20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. – 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NIV)
It was about 20 years ago that my life was a disaster, and I was far, far from the Lord. I was battling addictions, recently unemployed, my very young marriage was falling apart and we were taking care of my father-in-law who was dying of cancer. I couldn’t have been more discouraged, overwhelmed, and hopeless. I didn’t realize it at the time (or maybe didn’t want to realize it), but my biggest need was Jesus. But who was going to tell me?
There was a sweet couple in Southwest Michigan that listened to me every day on the radio. When I had to leave that gig to return to Ohio, one of the local bars where I had done numerous events and personal appearances hosted a big going away party for me. And you know what? These dear followers of Jesus came. Yep, they came to the bar…for me. They talked to me briefly and shared how much they enjoyed listening and that they would miss me dearly. They listened empathetically to the story on why I was leaving and let me know they would be praying for me and my family. And then they handed me a small bag with a gift inside. It was weeks later before I ever looked in the bag, but inside was a book titled, “God Always Has a Plan B.” On the inside was a handwritten note of love and encouragement. This book sits on the shelf of a Pastor in Lincoln, Nebraska to this day.
There was a 14-year-old girl who surprised me one day and sent a small box through the post office to my home. The first thing I saw when I opened it was a small teddy bear. And while that was nice, I found the letter that had also been included. In the letter she was letting me know that she had been attending youth group at her church, and when they asked if anyone had a prayer request, she asked them to pray for me. She knew how far I was from Jesus and the things in my life that weren’t pleasing to Him. She mentioned in the letter that her heart was breaking because she knew that I knew better. She kindly, but boldly stated that I once had a relationship with Jesus and needed to turn my life back over to Him. At the time, I just rolled my eyes, stuffed it all back in the box, and put it in a closet somewhere. Just a few years later, I stumbled upon it again and began to weep because I knew she was right. That letter and teddy bear from my sister sits on the top of a bookcase in the office of a Pastor in Lincoln, Nebraska to this day.
There was a saint of a woman who took non-stop phone calls from a troubled young man at all hours of the day. Whether she was being called at home or at work, she always made time to listen. Even though she heard some of the same stories and rants repeatedly, and had to endure an immature attitude, blubbering, incoherent sentences, and most likely some language she didn’t need or deserve to hear, she never wavered in being the closest thing to Jesus I had in my life. In the midst of all of these painful, marathon discussions, the Gospel was routinely shared and she wanted to know where I stood with Jesus because she cared about my soul. Even though it was blown off and ignored time and time again, discouragement never set in and she kept lovingly and gently bringing it into the conversations. I always knew I was being prayed for by her, and almost every phone call ended with an invite to come to church with her on Sunday – she promised to save me a seat. God used the love, witness, and invitation of my mother to lead me to Jesus. And there’s a Pastor in Lincoln, Nebraska who is eternally grateful to this day.
During this 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, will you pray that God will give you a new passion for reaching the lost? Will you pray for a new confidence and boldness to share the Gospel with the people you encounter in your life? Will you pray that God will break your heart for those who are far from Him?
I implore you to invite God to do a new thing in your life so that He can use you to reach people like these ambassadors reached out to me. Broken, hurting, hopeless people need Jesus…to this day.