Have you ever prayed for Church growth? Have you ever prayed that people would get to know Christ? Have you ever prayed that this world will change? Let me tell you something that might make you think about how God answers our prayers. Anything and everything that God has done through the history of our world is to get people back to him. Sometimes that may seem hard or too harsh for humans. But when people don’t listen, God grabs their attention and their interests in the things that He does.
Since the Old Testament, when his people would rebel and go astray, God would send them message after message to change. When the change didn’t happen God then used other means to get the people back on track. When that didn’t work, God saved his remnant and the rest of the people were taken into slavery. In some cases even the righteous were taken captive. But God was still with them and they made a difference where they were taken. Are you thinking of Belteshazzar? That’s right Daniel made a difference because no matter where he was God was working to bring his people and more people back to Him (Daniel 1:8)
You see God has worked through events in History to bring His remnant back to Him. Nations will rise and nations will fall, but the Lord remains forever! I know that I have prayed that God will change the heart of people. I have prayed for God to help us evangelize to the world, to help people see their sin and repent.
In the first century the Church was forged in the mist of persecution, they grew and remained faithful to God in the chaos and atrocities of persecution. Christians were being killed, taken to jail, and that, didn’t drown their faith. They were made to do things that were unchristian and when they refused they paid the consequences (Hebrews 11:35-38). They believed in the hope and by their example many were asking why these people are willing to die? Why are these people still holding to their faith? The Christians knew the price of freedom in Christ, and I think we have forgotten that, we have forgotten that Christianity has always been unpopular, Christianity was not meant to be what people want to do.
We have prayed for God to help us evangelize. We have prayed for God to take our nation. This is God working, we need to open our eyes and see the opportunities opened to us instead of acting like the world that has no hope. We can start seeing the power of God to change lives being revealed in front of our eyes. Be hopeful rejoice for your redemption is near!