God’s amazing gifts
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
1 John 5:14-15 (ESV).
Many of us have family members or friends who do not believe in God, who live as if God does not exist, and as if Jesus is irrelevant, not realising that God does exist and Jesus is the most relevant person in all of history! We cannot force these family members or friends to believe, nor can we make them come to church. But there is something that we can do: we can pray for them.
As the header scripture shows, if we ask anything according to God’s will, he will hear us.
2 Peter 3:9 shows that it is clearly God’s will that our family members and friends be granted the gift of salvation: ‘The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.’
What we need to do is ask God to grant to our family members and friends the following amazing gifts, for only God can give these gifts, no one else can:
- The gift of faith. (Ephesians 2:8).
- The gift of repentance. (2 Timothy 2:25).
- The gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38).
- Draw them to Jesus Christ. (John 6:44, 65).
- And reveal Christ in them, for it is only through Jesus Christ living in us that we have the hope of glory and eternal life: ‘To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.’ (Colossians 1:27).
None of us want to see our family members and friends miss out on so great a salvation that God is offering to mankind, so we pray and leave the matter in God’s capable hands. He is the master of perfect timing and knows how and when to draw our family members and friends to Jesus Christ. He has promised: “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32).
Prayer
Father in heaven, I thank you for this wonderful gift of salvation that you have given to me through believing in Jesus Christ. Please grant this same gift to my family members and friends. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.
Study by Sherwin Scott
About the writer:
Sherwin Scott is a deacon in the Lewes congregation of Grace Communion International.
Local congregation:
Grace Communion in Lewes
The House of Friendship
208 High Street
Lewes
BN7 2NS
Meeting time:
Sunday 11:00 am
Local congregational contact:
Hilary Buck
Email: lewes@gracecom.church
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Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church