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“Yes, I thought you’d never ask”

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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 youd 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! Dont ever give up. It doesnt matter how far away from the Lord your loved one is, keep praying! Dont quit. Continue to show them Gods love and perhaps, in time, God will use you to bring them back to himself. What could be more exciting than that!

Accessing Godly Wisdom

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Sandy was a young woman whom my wife and I met a few years ago. At 36 years old, Sandy had been married three times, and had six children. She had recently ended a relationship, she said, because her boyfriend would choke her and beat up on her.

Sandy said she loved her kids, but they didnt want anything to do with her. “I need help,” Sandy told me. “Im so confused, and I just want peace.”

Wow, talk about a woman in need of the Lords direction and wisdom! I had a long conversation with Sandy, and eventually ended up leading her to the Lord, which was the best decision she could make!

Many people, like Sandy, are searching for peace of mind and heart. But the only way to have true peace is to have the mind of Jesus Christ, which happens the moment you receive Him into your life.

Romans 8:6 tells us that “the mind controlled by the Spirit [of God] is life and peace.”

Receiving thoughts and direction from God, through the Holy Spirit, is the only way to live! Is there someone in your life looking for this kind of peace? Take a risk! Tell them that the only way to experience true peace is through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Forgiveness through Jesus

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LuAnn was a 20-year-old student at a local college. She told my wife and me her story. “I was recently in a relationship,” LuAnn said, “but that ended because I got pregnant. Now Im three months along, and Im considering an abortion.”

LuAnns situation broke our hearts. Obviously, the worst option for her would be to have an abortion. But, I knew that before LuAnn could make any decision about her baby, she needed to make a decision about Jesus Christ.

“LuAnn,” I said, “God, the Father, loves you with an everlasting love. God will not ever leave you, He will never forsake you, as Hebrews 13:5 says. He forgives and forgets, wipes clean, and then does new things in our lives.” After talking a bit more, LuAnn was ready to commit her life to Jesus. She also decided to keep her baby!

You know, the ability to start fresh, knowing that Jesus has forgiven all your sins, is so freeing! And, like LuAnn, there are many people today who are desperate for this kind of clean start. Yet often, they dont know where to look. Thats why God is calling you and me to be his Good News messenger.

Are you willing to share the hope that Jesus offers with a friend – perhaps this week?

Your Spiritual Letter of Recommendation

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Most of us at some point have asked for, or perhaps written, a letter of recommendation. In the early days of the church it was common to write such letters. These letters verified that a person was a church member of good standing and was truly walking with God.

When the apostle Paul was asked by the Corinthians for such a letter, he told them that “you yourselves are our letters of recommendation, written on our hearts…not with ink but with the Spirit of the Living God.” He was telling them that they were his living letter and all the recommendation that was needed.

As Paul points out, either we have handwritten approval from man, or divine approval from the Holy Spirit. Our lives show where our approval comes from. Just as a doctors reputation is the proof of his or her abilities – so the impact of our lives on the lives of others is the living proof of our relationship with Jesus.

A Spirit-filled believer doesnt have to present a Christian letter of recommendation. Everything about that person gives witness to the presence of the Holy Spirit. Are you living proof of Jesus? Do people see Him through your life?

Pray Great Prayers

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When I was a teenager in Argentina, a missionary from California taught me how to pray. His name was Keith Benson. Keith asked if I would like to pray with him once a week. I was thrilled! The first afternoon we got together, Keith put a map on the wall. On the map was the city of Cordoba, which is the second largest city in Argentina.

We began praying for each and every church in Cordoba. It took many months, but we did it! Then Keith began putting up maps of other cities throughout Argentina, and we prayed for those by name, week after week.

Eventually, it was on to South America. We prayed for each and every country. Finally, Keith brought out a globe of the world! And I fell in love with the nations! I learned so much through those prayer sessions. Keith taught me that regular prayer not only enhances your relationship with God, but it increases your vision for what God can do through your prayers. I determined that I was ready to go wherever the Lord called me!

In John 16, Jesus says: “My Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” Whatever we ask in Jesus name, He promises to do it. So dream big – but pray even bigger – that God will use you to reach your world for Jesus Christ!