Do Not Underestimate the Love of God
Today’s post is not from Tim and Rachel‘s book Come Home, but is one final teaching regarding praying for prodigals or any who are unsaved. After sharing a few posts a while back regarding praying for prodigals, I received a letter from a person agonizing over a loved one who had died. They felt that this person died before receiving Christ, in spite of their faithful prayers. I want to say to everyone listening to or reading this post, never assume a person you were praying for did not make it to heaven. We do not know what occurred in the last moment before they crossed into eternity, as the following two stories will illustrate.
The Scriptures tell us God is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9 KJV). We don't have to wonder about God’s desire or willingness regarding the lost; He could not make His will any clearer. The Lord wants every person to believe in Christ and be born again.
"Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save" (Isaiah 59:1). Not only is God willing to save the lost, but He is fully capable of doing so. He has sufficient power and knows how to bend, shape, and change the perspective of unbelievers, bringing them to a revelation of the truth. Holy Spirit can break off of every satanic stronghold and bring them to a knowledge of the truth.
Story Number One
“While hitchhiking home, Roger Simms was picked up by an older gentleman in an expensive car. They talked about many things, including Mr. Hanover's business in Chicago. Roger felt a strong compulsion to share his faith but was apprehensive about witnessing to a wealthy businessman. Finally, nearing his destination, Roger spoke up.
“‘Mr. Hanover,’ began Roger, ‘I want to share something very important with you.’ He explained the way of salvation and asked if Mr. Hanover would like to receive Christ as his Savior. To Roger's astonishment, the businessman pulled over to the side of the road, bowed his head, wept, and prayed the prayer of salvation. He thanked Roger, saying, ‘This is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.’
“Five years later, while in Chicago on a business trip, Roger went to Hanover Enterprises. The receptionist told him it would be impossible to see Mr. Hanover, but Mrs. Hanover was available. A little disappointed, he followed her into an office.
“After exchanging greetings, Roger explained how Mr. Hanover had kindly given him a ride years ago. Suddenly interested, Mrs. Hanover asked when this had happened. When Roger told her it was on May 7, five years earlier, she asked if anything unusual had happened during his ride.
“Roger hesitated, wondering if giving his witness had been a source of contention. But, feeling the prompting of the Lord, he told her that he had shared the gospel message and that her husband had accepted the Lord into his heart.
“She began to sob uncontrollably. After a few minutes, she explained that she had thought her prayers for her husband's salvation had not been answered. After leaving Roger at his destination, Mr. Hanover had died that day in a horrible head-on collision.”(1)
God is faithful. He knows how to unlock people’s hearts, convince them of their need and Christ’s provision, and when the time is right for them to be presented with the opportunity. And this certainly does not have to occur in a house of worship. God knows when to have hitchhikers travel home; He knows how to ensure unbelievers are driving the right road, at the right time, and how to motivate them to pick up the “evangelist.” God knows what He is doing!
Don't miss the fact that Mrs. Hanover had been praying for her husband’s salvation. Our prayers release God’s power; never forget this.
Don’t assume, just because you are not aware of a person’s conversion before their death, that it did not occur. If they were in an accident, they may have cried out to the Lord the moment they were dying. Even while unconscious or comatose, people can cry out in their hearts for salvation. Would the Lord cause a person’s spirit to linger in their body long enough for this to occur, in order to answer a prayer and get someone to heaven? Absolutely. Do not underestimate God’s love and grace.
Story Number Two
In my book, Intercessory Prayer, I tell the story of praying for a young girl in a coma, whom the Lord eventually healed. What I did not relate was the testimony of an elderly lady who, for a short time, shared her room in the nursing home. This lady was very old, and also in an unconscious state. In the 60 or 70 times I visited this young girl in the nursing home, this was the only person that ever shared a room with her; on all other occasions, she was in a room by herself. God placed the elderly lady there for a couple of weeks in order to get her to heaven.
The young girl’s family had placed a radio in her room. (This will be meaningful in a moment.) At times, comatose individuals can hear what is going on around them; they just are not able to respond in any way. So, in case she could hear, they wanted music to be playing so she would not be lying there in silence all the time. The workers in the nursing home would often turn it to a country or a rock ‘n’ roll station. I, on the other hand, would turn it to soft music - not singing, just music - which was more peaceful and conducive to prayer. It was not a Christian station that played Christian music; just soft, peaceful music.
On one visit, after praying for the young girl for an hour, I felt Holy Spirit leading me to share the gospel/good news of salvation with the unconscious elderly lady. I stepped next to her bed and said, “Ma’am, I don’t know if you can hear me, but I am going to assume that you can. And I don’t know if you have received Christ, but I’m going to assume you haven’t. I feel that I am to share with you how to be born again and then pray with you.”
No response.
I did so, then said aloud, “If you are hearing me and do not know the Lord, just pray these words with me in your heart.” I then prayed a prayer of salvation. The instant I said, “Amen” – not 5 seconds, 10 seconds, or 20 seconds after, and not before I said amen - the song, Amazing Grace, began playing on the radio. The entire song, all the verses.
I stood there between the two beds and began to weep. I raised my hands and worshiped as I listened to the entire song. I knew that the amazing grace of God had kept this lady alive, put her in this room, and led me to pray this prayer with her before she died, even while she was in this unconscious state.
I then felt led to pray that her suffering would end, and she would go on to heaven. And I did so. A week later, when I returned, she was gone. Upon asking the workers where she was, they simply said, “She passed away.”
Never underestimate the love and grace of God.
Pray with me:
Father, Your mercy is endless, enduring forever. You delight in releasing it. It is difficult for us to believe, at times, that You love someone more than we do; but You do. We anchor ourselves to this and choose to believe it. Use these two testimonies to assure individuals that You will do anything and everything to answer their prayer for someone’s salvation.
We believe that, regardless of how far someone is from You in their heart, You are not far from them. Your love is endless and relentless. We ask for the salvation of every family member represented by those listening to or reading this today and agreeing with me. We ask You to do whatever is necessary to save or restore them, and one day take them to heaven. We bind every attack satan has launched against them through deception, addiction, pain, or any demonic influence. We declare his hold over them is broken, the eyes of their understanding will be enlightened, and they will come to their senses. They will believe in Christ and His redemption for them.
We ask You for millions of salvations to occur around the world, a billion or more. We are thoroughly convinced the great harvest You have planned is coming, and we declare it: Your kingdom influence and dominion, come! Your will be created and done, in the name of Jesus! And we rejoice with You over the inevitability of this billion-soul harvest. Amen.
Our decree:
We decree that the Lord of the harvest WILL have His harvest!
Click on the link below to watch the full video.
Alice Gray, Stories for the Heart (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 1996), pp. 225-257.