Recently, I was listening to a podcast and it was mentioned that there are still 2 billion people who have never heard the name of Jesus. The numbers are distressing. Imagine, 2 billion people have no chance to accept or reject the love of Jesus! What is more grievous is that they’re on their way to eternal separation from God! In response to that, I prayed for a renewed passion and that God will break my heart even more for what breaks his. I knelt and prayed that I’ll be able to see through his eyes as he looks at the world with compassion.
I cried out for more opportunities for me to reach out to those people who need the redemptive power of God’s love. I submitted my humble request for the salvation of those people that I have already shared the gospel with. I prayed that those people who have accepted Christ will stay on the right path throughout their lives. I trusted God that he will bring more workers into the harvest field because he desires people to receive salvation and relish eternal fellowship with him.
A few days after that, I received an unexpected message from a person I had been able to share the gospel with. As to my knowledge, she was hesitant to receive Christ that time. I couldn’t believe what I read on her message because she asked for a prayer! She told me that she has been praying for a job that will allow her to help her husband financially to pay the mortgage of their house. She mentioned that it’ll be a great blessing if the job she gets will allow her to have a work-life balance, so she can still have time with their kids. I told her that as we believe, receive him and his message, he gives us an opportunity to repent, be baptised and receive the gift of forgiveness and the Holy Spirit, which makes it possible for us to be born as God’s children. Just as her heart is always ready to give her kids freely all the things that they desire, even more God wants to lavish his love on his children by answering their prayers (John 1:12). She didn’t reply to my message for more than 15 minutes. I prayed and believed right there and then that God was moving in her heart. Her next message to me was another subject not related to what we talked about. Although she didn’t respond when I shared the importance of receiving Christ into her life, I have peace in my heart that in God’s perfect timing, she will be ready to receive our Saviour whole-heartedly because prayer isn’t about the answer. It’s about the opportunity to see God at work.
This experience leads me to realise that the more I pray, the more that I recognise that this is not my battle but the Lord’s. I know that when I go down on my knees, the battle is not over but it has just begun. I become more dependent on God, not on my capabilities or even not in my own passion that can just as easily dampen when things go out of my control. The more I cry out to God that I always need him to take control of all my witnessing and that I can’t do this alone (John 15:5), the more my passion for reaching out to the lost souls is growing! As a survivor who was saved by God’s grace, I won’t just sit and put a tanning lotion on my body while I can see other people drowning right in front of me!
Without a shadow of a doubt, as you commit everything to prayer, it changes you from the inside out! Just like Leonard Ravenhill put it, “To be much for God, we must be much with God.” He was right. Your inner spiritual life determines your usefulness to God. Acknowledge that prayer is the breath of life. Just as you need to breathe without ceasing, I encourage you to pray without ceasing. Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, was always obedient and diligent in prayer. If he prayed as much as he could, certainly we should.
If you want to keep your passion for evangelism alive, bend your knees in fellowship with our Lord. You can even pray while confined to a bed or a wheelchair. Just like how C.S. Lewis once mentioned, “I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God, it changes me.”
9 Responses
Powerful, encouraging!
Amen!
I believe when Jesus asked us to pray for labourers He was indeed wanting us to be those labourers because when you pray for something God stirs your heart and inspires you to be the answer in the way He has designed us, using our gifts and talents for His kingdom.
Thanks Racquelle 🙂
Amen!!! I certainly agree with you, Rosemary! Prayer doesn’t change God because His love for us is unchanging, it changes us from the inside and out!
Amen! I couldn’t agree more Khel. Prayer is our bridge-the-gap strategy (I’m using one of the terms we so often use in my workplace ) in order for more people or at least our relatives, friends, and neighbors will soften their hearts to the Gospel.
I like the term that you used: “bridge-the-gap strategy” 🙂 I exactly agree, Kate! Amen!
I am blessed and encouraged by your boldness and compassion, Khel. Especially for us who have experienced God’s redemptive grace, it fuels us more to earnestly pray for lost people. Their denial nor reluctance doesn’t discourage us but instead the more that we are encouraged not to give up on them. If not for the people who prayed for us, if they did not have the courage to introduce Christ to us, who knows where could we be right now.
You nailed it, Lhea!!! 🙂 We love out of the abundance of His love for us! (1 John 4:19) Praise God for the lives of the people who earnestly prayed for us when we still yet to know Jesus as our Lord and Saviour!
Amen indeed
Help and pray you too for me in my the fight against false doctrine who not confess Jesus blood in salvation,but use own victims,thanks and bless,keijo sweden
Hi Keijo, As I read your comment, I was reminded of 2 Peter 2. I agree that it is something that we need to pray for. I praise God for people like you, Keijo!!! Rest assured, I’ll stand firm in faith with you, praying for God’s battle through you. I am always thankful that we can always pray and be reminded that this is not our battle but the Lords’. Claiming Luke 10:19 over you! Blessings!