During a Bible Conference a couple years ago, I asked Phil Johnson, the president of Dr. John MacArthur’s broadcast ministry (Grace to You) the following question, in essence: “how do we know when  God has answered our prayers and how do we proceed from there”. His general answer was, to paraphrase, that we should pray about it and trust the Lord and then take the appropriate course of action. This is a great answer but it also assumes a high level of spiritual maturity and discernment. Another small risk in that, is we can listen to our own voice and make a mistake outside the will of God.

Throughout my life as a Christian I have encountered many different reactions to my walk faith in Christ. Some have been very pleasant and some not so much. One thing I have realized is my faith has propelled me to experience the supreme truth of 2 Timothy 3:12, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” Honestly, when I became a believer I was not really prepared for the things awaiting me when I made it my aim to be obedient in sharing my faith. But there I was and there they were—my Jerusalem—the lost souls of those the Lord placed in my path.

Becoming a Believer:
After kneeling before God in prayer outside of my place of employment, God made Himself known to me in a very meaningful way. I have to admit that I had come to a point of brokenness before God. The previous two weeks had found me in a fallen and severely depressed state–despairing even of life. By age nineteen I saw my life going downhill with no clear hope to end the spiral.

That evening, in humility, I prayed, “Lord, if you are real, please come into my life and change me. I know I have not been a good person and have sinned against You. Right now I feel my life is meaningless and going nowhere. But now I realize I need Your help. I know I cannot change myself…I have tried. Lord, if you will change me and bring peace into my life I promise I will live for you. Please forgive me of my sin. I turn my life over to You.” That was all I prayed, but it was all that was needed. I wasn’t stricken blind like the Apostle Paul on the Damascus road, but Jesus touched me unlike anything I had ever known and I knew then He was real. Because of this encounter with God, the next ninety days found me wearing the cover off a couple of New testaments as I read through the Bible three or four times……READ MORE HERE

WRITTEN BY PASTOR/AUTHOR MIKE HENDERSON