The apostle Paul worked tirelessly for the sake of the Good News Gospel. He endured hardship that most of us will never comprehend – all because of His love for Jesus Christ. But Paul was still human, and even someone of his caliber makes mistakes.

Paul reveals one of his mistakes in Chapter 2 of Second Corinthians. He says, “Now when I went to Troas to preach the Gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, I still had no peace of mind…so I said good-bye to them and went on to Macedonia.”

Paul admits that the Lord opened a door for Him to share the Good News in Troas, but he didn’t do it. Instead, he left. Paul disobeyed the Holy Spirit’s leading.

And yet, the great thing about this passage is what Paul writes next. “But thanks be to God,” he says, “who always leads us in triumphal procession and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.”

God is so much bigger than the mistakes we make! Paul realized that, and it’s an important reminder for you and me as well. If you have disobeyed the Holy Spirit, simply confess it to the Lord. Ask for another opportunity, and for the boldness to do what He’s called you to do. God will use you again, in tremendous ways!

After taking a serious fall, an older gentleman named Luke Mulder prayed to receive Jesus Christ. He then prayed for his wife, Clara, who was away visiting her sister in California. That very same day, Clara heard a Gospel presentation and made the decision to trust Christ.

Coincidence? Hardly! Many people think prayer is complicated. The truth is that the simplest prayer can bring you the miracle you need, when you need it. Sometimes all we have to do is pray and God says, “Yes, I thought you’d never ask.”

My friend, are you praying for the lost people in your life? The Bible says, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” God wants to bless you. He wants to bless your loved ones with a relationship with Himself. Do not give up praying for them. God wants them to be a part of His family!

The Bible says to “pray without ceasing,” and I encourage you to do just that! Don’t ever give up. It doesn’t matter how far away from the Lord your loved one is, keep praying! Don’t quit. Continue to show them God’s love and perhaps, in time, God will use you to bring them back to himself. What could be more exciting than that!

National Football League running back Sherman Smith was the Seattle Seahawks’ most popular player. Then, without warning, he was traded to the San Diego Chargers. Everything changed for this Christian football star. He wasn’t with the Chargers for more than a few weeks when he blew out his knee. While rehabilitating, he wondered, “Lord, why did you ship me to San Diego?”

As his knee mended, Sherman led one of his teammates to the Lord. That converted party-man, Miles McPherson, has since become an outstanding youth evangelist. He reaches tens of thousands each year with the Good News of Jesus Christ!

Why was Sherman traded to San Diego? He had prayed for God to use him, and God responded! When we pray bold prayers, we must be prepared for God to say, “Yes, but the answer may be different than you think!”

The Bible says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”

When you pray for a friend’s salvation, God’s timing and ways may be different than you would like, but don’t give up. Keep praying! Don’t ever stop praying that the people in your life will come to Jesus. God will use you in the process, just don’t give up.

Phil Callaway didn’t know what to say when his children asked if Mommy was going to die. His wife, Ramona, suffered horrible seizures. Hundreds of friends and relatives prayed. Medical specialists tried everything. But Ramona’s weight eventually slipped to ninety pounds. And soon the seizures occurred daily, sometimes hourly.

One evening, when things looked utterly hopeless, Phil fell to his knees. “God!” he cried out. “I can’t take it anymore. Please do something!” As he stood, a doctor’s name came to mind. Phil called the doctor, who saw Ramona the next morning and diagnosed a rare chemical deficiency. Within a week, Ramona’s seizures ended. She was a different person. The miracle was so incredible that Phil says, “God gave me back my wife.”

Immediate answers to prayer. You want them. I want them. But God simply does not always work that way. And to receive His best, we must be patient. The Bible says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

When praying for our loved ones who do not know Jesus, we must persist. Because sometimes God will answer with, “Yes, but you’ll have to wait.” So, don’t give up. Keep praying that your loved one will come to the Lord.