“Lord, help me. Please, get me out of here.”

My grandparents had taught me that God hears our prayers. Well, I needed Him to hear me. I was 12 years old and living in a group home because nobody knew how to handle me anymore.

I didn’t know much about prayer, but I knew God was the only One who could change me enough to get out of that place. And I knew I needed changing. My actions were taking me places I didn’t want to go.

I was mad at the world and felt like nobody was in my corner. My emotions often took over my body and mouth and got me in trouble. I was so full of anger, but I had no idea what to do with it.

I’d been let down by others many times—I was used to that—but I couldn’t blame anyone but myself for the mess I was in now. My social worker warned me that if I didn’t change my behavior, I was going to end up in a place for the mentally unstable. But I didn’t know how to change.

Then I prayed that prayer, and God started working things out for my good (Romans 8:28). In March 2023, He led a lady named Mrs. Deborah to open her home to me. I had stayed with her briefly before for respite care, and she’d told me then that she saw potential in me. God had placed His love for me in her heart, and because Mrs. Deborah loved God, she stepped up and took me in, even though she knew it wouldn’t be easy.

It took a while for me to be placed with Mrs. Deborah permanently. She kept reminding me though, “Tony, keep trusting God and His plan. Keep praising and worshipping Him, testify to others about His goodness, and study God’s Word.”

She taught me that if I’d hide God’s Word in my heart, then I wouldn’t keep sinning against Him (Psalm 119:11). And she was right. God’s Word gave me a way out of my anger. Every morning, I meditated on Ephesians 4:26–27. It says, “‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” (NIV)

My anger had given the devil a big foothold in my heart and mind, and he used it to about destroy my life. Human anger doesn’t bring about the righteousness God desires. (See James 1:19–21.)

Mrs. Deborah taught me how to give my anger to God, how to love people, and how to forgive. Forgiving people who hurt me is hard, but God helps me do it. The more I forgive, the more free I become. As I work hard to fill my mind with scriptures, God is transforming me into a new person (Romans 12:2). I’m becoming more like Christ. I still have a long way to go, but I’ve come so far.

I’m 16 now, and I’m amazed at how God has blessed my life. He doesn’t just forgive my sins—He gives me a way out. Anger doesn’t control me like it used to. I do still have moments I’m not proud of, but I keep coming back to God. He always meets me with open arms and patiently shows me a better way to go. I’m having to learn to die daily to my will and live to God’s.

Your age, race, or background—they don’t matter. God loves you, and He will help you. All you need is faith in Jesus. God has already given you everything you need in His Son. Through His divine power, He will help you live a godly life (2 Peter 1:3) and experience the good plans He has for you (Jeremiah 29:11).

You might feel like there’s nobody on your side, but it’s not true. You always have Jesus. He’s always in your corner.

TONY MOORE is grateful for God’s intervention and welcomes any opportunity to testify to the goodness of God. He’s a high school student, a member of JROTC, and a minister in training.