DAILY TEXT, Friday-Saturday, November 29, 2025. How can I repay the Lord for all the good he has done for me? (Psalm 116:12).

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Saturday, November 29, 2025

How can I repay the Lord for all the good he has done for me? (Psalm 116:12)

In the past five years, over one million people have been baptized as Jehovah’s Witnesses. For us, dedication means making the decision to be disciples of Jesus and putting God’s will first in our lives. What does that involve? Jesus said: “If anyone wants to be my follower, let him renounce himself.” (Matt. 16:24) The Greek expression translated “renounce himself” can also be translated “deny himself,” that is, say no to himself.

When you dedicate yourself to Jehovah, you will have to say no to everything that displeases God (2 Cor. 5:14, 15). This includes rejecting “the works of the flesh,” such as sexual immorality (Gal. 5:19-21; 1 Cor. 6:18). Will this be a burden? Of course not, as long as you love Jehovah and are convinced that his standards are best for you (Ps. 119:97; Isa. 48:17, 18).

A brother named Nicholas says: “You can view Jehovah’s standards as the bars of a prison cell, which prevent you from doing what you want, or as the bars of a zoo, which protect you from the attack of lions.”

What do you have to do before getting baptized?

In the past five years, over one million people have been baptized as Jehovah’s Witnesses. Many learned the truth from childhood, just as the disciple Timothy did (2 Tim. 3:14, 15). Others came to know Jehovah as adults or even in their old age. In fact, some time ago, a woman who studied the Bible with the Witnesses was baptized at the age of 97.

Are you studying the Bible? Or are your parents Jehovah's Witnesses and teaching you the truth? In either case, you may be considering getting baptized. And that's wonderful! But there is something you must do before you get baptized: dedicate yourself to Jehovah. This article will explain what dedication is. It will also discuss why you should not be afraid to dedicate yourself and get baptized if you are ready to do so.

3. Name some people who were devoted to God in biblical times.

In the Bible, to be dedicated means to be set apart for something sacred, namely, for the service of God. Israel was a nation dedicated to Jehovah. But some Israelites were dedicated in a very special way. For example, Jehovah chose Aaron to be high priest. That is why he wore a shining gold plate on the front of his turban, which was “the holy sign of dedication” (Lev. 8:9). The Nazirites were also dedicated to Jehovah in a very special way. In fact, the word Nazirite comes from the Hebrew word nazir, which means “separated” or “dedicated.” The Law of Moses indicated that they had to follow certain specific standards (Num. 6:2-8).

How does someone dedicate themselves to Jehovah? What is the difference between dedication and baptism?

How does someone dedicate themselves to Jehovah? By offering a prayer in which they promise to worship him alone and to make doing his will the most important thing in their life. In other words, they are promising Jehovah that they will always love him with their whole heart, their whole soul, their whole mind, and their whole strength (Mark 12:30). Dedication is done privately; it is between you and Jehovah. In contrast, baptism is public; that way, people will know that you have dedicated yourself to Jehovah. The dedication vow is a very serious promise. You will surely want to keep it, and that is what Jehovah expects you to do (Ecclesiastes 5:4, 5).

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