Are you the only follower of Christ in your family? If so, this post is being written to encourage you… You may not feel like it, in fact you may feel downright defeated! Are you enduring persecution for your faith in Christ? Maybe you are living in a country where you are having to secretly share your faith with other believers, you may not be able to worship God openly in public – let me share my testimony with you to encourage you to continue interceding on behalf of those you love. On behalf of those you are earnestly praying for…
GOD SEES YOU!
GOD HEARS YOU!
YOUR PRAYERS ARE NOT IN VAIN!
You were called for such a time as this! God has called YOU beloved reader to be His beacon of light to those in your circle. And I know from personal experience that it can be painful, it hurts to be ostracized and ridiculed for what we know to be the GOOD news of Jesus Christ. To be the “black sheep” of your family for what you so desperately want to share with them! But press on with intercessory prayer walking in the knowledge that it is NOT God’s will that ANY should perish! (See 2 Peter 3:9).
When we first accept Christ as our Savior, make Him LORD over our life, we are filled with the most AMAZING joy! If you read my testimony by clicking the link below, you will hear how I came to Christ.
What I didn’t know was that I would be ostracized and ridiculed for my faith by those that I loved most. This reaction to my conversion came as a surprise to me! I had NOT known that God had loved me SO much that He left the glories of Heaven to cloth Himself in flesh, born of the virgin Mary to come down and take upon His sin-less self my sins (and yours), dying a horrifying death on the cross to redeem me to a right relationship with God? Resurrecting from the dead defeating sin and death and even RIGHT now is seated at the right hand of the Father interceding on MY behalf (and yours). Hebrews 7:25 tells us:
“Consequently, He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”
When I learned about this and made the decision to accept Him as my Savior, make Him LORD over my life I wanted to share this good news with those I loved most! I wanted them to accept this wonderful gift of salvation! To be filled with the peace, joy and love that filled my heart at the moment of my conversion… Much to my chagrin, their reaction was one of disdain, one of refusal, one of open contempt. I was ridiculed and ostracized for my faith. I was mocked, I was treated like a “black sheep.” I was called a “Jesus Freak.” The ties that I thought were unbreakable became broken. I was told by one of the people I love most, “I HATE your God.”
The pain that I experienced pierced my heart deeply. I was confused by their reaction, I was hurt and I was sorrowful. It was like trying to give someone you loved the BEST kind of medicine and being harshly refused. Their hearts were hardened and short of reneging on my commitment to the LORD (which I refused to do), there was nothing I could do to change their minds or even speak of my faith.
Now, I know that some of you reading this have gone through much worse. Maybe if those around you knew of your love for Jesus you would be killed for your faith. I was just ostracized and just felt pushed out of the circle of those I loved most. Here is what I want you to know, here is what over the last 36 years of being a follower of Jesus, part of God’s “Called Remnant” that I have experienced…
Please don’t give up… Please don’t give in! Please don’t turn back! Your walk in Christ *may* be the ONLY light of Christ that your family or loved ones see! And BELIEVE me! Whether or not they admit it – they see a difference in you! They may not understand or know WHAT that difference is – but it is there! The difference in you is Holy Spirit Who upon your confession of faith took up residence in your heart! Holy Spirit (the Third person of the Trinity, click on pink link below if you need to learn more about the Trinity scrolling to the bottom of that page):
It is NOT up to us to “save” anyone – simply put, we can’t! Listen, I know that you may be saddened by their reaction, may feel discouraged but here is the thing and it took me a long time in my walk with Christ to realize this – It is not our responsibility to be “the grower” it is our responsibility (if the moment presents itself), to be the Sower or the person who waters what has already been sown. It is God’s responsibility to allow the increase, but it ALL depends on what type of soil the seeds fall on. That too is NOT our responsibility! It is also NOT our responsibility to judge what type of soil the seeds fall on! That is ALL up to the individual and their willingness to receive it and it is on the LORD for bringing that individual into a place where the soil is good. What we MUST remember is to plant seeds IN love. Philippians 2:13 tells us:
“For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
The more I tried to turn their hearts to Christ, the more resistance I endured. The more I was ostracized and criticized for my faith. What I didn’t realize is what I needed to do most of all was to TRUST God. What God was calling me to do (as the first person in my family to accept Christ) was/is to INTERCEDE on BEHALF of my family! To stand IN the gap for them! The Bible tells us in 2 Timothy 4:5:
“As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
Listen, Our God IS the God of turn-around. Look back at how He led you to come to know Him as your Savior, make Him LORD over your life. What circumstances did Holy Spirit have you endure so that your own heart would be softened to the Gospel of Jesus Christ??? It is God who softens hearts. What we can pray is that God will soften their hearts. Ezekiel 36:26 says:
“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
Ezekiel 11:19 tells us:
“And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh.”
