Prayer is the Work of Evangelism

My Journey with My Sister

"Hi, my brother. I am having a bad day, and I wanted to ask if you would pray with me." My sister, Kim, called me recently and asked me to pray with her. You might think that would be normal for her since her brother has been a follower of Jesus since 1977 and a pastor since 1987. But that was anything but a normal activity for us to do together. 

You might think, "Oh, you're a pastor. You must have grown up in church." I didn't. I was raised in a loving home but did not know the gospel of Jesus Christ. As a high school sophomore, I started attending the Fellowship Christian Athletes (FCA) meetings. I finally repented of my sins and professed faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior as I entered my senior year in high school. 

After I professed faith in Jesus and realized that eternal life was only found in Jesus Christ, I began telling my family and others about the gospel of Jesus Christ. My sister Kim was not too interested in my new-found faith but was nevertheless my loving sister. As I grew in the grace of Christ, I was learning that the most important thing you could do for someone else was to pray for them and their salvation. I renewed my passion to pray for my sister's salvation in Jesus while in college. To be effective in evangelism, I was taught in college that before you tell your family and others about Jesus, talk to Jesus about your friends and family.

Walking through Life

As life rolled on, we did not talk as much as we did when we were young, raising kids, living life, and pressing on to find our place in this world. During that time, she got married in the Catholic Church, and her two boys attended the Lutheran School system, but yet she did not know Jesus. I continue to pray for my sister's family and health and for her to come to know Jesus as her Lord and Savior.  I remember how she came to my ordination service in Jacksonville, Florida, to support and encourage me as I served the Lord as a pastor and evangelist. 

As the years rolled by, life was hard for my sister. Her husband, Joe, died suddenly of a massive heart attack, her son was shot and has been on medical disability for years, and her youngest son has struggled with health issues. As the season of life continued, she also struggled with many of life's difficulties. We both mourned as our loving parents died some six years apart. I was blessed to see both of my parents come to faith in Jesus and be able to perform their funeral services. I kept praying to Jesus not only to help my sister with life's issues but also for her to come to salvation in Jesus Christ. 

A year ago, Kim called me and asked if I could come to Indianapolis and take her to the hospital due to some health issues. I hurriedly made the three-hour drive and admitted her to the hospital. After her admittance, I returned to her house and realized she needed help. Due to disability, she was unable to keep up with the house. I spent the next several days cleaning her house. While working in the house, I realized her dryer was broken. I called my wife, told her about the situation, and asked if we could buy Kim a dryer. She readily agreed, and I bought her a new dryer and installed it. I shared all I had done for her while she was in the hospital, and she cried. I then shared my salvation story with her again, and she heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. I asked her to repent and profess to Jesus for her salvation. She looked at me eye to eye and said she was not quite ready, but she wanted me to pray for her.

Praying Together

As I prayed for her healing and salvation, I realized that this was the first time I felt she understood the claims of the gospel of Christ. The next day, I brought her home and settled her in her house. We prayed together, and we shared our love for each other. 

Then, I received a fantastic text from Kim a few months later. Kim wrote: "I'm sitting alone in my house sobbing like a baby after reading Ken's story (From my book Disciples Making Disciples). I am ready to say that I believe in Jesus and the one true God with all my heart and soul. Will you show me what to do next?" I immediately called her and shared the gospel of Jesus Christ. She prayed the prayer of repentance and professed faith in Jesus Christ. 

Afterward, she said, "It felt like a hundred-pound weight had been lifted from my shoulders." I told her that I had been praying for 46 ½ years for this moment. I called her later that night and said to her that she professed faith in Jesus on our dad’s 91st birthday. Her spiritual birthday is our dad’s birthday. She texted, "This is the greatest gift Dad ever gave me!" I praised the Lord for my sister's salvation after praying for this for over forty-six years. 

Moving Forward

That night, I reflected on this remarkable answer to my over 46-year prayer. My sister is still struggling with many health issues as she learns to walk with Jesus. We talk to each other often every week, and now it is common for us to pray together. After I prayed with my sister, as she requested, we updated each other on this week's activities in life, and I closed our conversation by saying, "I love my sister."

My sister called me recently and left this message on my phone: "Hey, I just remembered something. I wanted to tell you that I can't believe I've never told you this, but you're the only person that I've ever counted on who has never let me down in my whole life. I love you with all my heart. You've always been the best person to me. Thank you, brother."