There is a song that we used to sing often in church services titled "I stand in Awe of You". That song just became more alive and real in my life after hearing a short story from a very close brother in Christ and friend whom I invited to share in our midweek service.
This brother was my schoolmate in De La Salle University. We became white belts in TaeKwonDo in DLSU together, and we got our black belts together. We also became "brothers" in the TaeKwonDo blackbelt brotherhood, both of us belonging to the first batch of this brotherhood, which is still alive up to today (going 36 years). We trained together, ate together...we were like brothers really.
Then time separated us when we graduated from college, and when we both became inactive in TaeKwonDo. But the long separation became good to us when we both found out that we were born again Christians! What a joy it was to know that both of us were being used in the Lord's kingdom, preaching the gospel and His word.
God was also so good in allowing this brother to visit Bacolod city often with a church that would hold seminars for pastors and leaders. And every time he would visit I would always try to invite him to speak and encourage the brethren in our church.
It was in this latest visit that he shared something that utterly blew my mind, and made me stand in awe of how compassionate and loving this great God we serve is.
He simply shared that when we were in college, he already was a Christian. And he also shared that he was also praying that one day I would be a Christian! I had no idea - first that he was a Christian (although I can testify that he had a character that we could call Christ like), and second that he, and his wife, who was his girlfriend then, was actually praying that I would also know Jesus as my Savior and Lord. He shared how he had a picture of me in his desk that he would use as a reminder to pray for me - and in that picture I was "high" (on marijuana). How did he know I was high - his answer "his eyes".
As early as that time my Savior was already moving in my midst, moving the hearts of His children around me to pray for me. Unknowingly He was already moving, making a way for me to finally open my eyes and recognize Him as my Savior and the Lord of my life.
Oh, how my heart bursts in thanksgiving, worship and honor of this compassionate and loving God, even when I was so far from him, living a life dependent on other things that replaced Him - and yet He reached out and saved me. And He was using His children, specifically my friend, to pray for me, placing His burden in his heart moving him to pray for my salvation.
And now - many many years after that prayer of my friend began, where am I now? Not only has my God saved me from my sins, not only am I living under His Lordship, experiencing His grace and change in my life day by day, and not only am I a pastor, humbly taking care of the church that He has entrusted to me and others to shepherd - but now I am continually learning how big and great and loving and gracious my God is.
It's never going to end. My God is going to continually show me how great and gracious He is.
And this reminds me not to give up praying for my friends, loved ones, who still do not know God has Savior and Lord. Because as He touches our hearts to pray for them this means that He is moving in their midst, preparing the way for them to hear the gospel and prayerfully respond to it!
Never give up praying. Nothing is impossible for our God. I am a living example of that.
And Agrippa said to Paul, "In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?" And Paul said, "Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am--except for these chains."
(Acts 26:28-29)
