The Kingdom of Heaven Is Near

In his book, That None Should Parish, Ed Silvoso gives four point focus of prayer from Luke 10 for the lost.  One of those points is praying for miracles to meet the felt needs of the lost person being prayed for.  It comes from Luke 10:9, "Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The Kingdom of God is near you.'"  For the past six months Mary Lynne and I have been praying for a dear couple who we believe are persons of peace (people who are open and receptive to the gospel and could be a gateway to share the gospel with their community).  It all began when I was having dinner with the husband.  Through the meal we talked about many things.  He shared a personal crisis he and his wife was experiencing.  However, there was no open door for me to testify of the goodness of God in my life.  As I drove home I heard the Spirit say in my heart, "Your not praying for him."  So I began to pray regularly for the crisis they were experiencing.  

My friend and his wife are PHD students are the University of Texas at Arlington(UTA).  They are Iranians.  Because they are foreigners the International Office and UTA required proof of their ability to pay for the upcoming fall semester.  However, they had exhausted the funds they had brought with them from Iran and with the US Sanctions on Iran, they were unable to transfer any funds by wire to the US.  If they could not provide proof of funds to pay for the fall semester they would have to return to Iran in six weeks.  So Mary Lynne and I prayed asking our heavenly Father to act in a miraculous way, on their behalf.  Three weeks later we saw them and the wife's comment was, "God is so close to us!"  The husband had received a scholarship for his tuition in the coming year and the wife had received a work visa within a two week period to secure a part time position working with the city of Arlington.  

A few months later, we had dinner with them.  We asked how we could be praying for them.  As it turned out she became pregnant so he felt like he needed a job to provide for the extra expenses of a baby.  She asked us to pray that her parents would be granted tourist visas so they could come and help with the baby.  That evening the wife told Mary Lynne, "It seems as though God hears your prayers more than ours."  Mary Lynne and I prayed.  Immediately her mother received a visa, but her father didn't.  Four weeks later the husband was hired to work part time on a research project.  Then 10 weeks later her father received his visa.

Our friend delivered her baby after a long ordeal in labor.  She had the flu and the baby is overdue by two weeks.  Mary Lynne and I kept asking the Father to strengthen her to deliver a healthy baby.  We prayed for the doctor and her team.  We had been asking the Father to work in a way that will show His goodness and power in their lives.  As we listened to their story about the labor and birth of their little girl a few days later.  She looked at us and said the birthing team (doctor and nurses) were perfect thanks to your prayers.  Once again the Father answered our prayers in the name of Jesus.  We are looking forward to telling them, "The kingdom of heaven is near you!"