Just the other day I read a quotation from George MacDonald in which he says,“If you’re waiting for the salvation of someone for whom you’ve been praying for a long time, don’t suppose that God is not at work.”
Remember, God has to work at His own pace and He has heard your prayer for that person’s salvation. You can’t hustle souls into the kingdom. God must be working first in that person’s life before there will be any sort of detectable change.
We need to be careful that we don’t let a feeling of impossibility influence a full heart of simple faith in matters that confront us or concerning those for whom we pray.
-from Elisabeth Elliot’s “Gateway to Joy” program, November 5 & 6, 1997
Copyright ©1997 Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc.
(Back to the Bible), Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.
Used by permission in the Spring 2000 YLCF Journal. All rights reserved.
That first quote is something I’ve been thinking about lately! I was encourage by a recent sermon, too. The pastor mentioned his mother coming to the Lord after he had been praying for 20 years. May we all be persistent in prayer!
Good to remember this. It does get discouraging to pray and pray for someone, yet we aren’t seeing any results. This is a good reminder to press on in prayer:)
This is a wonderful thing to remember. For over 50 years, my grandmother prayed for the conversion of my grandfather. Two years ago, he was baptized! Now at 83, he faithfully goes to church EVERY DAY with my grandmother and prays and sings along. It took a very long time, but it was God’s time!