How reassuring it is to know that Jehovah approves of his people as a group! The Bible says: “Jehovah takes pleasure in his people.” (Ps. 149:4) At times, however, some get so discouraged that they may wonder, ‘Does Jehovah approve of me personally?’ A number of Jehovah’s faithful worshippers in Bible times had moments when they struggled with such thoughts. (1 Sam. 1:6-10; Job 29:2, 4; Ps. 51:11) The Bible clearly shows that imperfect humans can gain Jehovah’s approval, or goodwill. How? We must exercise faith in Jesus Christ and get baptized. (John 3:16) We thus demonstrate publicly that we have repented of our sins and made a promise to God to do his will. (Acts 2:38; 3:19) Jehovah is delighted when we take these steps to cultivate a relationship with him. As long as we continue to do our best to live up to our dedication vow, Jehovah approves of us and considers us his close friends.​—Ps. 25:14. w24.03 13:1-2

We can imitate the disciples by continuing to preach even when secular authorities demand that we stop. We can be confident that Jehovah will help us to accomplish our ministry. So pray for boldness and wisdom as well as for Jehovah’s help to deal with problems. Many of us are coping with physical or emotional challenges, the loss of a loved one, a difficult family situation, persecution, or some other problem. And such things as pandemics and wars have made many of these challenges even harder to deal with. Pour out your heart to Jehovah. Tell him about your situation just as you would tell a close friend. Be assured that Jehovah “will act in your behalf.” (Ps. 37:3, 5) Persevering in prayer will help us to “endure under tribulation.” (Rom. 12:12) Jehovah knows what his worshippers are going through​—“he hears their cry for help.”​—Ps. 145:18, 19. w23.05 20:12-15

When we have important decisions to make, we need to perceive “what the will of Jehovah is” and then act in harmony with it. (Eph. 5:17) By identifying Bible principles that apply to our situation, we are actually seeking God’s thinking on the matter. Then as we apply his principles, we will more likely make good decisions. “The wicked one,” our enemy Satan, would like to keep us so busy with this world’s pursuits that we have no time for our service to God. (1 John 5:19) It would be all too easy for a Christian to put material possessions, secular education, or his career ahead of opportunities to serve Jehovah. Were that to happen, it would indicate that he is being affected by the world’s thinking. Of course, these things are not wrong in themselves, but they should never take first place in our life. w24.03 12:16-17