One of the things that seems to happen during mission trips is an increased intensity or increased burdened to pray for the lost. There are probably many explanations for this intense desire to pray, but I believe the primary reason is best described simply as God’s activity. It is true that the best way to pray for people is to pray for them as you are looking at them, walking in their neighborhoods, or listening to their voice. Some refer to this as “praying on site”. When you know something about that person, their circumstances, their spiritual journey, and their degree of receptivity, somehow your prayers become much more personal and crucial.
Our volunteer team had been assigned to a small mission church in eastern Venezuela. The pastor and his wife had made arrangements for us to visit in the neighborhoods during the day and participate in evangelistic services at night. One of the church members had taken off from work without pay to walk with us and escort us through the neighborhoods as we made those visits.
God was truly at work that week. We saw many people accept Christ as Savior. I remember a mother and 2 daughters who prayed to receive Christ. A pastor’s wife who had never had assurance of salvation also made a decision for Christ that week. As our teams continued to visit, 2 sisters living in different houses prayed to trust in Jesus at the same time and met in the street as they ran to share the good news with each other. I remember a 14-year-old girl who accepted Jesus and spent the rest of the day going door to door with us telling her friends and neighbors about her “new life”.
I remember another 14-year-old girl named, Nairovis. In fact, I will never forget her. She was a beautiful young lady who hung out at the church all week long with her twin sister. The pastor could only tell us that she and her sister had just started attending the church. It was obvious from the first time we met these girls that Nairovis was much more interested in the Gospel than her sister. She came to the worship services each night. We would see her during the day as we walked through the neighborhood.
I’m not sure why God gave me such a burden for her. Maybe it was because my daughter, Kelly, was also 14 at the time. I prayed for Nairovis all week long and fully expected her to make a decision for Christ each night of the revival when the invitation was extended. She never did. As we came to the last night of the revival, Nairovis was present in the service and it seemed that she was truly under conviction, but the service ended and she still had not made a public decision.
I left the church that night with a heavy heart. The next day we would be heading to the airport in the afternoon to begin our journey back to the United States. That night I could not sleep because of an incredible desire in my heart to see this young lady accept Christ. It was almost 3:00 AM when I woke up my roommate and asked him if he would join me in prayer for this young girl’s salvation.
One reason I am sharing this story is because, in all honesty, I had never had such a burden for one individual. I knew something of being burdened for “lost people”, but I had never been so profoundly impacted over the salvation of one specific person. I literally could not get this young lady’s need for Christ out of mind. In those moments, I understood for the first time the words of the Apostle Paul, “…that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren…”. I understood that only the Holy Spirit could give that kind of burden, that kind of intense desire to see someone give their heart to Jesus.
The next morning I knew that I must talk with Nairovis one more time. I drove to the neighborhood where she lived, found her house, and knocked on the door. Her mother answered the door and I explained to her who I was and asked if I could speak with her daughter in the presence of her and her husband. She invited me into the living room and soon the entire family was present. I spoke to Nairovis as if she were the only person in the room and told her that I could not leave the city without giving her one more opportunity to trust in Christ. I asked her what was keeping her from making this decision. She looked up at me with hopeful eyes and said, “I do not feel I can make this decision without my parents’ permission.”
Immediately, I turned to her parents and explained the decision that Nairovis desired to make. It was an open invitation to explain the gospel to this family. After a few questions and a clear explanation of how a person prays to receive Christ, the father said, “This is an individual decision and if this is what she wants to do then she has my permission.”
I can still see the smile on her face and the light in her eyes as we knelt together in that home and, with her parents’ permission and in their presence, this 14 year old girl asked Jesus to forgive her of her sins and come into her life. Nairovis was the only member of her family who prayed that prayer that day.
I have thought about that family many times since that special day. I do not know why God gave me such a burden for one specific individual. All I know is that He prompted me to pray and He gave me a burden that could not be ignored or neglected. He would not let go of my heart until that young girl had one more opportunity to receive Christ. I regret to say that there have been few times in my life with I have prayed with that kind of passion.
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