“For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of David his father. And in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, the astrum and the carved, and the metal images.”
– 2 Chronicles 34:3
I love this picture of Josiah. King Josiah. Became King at eight years old. And then in the eighth year of his reign, so he’s 16 years old, while he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of David, his father. And then the years to come was purging Judah and Jerusalem of these high places and all of this idolatry. This started when he was 16, like reform that turned the nation of Judah upside down. And when I read 2 Chronicles 34, I remember reading this as a teenager and realizing, God wanted to use my life at that point, not just later, but as a teenager for his glory, in ways far beyond what I could ask or imagine, that God desired that for my life.
God Desires to Use Our Lives
I remember reading this as a teenager and realizing God wanted to use my life at that point, not just later, but as a teenager for his glory, in ways far beyond what I could ask or imagine, that God desired that for my life.
And I just want to lead us to pray this over teenager today. I want to encourage us specifically to pray. There’s a lot of conferences that go on in between Christmas and New Years, and right after New Years when it comes to high school students and college students. For 20 plus years, I have found myself spending time with high school, or college students, young adults in this time period, as there’s kind of a break in school. And I just want to invite us to pray that God would bless these conferences that are going on.
I’m speaking of a couple of them and there are so many others that we might pray that God would work in the hearts of 16-year-olds, and 18-year-olds, and 20-year-olds, and 12-year-olds, for that matter. And that God would give them a vision for how he desires to use their life for what’s going to matter in eternity, right now. So can we just pray for that?
2 Chronicles 34:3 Prays for Young Hearts to Trust in God
God, we pray that you would do what you did in Josiah’s heart, in 16-year-old hearts today, in 12 and 14 year old, and 18, and 20, and 25, year-old. God, we pray. We pray that you would give the next generation a vision like you gave Josiah of how they might seek you, and know you, and glorify you in ways far beyond what they could ask or imagine, in ways that would have far-reaching impacts beyond them. Not later in life, but right now in life.
God, we pray for different conferences. I pray for Cross Conference, that’s happening right now. God, we pray that you would speak to students and draw them to yourself, and glorify your name among the nations through them that they would seek you, they would follow you however you lead, for your glory among the nations. God, we pray for Passion. This conference, that’s coming up in Atlanta on January 2nd and 3rd, God pray for the spread of your glory among the nations through those students.
2 Chronicles 34:3 Prays for All Generations to Seek God
We pray that you would give 18 and 25-year-olds a vision for what it’s like to seek you, and know you, and live for matters forever. God, we pray for scores of other conferences that are going on during this time in local churches and different places. So God, we pray that you would raise up the next generation in your church to seek you early, to seek you seriously and earnestly, and to be instruments in your hand for your glory. God, we pray that you’d give them a vision of life, true life, that’s found in wholehearted obedience to you.
And God, we pray that you would cause your glory to resound among the nations, through the next generation, and for all of us. God, we pray you’d help us to be faithful, to show the next generation. And God, for those of us who are in generations before them. God, we pray that you’d help us to be faithful in showing them what life looks like that’s seeking you, and living for your glory, and living for what matters forever. Oh God, we pray all this your word in 2 Chronicles 34:3. In Jesus’ name, amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
