A Confession, a Request, and a Challenge

I’ve been a Christian for almost 48 years. At different times in my journey, the Lord has grabbed my heart, shaken my soul, and broken me for His glory. I’m convinced He is in that process again – this time, working me over to bring me to the place where my heart is sliced in two by the lostness of people around me and around the world. 

I can’t explain it. God has simply burdened me for non-believers more deeply than I’ve experienced since I was a new believer many years ago. He has connected me with others who don’t know Jesus and who think differently, act differently, talk differently, and live differently than I do. Even when I so clearly differ with them, though, He has granted me grace and mercy to want to get to know them, love them, pray for them, and introduce them to the gospel. 

Indeed, these texts have been rattling around in my head for weeks:

1. Psalm 119:136 – “My eyes pour out streams of tears because people do not follow your instruction.” In fact, I wrote a devotion earlier this week about this verse. It’s the verse that just “happened” to come up in my daily reading at the same time the Lord has been breaking my heart. Sometimes the Lord leads us to weep prayerfully over the sin of others more than they do their own. 
2. Romans 10:1 – “Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation.” My heart desires a lot of things, if I’m honest. What I’m learning these days is that all the temporary things I want just don’t matter in light of eternity. I want people to know Jesus. 
3. Luke 19:41 – “As he approached and saw the city, he wept for it.” Jesus, the Son of God, had been among them. He had visited them, but still they rejected Him. Judgment would come. How much I want my friends to respond appropriately to Jesus—not ignore Him—when He visits them through His Word, His Spirit, and His witnessing people! 
4. Romans 9:2-3 – “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the benefit of my brothers and sisters, my own flesh and blood.” So deep was Paul’s burden for the people he loved that he was willing, if it were possible, to be accursed that they might be saved. He passionately wanted them to know God. 

I confess that I still have a long way to go. My request is that you pray for me as I seek to engage in more intentional evangelism. My challenge is for you to join me in carrying this burden and responsibility in your own life. Thank you, friends!