Day 13

Tim Lee | Re:Hope West End

My prayer at the beginning of the Remain Internship 24/25 was to learn and lead in one thing: evangelism. It is where I felt weakest. I deeply doubted my own abilities as a disciple to share the message of the gospel. “Who am I,” I thought. “What good could I possibly do?” 

So, of course, quite naturally as you might presume, during my interview for remain I stated with extraordinary vigour, “My interests and thoughts so far revolve around the unreached…I would love evangelism to be my ministry focus.” I was most certainly inspired then. What man loves to confront his pain and run towards it with fashionable glee? Certainly, not me. Nevertheless, here I was. 

I was accepted and so I learned and led. I loved learning about truth as a seed in which God gives growth (1 Cor 3:5-9). And I went out to do my part. I planted as best I understood how; I spoke to neighbours in Partick, Kelvingrove Park (on sunny days) and even just down the street, outside the very doors of the west end church location. I prayed with and for Rody, for God to enable his heart’s conviction to return to church. I praised God with Robert for his family and his church community in Hamilton. I prayed with Vam, an international student from Indonesia, with university struggles. Finally, I prayed with Tye from another church in Partick, for peace in his own country in the United States. 

I give glory to God for his kindness and his guidance throughout this experience. As far as I know, I made no new disciples from this ministry. However, encouraging neighbour to neighbour, week after week, in the name of Christ, I found myself pleasantly convicted. What is possible by my obedience to God in the places I’ve feared most within me? My spiritual ministry focus during Remain, I suppose, helps a little bit more with my answer! I found peace out there on the streets. I know we all can. 

Deirdre O'Reilly | Re:Hope West End

One Sunday, I received prayer at the Evening Service asking that Jesus would use me to reach people for Him. It was a pleasant summer evening, so I began to walk home. A couple of blocks away along Dumbarton Road, I stopped with some other people at one of the side streets, waiting for traffic to clear. The people began to cross, as did I, when I realised that a man was remaining behind, looking at the road as if it was a fearful challenge.

So I said, ''You ok?'' and he said that he wanted to cross the road. I said, ''Want a hand?'' and offered him my arm to lean on. We, very slowly, began to cross. I was thinking ''I've probably only got a few minutes to tell him about Jesus. What will I say? I need to be quick.''  

So I thought, ''People like to talk about their illnesses.'' I said, “Is it your knees or your back?''

He began to talk about the arthritis in his knees. After listening to him, I thought, ''I just need to jump in. Time is short.''

So I asked him if I could say a little prayer for the arthritis, but he clearly said no, so we continued to the pub and I left him there and continued my walk home. ''Well, I tried'',  I said to God.

Further on, I was passing a young man sitting on a chair outside some flats. As I went by, I said ''Nice evening!” Immediately he stood up and introduced himself. So I turned back as he walked over to me and began to tell me about the severe anxiety which was crippling his life. He was renting a flat but often could not face being on his own and ended up at his Mum's, paying his own rent and also giving 'dig' money to her. 

So I asked if I could say a little prayer for the anxiety. Immediately, he asked if I was a ''church person''. I said “Yes, I'm a Christian.'' He proceeded to tell me how his family had been committed Christians and how he had been involved in the church when he was young. Then his grandfather had died, and his Mum had withdrawn from church, as he had himself. But recently he felt that God had been trying to draw him back.

I realised that God was already working in this young man's life and I did not want to be too commanding. So I asked again if I might pray for the anxiety, which he allowed me to do. I finished by saying to him that if he wanted to get close to God again, just to ask God to show him the way and He would show him how to do this. 

So I thank God for allowing me an opportunity to play a small part in trying to draw this young man closer to Jesus.

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At its heart, 40 Days of Prayer is about evangelism—sharing the good news of what God has done for us.  Pray today about who needs to hear your story of answered prayer.