ON YOUR KNEES!

ON YOUR KNEES!

 

Have you ever asked the Holy Spirit to open the heart of a lost person? Have you fallen on your knees and prayed earnestly about him/her? Have you ever fasted and prayed about that soul? 

The Apostle Paul so loved his fellow Hebrews he offered the most astounding invitation in all of God’s Word:

“At the same time, you need to know that I carry with me at all times a huge sorrow. It’s an enormous pain deep within me, and I’m never free of it. I’m not exaggerating—Christ and the Holy Spirit are my witnesses. It’s the Israelites . . . If there were any way I could be cursed by the Messiah so they could be blessed by him, I’d do it in a minute. They’re my family. I grew up with them. They had everything going for them—family, glory, covenants, revelation, worship, promises, to say nothing of being the race that produced the Messiah, the Christ, who is God over everything, always. Oh, yes!”  (Romans 9:1-5, MSG)

Paul, who now had met Jesus and surrendered his soul 100% to the Messiah, still  loved his past Hebrew companions so much. He knew they were lost unless they became Christians and then made his incredible plea: “If there were any way I could be cursed by the Messiah so they could be blessed by him, I’d do it in a minute.” Would you make such a plea? “Lord if you’d give these dear lost friends my eternal life home please do it”? 

A most unique church prayer happened when Minister Gary Strubhar closed the service with prayer that had something really extra. In the middle of the prayer Gary specifically named a couple to whom he was teaching the Gospel. He prayed that they would yield to the Lord Jesus Christ. The uniqueness was that the couple was sitting right there hearing every word.

Along life’s trek I’ve cared deeply for many people. Dwayne & Marge were really earnest. He and I worked in the same plywood mill where my right hand lost the three middle fingers in a freak amputation.  But my friend Dwayne and his sweet wife reached out to us. In appreciation I invited them to have a Bible Study as I knew they were members of a cult. 

We spent 5 Thursday nights in their Mobile Home. But we were so disheartened that they remained in the cult. We still prayed for them over the passing years, though we lost track of them. But my heart never quits aching for anyone who doesn’t respond to the Alpha and Omega, the Lord of Lords, the Lamb of God who died for our sins.

The calendar pages flipped in the winds of time and we moved out of state and settled with a growing church where my Christian Counselor sign invited people to phone to make an appointment. I got pretty busy over several years. I just loved it and then one day the church secretary told me I had a phone call.

“Hello, Larry, this is Dwayne ~ ~ Do you remember me and Marge?”

 

I couldn’t have been any more pleased. I thought of that awesome verse in Isaiah: “So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it.”, Isaiah 55:11, NASB)

Then my pleasure turned to tears ~ ~ gushing tears of joy as Dwayne continued, “Thank you for all those years ago for helping us better understand the Bible. Marge and I are living here in town, we left that cult and are helping the Lord’s Church right here. Yesterday we happened to see your sign when we drove down Ash street.” 

17 years had gone by. Seventeen.

In my first ministry I met Wayne and Jean, a most lovable couple. I loved Wayne and his family all my adult life. For more than 50 years my soul has been praying more earnestly for Wayne.

One night, a year or two ago, the Holy Spirit laid Wayne on my heart like a heavy, heavy load. I felt the Spirit speaking, “Write to him this time.” I prayed earnestly and opened a pad and began writing. Suddenly tears were dancing down my cheeks and dropping on the page, somewhat smearing the words. The Spirit spoke to my heart, “Don’t start over... he needs to see your tears.” 

REJOICE! After 50 years he just asked me to pray for him in his final days. Then he said he wants to play golf with me and our families in Heaven. Oh how true that passage is in Isaiah 55.

Ezekiel 3:16-21 actually challenges God’s children to make every effort to save the lost. Tragically the soul of the sinner shall die if they remain unfazed by the message of salvation but the Christian will be spared for spreading the Gospel. 

Hold on, I know all of us are just tools like the Apostle Paul explained: “After all, who is Paul? Who is Apollos? No more than servants through whom you came to believe as the Lord gave each man his opportunity. I may have done the planting and Apollos the watering, but it was God who made the seed grow! The planter and the waterer are nothing compared with him who gives life to the seed. Planter and waterer are alike insignificant, though each shall be rewarded according to his particular work.” (! Corinthians 3:5-8, J.B. Phillips) 

Yes it is God who gives life to the seed. Each of us workers is just a tool which is only a part of the soul-winning process. 

Even more exciting, our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, said there’s one extra thing we can do as His servants. 

 

“When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. “What a huge harvest!” he said to his disciples.How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!” (Matthew 9:37-38, MSG)

In His Eternal Kingdom He wants each one of us to answer one prayer. We are to pray to the Father to send out ministers to harvest lost souls. After praying those words each of us can go to work harvesting the lost.

You may get anxious, nervous or fearful of trying to reach your lost friend. Remember, the Lord  brought him/her to you and He promises you all that you need to accomplish His will. 

 

In Psalms 46:2 David wrote: “Be still and know that I am God.” The Psalmist described this quieting stillness as being like a young child safely resting and glad to be in his Mother’s arms. He’ll give you all the strength you’ll need.

There’s a song that expresses the enjoyment that each of us has ~ ~ ~ just over the horizon:  

 

 

 Knowing You’ll Be There (Live)

Guy Penrod & Others

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