The apostle Paul worked tirelessly for the sake of the Good News Gospel. He endured hardship that most of us will never comprehend - all because of His love for Jesus Christ. But Paul was still human, and even someone of his caliber makes mistakes.

Paul reveals one of his mistakes in Chapter 2 of Second Corinthians. He says, “Now when I went to Troas to preach the Gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, I still had no peace of mind…so I said good-bye to them and went on to Macedonia.”

Paul admits that the Lord opened a door for Him to share the Good News in Troas, but he didn’t do it. Instead, he left. Paul disobeyed the Holy Spirit’s leading.

And yet, the great thing about this passage is what Paul writes next. “But thanks be to God,” he says, “who always leads us in triumphal procession and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.”

God is so much bigger than the mistakes we make! Paul realized that, and it’s an important reminder for you and me as well. If you have disobeyed the Holy Spirit, simply confess it to the Lord. Ask for another opportunity, and for the boldness to do what He’s called you to do. God will use you again, in tremendous ways!

After taking a serious fall, an older gentleman named Luke Mulder prayed to receive Jesus Christ. He then prayed for his wife, Clara, who was away visiting her sister in California. That very same day, Clara heard a Gospel presentation and made the decision to trust Christ.

Coincidence? Hardly! Many people think prayer is complicated. The truth is that the simplest prayer can bring you the miracle you need, when you need it. Sometimes all we have to do is pray and God says, “Yes, I thought you’d never ask.”

My friend, are you praying for the lost people in your life? The Bible says, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” God wants to bless you. He wants to bless your loved ones with a relationship with Himself. Do not give up praying for them. God wants them to be a part of His family!

The Bible says to “pray without ceasing,” and I encourage you to do just that! Don’t ever give up. It doesn’t matter how far away from the Lord your loved one is, keep praying! Don’t quit. Continue to show them God’s love and perhaps, in time, God will use you to bring them back to himself. What could be more exciting than that!

Australian David Smallbone felt God’s call on his life to promote Christian concerts. He started in his home country, then moved to the United States, where his career went from bad to worse. Soon he had no job at all. He and his wife prayed to God for help.

Then, interesting things began to happen. God provided bags of groceries, a minivan, and odd jobs. But the biggest surprise? A recording contract for David’s oldest daughter, Rebecca, when she was just fifteen years old. She recorded her first album using an old family name, St. James. Rebecca St. James quickly became one of the hottest Christian artists in America. And David began promoting his own daughter’s sold-out concerts!

All along, God knew what He was doing. Sometimes God will answer our requests with, “Yes, and here’s MORE!” In the Bible, the Lord says, “For I know the plans I have for you … plans to prosper you and … to give you hope and a future.”

Get ready for God’s answer to your prayers when you pray that your friends will come to know Him. He loves to draw people to His side and just may do MORE than we dare ask for. So, don’t give up. Keep praying and keep sharing the love of Christ!

National Football League running back Sherman Smith was the Seattle Seahawks’ most popular player. Then, without warning, he was traded to the San Diego Chargers. Everything changed for this Christian football star. He wasn’t with the Chargers for more than a few weeks when he blew out his knee. While rehabilitating, he wondered, “Lord, why did you ship me to San Diego?”

As his knee mended, Sherman led one of his teammates to the Lord. That converted party-man, Miles McPherson, has since become an outstanding youth evangelist. He reaches tens of thousands each year with the Good News of Jesus Christ!

Why was Sherman traded to San Diego? He had prayed for God to use him, and God responded! When we pray bold prayers, we must be prepared for God to say, “Yes, but the answer may be different than you think!”

The Bible says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”

When you pray for a friend’s salvation, God’s timing and ways may be different than you would like, but don’t give up. Keep praying! Don’t ever stop praying that the people in your life will come to Jesus. God will use you in the process, just don’t give up.