Lam3:27. It is good for someone to work hard [carry/bear the yoke] while he is young (EXB).
TIME TO DEVELOP A FELLOWSHIP CULTURE
I have seen quite of number of married folks especially those advanced in age complaining about their inability to maintain a consistent devotional life.
Sometimes, the pressure of life, work, family and business isn't helping matters. Nursing mothers often complain alot about not having time to pray and study.
People give alot of excuses for their inability to pray and study the word. As far as God is concerned, the excuses are not tenable. If you're too busy for God, then you're unnecesarily busy.
Oftentimes, what I see in the life of those who give these excuses is their lack of discipline to maintain a consistent devotional life.
While I'm not denying the fact that so many things beg for their attention, yet, lack of discipline plays a major role when one cannot sustain a virile devotional life.
The discipline of consistency in bible study, prayer,fasting and evangelism can be developed easily as a youth not in old age.
As a youth, It is easier to develop a devotional culture that will grow with you till old age.
The Psalmist(71:17) says, "O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works".
Dear young man, be intentional about prayer, fasting, in-depth bible study and evangelism. You cannot master what you don't do intentionally.
As a youth, the yoke of building a strong fellowship culture with God should be borne now. The days are coming when it may become so difficult.
The preacher says, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; while the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain" ( Ecclesiastes 12:1-2 KJV).
Father, I receive the grace to build a strong devotional life.