“For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” (Acts 2:39, KJV)
Last week I was invited to speak at a conference on evangelism. By God’s power and grace, I was able to travel for the first time in sixteen months. Although the flight was difficult, after I arrived and was among the people, God strengthened me during the conference and to make the flight back.
My prayer was that the people would be encouraged to talk about Jesus as they go about their daily responsibilities and activities. I was out of practice in traveling, being among a crowd of people, and speaking. But I had to give it my best, with the help of the Holy Spirit. Several people had been praying for me and came to talk a little to encourage me.
As I approached the stage, I was a little nervous and shaky. The cameraman signaled when the camera was rolling and I was to start. For a moment, I was not sure how to start, despite all the preparation I had done.
As I spoke to encourage the audience to talk about Jesus during these end days, as we wait for Jesus’s return, I noticed that the people had that look of hearing something like this for the first time. That made me a little nervous again.
I tried to share what it is like for me to tell the lost about Jesus, as I go about my day’s responsibilities. I trusted God’s Spirit to do the work in the hearts of the people. After the speaking was over, I was not able to get off the stage before people approached me asking questions. Everyone was so sweet.
I then went into the main area of the conference to take a quick seat to rest my back. After a while, a lady approached me. I could not make a full turn of my head to look at her. She stayed at my side. I was able to turn a little to take a look at her face. It was a little red.
She was careful with her approach and softly said, “My daughter loved your speech. She is not saved. Would you please pray for her?”
I immediately asked her, “Where is she?”
She turned her head toward the direction where her daughter was standing and said, “She’s right there.”
I looked at the young girl. “What’s her name?” I asked the mother. She gave me her name. I looked at the girl again. She was very pretty. She wore no makeup and was beautiful!
“Hello, what a pretty young woman you are,” I said. She approached slowly with a very sweet smile.
“Hello, it is so nice to meet you,” she said.
“I understand that you have not given your life to Jesus yet.”
She drew closer. “Well, I pray all the time. I was a Catholic, and I pray every day.”
I shared with her my story of how I was going to be a nun and explained what it was to know Jesus and not religion. I asked her if she had read the Bible. “I have my Bible online,” she said.
“I want you to know that you must believe in Jesus, not only as the Saviour of the world, which He is, but as your personal Saviour and the Lord of your life. But you must ask Him and settle it once and for all. Do you think that you may want to pray to do this?”
She didn’t waste a second before saying, “Yes, I will do this.”
I asked her, “Are you ready to accept the cost of living for Him and telling others around you about Him? It will not be easy.”
She eagerly responded, “Yes, I am.”
I reached out for her hand, and she placed her hand in mine. We prayed together as she surrendered her life to Jesus, asked Him to be her Saviour and Lord, and asked Him to use her life to tell others about Him.
She smiled sweetly and thanked me after we prayed. We talked about reading the Bible. I told her,” You have to read God’s word as His personal word to you.” She said, “Ah, now I know. I will start reading it again.”
I glanced at her mother who was still standing beside me. She had the biggest smile ever! I could have cried right there and then! The labor of her prayers for her daughter’s salvation had been answered!
“Abba, Father, who would have known that this mother had brought her daughter to such a conference in hopes of her receiving Your Son. Jesus, Your love in this mother’s heart for her daughter’s salvation was irresistible. In Your mercy and long-suffering, You had been waiting for this young woman to be Yours. And You used her mother to pursue her. Oh, lover of souls, how You gave this mother the courage to come tell me about the need for her daughter’s salvation, while her daughter stood and listened to her own mother’s plea for her soul, and You answered! Thank You, Lord, for Your Spirit’s help in getting that young woman to the conference for the sake of her soul and for Your glory! She’s Yours now! Praises to Your Name, Lord!”