at the prayer I made when I was eight, and wondered, “Did I do it right? Am I saved?” I wanted very much to be saved and talked to my dad many times about it. But I was still full of confusion. Something was missing. How could something be missing when I was so sincere and trusting?

When I prayed as an 8-year-old, I was acting on my emotions. I was driven by guilt and fear. I never understood the real issues of sin and faith. As a result, nothing changed for me. I was usually happy and smiling when I was with others and was known as a good kid and well-liked. But good favor with others did not get me anywhere with God. Every time I sat down in church, I felt miserable. I hated being there. It always made me feel torn up inside, and I wasn’t happy until church ended. As the son of a missionary, I was in church Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, and every special service that was held.

After many years of feeling miserable, I was at my church’s Bible Camp. One evening, after the preaching, I went to the front of the auditorium to pray that God would show me if I was saved or lost. A preacher came over to me and asked me why I was there. When I told him what I was praying about, he said that I should go talk to my dad. I was tired of going forward, and tired of talking to my dad and not getting answers. I was ready to go back to my seat and started to do just that, but thought I should obey. God was prompting me to listen to this preacher. The conversation with my dad started the same as many conversations before, and I didn’t expect anything different to come of this one.

My dad didn’t talk very much or try to convince me of anything. He simply read Bible verses to me. He started with Romans 3:23, which says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Then came the question that changed the conversation. He asked me, “Do you believe you’re a sinner?” I had been so focused on my feelings that I had failed to consider this. Now, I had to. “Yes.” He made his way through several verses, asking me each time, “Do you believe this?” As I acknowledged the simple truths from God’s Word, all my confusion was suddenly gone. For the first time since I was 8, I knew that I was lost. I could not have been happier, because that meant I could place my faith in Jesus Christ. My next thought was, “I’m going to be saved tonight!” That very second, I responded to God in my heart by faith. I repented and was converted.

The Bible says, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted…” God does not want us to have any kind of religion that causes us to be fearful. He promises to take that away in verses like II Timothy 1:7 which says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” It can be very difficult to change habits. It certainly has been for me! But I have always found the answers and help I need through God. I have never been able to change myself. But I Thessalonians 5:24 says, “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” God wants me to change. Therefore, he changes me to be what He wants me to be. He gives me the faith that I need. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13)