My parents were very faithful in taking me and my two sisters to church and activities my whole life, but I never knew that a person had to invite Jesus personally into his or her life to be Lord and Savior until I was fifteen years old. I visited a little church down the street as a result of an invitation from some neighbors for whom I babysat. The first Sunday I went I sensed a warmth and sweet atmosphere that I could not describe. I met the pastor's wife, Mrs. C. C. Warren, a godly lady in her seventies. I went to the youth Bible study, which consisted of two other youth; they asked me if I had ever been saved. I did not know what they were really saying, but they explained the plan of salvation and I personally invited Christ to my Lord and Savior. Two years later, I headed off to UNC to major in music and then on to seminary at Southwestern Baptist to get a master's in Christian Education. While in seminary I received a letter from Mrs. Warren telling me that she had started praying for me when she met me that first Sunday I visited her little church and that she had prayed for me every single day for the previous eight years! She told me she prayed that I would come to know Jesus and to follow His will for my life.
The realization of her commitment to prayer touched me then as well as now. Prayer is vital to evangelism. Mrs. Warren demonstrated to me God's power through prayer in evangelism as well as challenged me in my own prayer life to pray for lost people in my circle of influence to come to Christ. Someone once said Satan fears nothing from prayerless work, prayerless church services, prayerless activites, but he trembles when we pray. May we all learn a lesson from Mrs. Warren to PRAY that we would have the maximum amount of influence on the maximum amount of people around us and that they would come to a saving knowledge of Him who loved us and gave His life for us.
The realization of her commitment to prayer touched me then as well as now. Prayer is vital to evangelism. Mrs. Warren demonstrated to me God's power through prayer in evangelism as well as challenged me in my own prayer life to pray for lost people in my circle of influence to come to Christ. Someone once said Satan fears nothing from prayerless work, prayerless church services, prayerless activites, but he trembles when we pray. May we all learn a lesson from Mrs. Warren to PRAY that we would have the maximum amount of influence on the maximum amount of people around us and that they would come to a saving knowledge of Him who loved us and gave His life for us.
