Acts 1:8 (NIV)
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
CONSIDER THIS
ME: EVERYWHERE THE RIVER FLOWS. . .
YOU: EVERYTHING WILL LIVE
ME: THIS IS THE WAY. . .
YOU: FROM GLORY TO GLORY.
All of our stories are in process, aren’t they? They are filled with irreconcilable things and yet also pregnant with resolution. “For God so loved the world,” is a great truth, but even greater is how this great love gets larger by getting smaller. For God so loved Texas and Houston and Montgomery and Cut and Shoot (Yep! It’s a real place). Still smaller—for God so loved me and for God so loved you and for God so loved my children and your grandchildren and our neighbor and the person begging for money at the intersection. The love of God grows greater in size when we can see just how narrow this love gets in its scope—ever moving from people to persons to person. This is today’s story. It comes from a long time Daily Text friend, Allison. Without further ado. Here’s the story in Allison’s own words:
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I have been praying for my niece Linda for a long time (years). She has 3 children, is divorced, and has had several rough patches in her life—VERY rough. Currently, her children are with her ex, and she is living with her parents, her sister (whose life is a wreck), and her 6 year old niece, the daughter of that sister.
Anyway, I stay in touch with Linda as much as I can, and she knows I am a believer, but she has been adamantly atheistic all her life. As well, she is very politically liberal, and we have gone round and round on various viewpoints. In spire of that we we have always remained close. She knows I won’t give up on her, and knows I have kept praying for her.
This past weekend, Linda’s sister went on a binge and things were out of hand. It was awful, but from that came a text conversation in which she said to me “I think I am ready for you to tell me about the Bible.” This FLOORED me! I never expected her to tell me this at all! I have been praying for her for probably 15+ years and NOTHING, and now finally! So, I told her just one story; the story of the Demoniac who lived in the village of the Gadarenes. I didn’t reference any Bible passages, as she wouldn’t know what that all meant. I just said at the end that the take away is, “the only way you can think straight is when you are with Jesus.”
She loved it! Then she asked the age old question, why do all these bad things happen if he is so good? I couldn’t say “no” to such an opening . . . so I shared the entire gospel with her . . . and she understood it completely! All of this took place on Saturday—in one day!
On Sunday, I shared the story of the Prodigal Son. On Monday, she told me that everything I had told her was making a LOT of sense to her, and on Monday night (after the Holy Spirit course and her niece was in bed), she texted me, “How could she know it was all true? Maybe it was all just made up?” I called her and said, “How do I know she loves her children? Her niece?” Can she “prove it?” I said a babysitter could do the same “things” she does, but she cannot PROVE her love. It can only be believed. She got that too. She let me pray over her before we hung up.
So that is where things stand right now. After years of praying and nothing happening, she is virtually centimeters away from saying “yes” to Jesus! I plan on inviting her to pray with me to accept Jesus tonight after she gets off work, so Holy Spirit COME! We shall see how this goes.
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This is the way—from glory to glory.
THE PRAYER
Abba Father, thank you for this story of persistent prayer, patient waiting and surprising intervention. Thank you for the faith of an Aunt and the readiness of bold love. Thank you for the ever ready patience of Jesus who ever waits for our readiness. We join in the prayers for Linda, for salvation and healing and reconciliation in all parts of her life.
Praying in Jesus’ name, Amen.
THE QUESTION
Is there a Linda in your life; one for whom you have long prayed and patiently waited; one you have not nor will never give up on? How is that going?
For the Awakening,
J.D. Walt
Sower-in-Chief
seedbed.com
2 Responses
My daughter, Danielle, her husband Grant, and sons, Gavin and Dylan. You could exchange my daughter’s or son-in-law’s name with Linda’s. I will never give up or give in. Their names are written in my heart of prayer.
I expect there are few, if any, of us who have no one in our family let alone friends who are unsaved. Most in fact of mine have left or have never been in Christ. Most for foolish worldly desires as reasons.
I am now praying for and in the beginning of talking with a nephew who is receptive.
But in truth I don’t really understand how our prayers can make any difference to those who are adamantly against belief. Can I pray for God to ‘make’ someone follow him? Wouldn’t this be force, making them mere puppets with no free will? Can my prayers really affect or effect someone else’s salvation? I pray anyway, but as I say, I don’t really get it!