Jeremiah 24:7 tells us:
“I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.”
Know that God opened up your spiritually blinded eyes not only for YOU to accept His gift of salvation, but also so that YOU would be a vessel unto Him to those around you! Holy Spirit WILL radiate His light in and through you whether you SEE it or not! I can ASSURE you that others do! They may not know WHAT it is that they see within you, but they see a difference and that difference is Christ!
Matthew 5:14 tells us:
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”
God tells us in Isaiah 55:9-9:
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
Entrust your loved ones into the care of the Father, believing and standing IN faith for them. Remember that as much as you love them, He loves them MORE! He created them! You CAN confidently trust your family to your Heavenly Father’s care! God did not mean for you to carry the burden of their salvation upon your shoulders but intercede through prayer for them bringing and dropping your concern at the foot of Jesus’ cross. Remember, Christ died for them.
That being said, I will share with you that as you continue to intercede and pray for your family there is a spiritual battle going on in the spiritual realm that your eyes are not privileged to see! You *may* feel the heat of the battle as the devil tries to use those you love most who are spiritually blinded to war against you! But remember, Ephesians 6:12 tells us:
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
Ol’ slewfoot knows that the BEST way he can attack you is to use those you love most to hurt you! Please know that the above scripture IS true! Don’t get mad at your loved ones get mad at ol’ slewfoot and his minions for trying to use them (unknowingly to them).
CONTINUE TO INTERCEED PASSIONATELY ON THEIR BEHALF! REMAIN IN FAITH OF WHAT GOD DID FOR YOU HE WILL DO FOR THEM!
My own experience has been one where I have seen God answer my prayers of intercession for loved ones in ways I NEVER imagined… Holy Spirit (just as He did with me) had to bring them to a place where they recognized the need for God. THIS is where Holy Spirit *may* be able to use you as His vessel for salvation. We diligently have to listen careful for the quiet voice of Holy Spirit prompting us when He has softened a heart to the point where they are willing to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. I won’t lie to you – it is hard to see what it takes for someone to receive a softened heart finally open to receiving salvation. But it is a BEAUTIFUL thing when you are used by God to lead them to Christ and you know that regardless of their earthly situation that brought them to the point of salvation is the knowledge that they have accepted eternal life. A life without sickness, sin, disease, death and burdens. It is hard to see that sometimes this may be a deathbed acceptance of Christ, but it is SO rewarding to see faces lit up with peace and love and the realization of the truth of God’s love. What an incredibly humble thing to be used by God to usher someone being birthed from their earthly life into their everlasting one and the realization that God’s Word and love IS true is the most beautiful experience to be a part of – the pain of previous persecution is gone because you loved that person enough to love them in a higher form than what they could recognize by standing in faith on their behalf! Through the gift of intercession!
Also, the knowledge that comforts you in sorrow that they are with their Creator experiencing more blessings and love that we cannot even fathom is the biggest comfort of all! Knowing that there will be a time when you will be with them for ALL eternity with God our Creator and NOTHING will EVER separate us again. Psalm 30:25 tells us:
“Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.”
I know this from a very personal level for at least 3 of my loved ones, yet I still stand in intercession for those that I know, those that I love having seen what God has done in my own life and in others. Our duty and the BEST way to love someone is to intercede and believe God FOR them. Ultimately their decision is based upon their own-free will and their journey to make a decision for Christ. We can’t get in the way! We MUST walk by faith in love! Trusting those we love to the One Who loves them oh SO much more than we! This IS a spiritual war and we are soldiers and ambassadors for Christ! Yet we hold tight to the knowledge that the war has ALREADY been won and Christ our Savior has the victory! Keep believing! Keep worshiping! Keep praying! Keep reading your Word! Keep standing in the gap for those you love knowing that we are ONLY doing what it is our Savior is doing – interceding! The absolute GREATEST gift of love!
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