Amazing Grace

This past weekend we had a great time of fellowship and celebration with our church. Saturday we celebrated the high school graduation of two boys in our church. Sunday, we celebrated the birth of a new believer making His profession of faith public the act of believers baptism. One of my best friends, Philip, came to know Christ about a month ago. All day Sunday we were together with our church, enjoying fellowship and praising God for His saving grace in Philip's life.

I met Philip about a year and a half ago. Since that day, I have been praying for his salvation, as has many others in our church. Seeing the change God can do in his life reminds me to be ever thankful for my own salvation.

There are many unbelievers that I have been praying for their salvation for quite sometime. Last night, I read a quote from George Muller that was very encouraging:

“I have also prayed daily, without intermission, for the conversion of other individuals about ten years, for others six or seven years...and still the answer is not yet granted, concerning these persons whom I have prayed for nineteen years I daily continue in prayer and expecting the answer...Be encouraged dear Christian reader, with fresh earnestness to give yourself to prayer.”

It is hard, and often times discouraging to see those you love living in sin, apart from Christ. It is hard not to give up in our evangelistic efforts. There comes a point where people just refuse to listen to us when it comes to matters of our Savior. A friend sent the following quote from Spurgeon to encourage me in my witnessing:

“If they [lost sinners] will not hear you speak, they cannot prevent your praying. Do they jest at your exhortations? They cannot disturb you at your prayers. Are they far away so that you cannot reach them? Your prayers can reach them. Have they declared that they will never listen to you again, nor see your face? Never mind, God has a voice which they must hear. Speak to Him, and He will make them feel. Though they now treat you despitefully, rendering evil for your good, follow them with your prayers. Never let them perish for lack of your supplications” (Metropolitan Pulpit, vol. 18, pp. 263–264).

"Brethren, my hearts desire and prayer for Israel is that they might be saved." We do not know who God will choose to save. Therefore, we must continue to share the gospel of Christ with all the world. If they refuse to hear us, we must show His love through our example and carry the lost to Christ through our prayers. As I have so joyfully learned in my time of praying for and witnessing to Philip-there IS great power in prayer! God is faithful to forgive and has the power to change and transform lives. Glory be to Him!