PART 1
Sitting at my desk one day in late autumn, I worked but I felt distracted. I was concerned about a complex matter involving a friend. He was extremely intelligent, likeable, successful, and stubborn. He was gifted in many ways but he failed to see the significance in surrendering his life to God. If he was sincerely motivated, I knew he would be a Spiritual champion, capable of leading thousands of souls to Christ. His sphere of influence was vast.
By way of the Holy Spirit, I knew the Lord wanted to bless this individual, using him in a similar manner in which He used the Apostle Paul in biblical days. I had explained that to my friend on a previous occasion. Paul was converted and changed from Saul to Paul. After that conversion, Paul lived his life only for the glory of God, leading others to follow Jesus. I believed God was using me as His vessel, to witness to and pray for the man that I often referred to as reluctant ‘Paul’. I had been standing in the gap for several years, praying and believing for his true conversion! My faith was intact but I was impatient and eager to see my prayers answered and see visible changes in him.
I completed the story I was working on and felt strongly that I should close that story with a verse of Scripture. The Scripture was Philippians 4:7 and I recalled the words to the Scripture but not the address. I typed these words: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
I wanted to get the words down correctly so I double-checked. I looked in my Bible concordance and located the Scripture address. I closed the concordance and reached for my Bible. I opened the Bible with one motion and the Scripture was immediately before my eyes! I did not look for it or thumb through pages. One flick of my wrist, and I read the words from the Bible that I just typed on my keyboard then read from my computer screen.
I thought to myself, God surely caused that to happen! Before I finished that thought, the phone rang. I answered and heard a pre-recorded message from a Prayer Ministry3. The voice said, “Pray for the peace that surpasses all comprehension….” I recalled the Apostle Paul, by way of the Holy Spirit, in the Bible, wrote Philippians. Through divine intervention, the Holy Spirit was bolstering my faith and encouraging me by echoing the Apostle Paul’s words to me in reference to the ‘Paul’ I was praying for.
When the call ended, I thought, God is so amazing! My left hand was still on the Bible and my finger was pointing to those same words. My right hand rested on the phone receiver God used to speak the same words into my ear. My eyes stared at the same words on the computer screen. I received the same Scriptural affirmation multiple ways in less than two minutes.
I recalled the matter over which I was aggravated only moments before. I was impatient and frustrated with my friend for resisting God and I was wrong to allow those feelings. My emotions were actually expressions of doubt. Faith will not work when there is doubt. I realized that God cared about my friend and knew exactly how and when to reach him.
I believed, by faith, that God would settle the matter His way and in His time. I said to the Lord, “I will never give up. I will pray and trust You, Lord, until You answer my prayers!”
I thought to myself; how many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up?
My righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. We are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul. Hebrews 10:38-39
PART 2
Another year passed and still, no answer to my persistent prayer. I was praying one day and I expressed to the Lord that I really needed some kind of encouragement in that particular matter. I am sorry to say that I am impatient by nature. I did something I rarely do when praying. I asked the Lord for a sign by a particular month, date, and year. The date I mentioned to the Lord was March 1, 2012.
On March 1, 2012, I sat in my chair at my desk working on a very tedious project. I heard the phone ringing and allowed the answering machine to receive the call because I did not want to be interrupted.
I listened to the message a short time later and was surprised and humbled by the message. The message was from the same ministry I spoke of earlier in this chapter. The recorded voice of a well known minister made a clear statement. I suppose the message applied to many circumstances for others as well; however, it certainly applied to my specific prayer in which I foolishly asked for an answer by a certain time. I understood that God was speaking through the minister. Here are the words he spoke.
“Sometimes we’re impatient with God. We often react this way when God seems silent or slow about answering our concerns. We should know better. Scripture makes it clear that our sovereign and loving Heavenly Father always acts on behalf of those who trust Him. That is why it is never wise to trust in our limited strength and understanding. Instead, release any deadlines you have placed on God. Be still in the presence of the Lord and wait patiently for Him to act, because all the time, He’s readying circumstances, shielding you from danger, purifying your motives, and drawing you closer to Him. Looking back on my own life, I remember how many times God has said to me, ‘Just trust Me. I’m going to be on time. I’m not going to miss any details; I’ll give you My very best.’ I have always found His promise to be true. Wait upon the Lord and you will experience life at its very best.”4
Once again, the Lord used a man I had never met to speak to me about the same person and the same prayer. God placed the desire in me to pray for the accomplishment of the difficult task. With His involvement, I knew I would be able to keep the faith. I still believe my friend is a chosen vessel and God will have His way with him at the perfect time. I believe ‘Paul’ will lead many, many souls to Christ. Time will surely tell!
Can’t the same great wonders be done today that were done many years ago? Where is the God of Elijah? He is waiting for today’s Elijah to call on Him.
The greatest Old or New Testament saints who ever lived were on a level that is quite within our reach. The same spiritual force that was available to them and the energy that enabled them to become our spiritual heroes are also available to us. If we exhibit the same faith, hope, and love they exhibited, we will achieve miracles as great as theirs. A simple prayer from our mouths will be powerful enough to call down from heaven God’s gracious dew or the melting fire of His Spirit, just as the words from Elijah’s mouth called down literal rain and fire. All that is required is to speak the words with the same complete assurance of faith with which he spoke. —Dr. Goulburn, Dean of Norwich.5
And the Lord’s bond servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth. Second Timothy 2:24-25