For many Christians, the deepest longing is that family members and friends who have not yet believed might come to know Christ soon and receive salvation, yet this is not an easy matter. We may try to share the gospel, whether through fluent, eloquent presentations or through halting yet sincere testimonies, but sometimes they do not have the effect we had hoped for. Day after day, year after year, we no longer know how to pass the message of the gospel to our families effectively. This is our deepest desire, yet it often leaves us feeling helpless.
In the week that has just passed, a distant relative of mine, whom I call my aunt, received baptism on her sickbed, and through this I witnessed God’s great power and mercy. Looking back on the process of sharing the gospel with her, it was God’s mercy and grace that had been at work all along. A few years ago, when she was unwell, I went to visit her in the hospital. There was nothing I could do except muster the courage to pray for her, yet God used this opportunity to reveal Himself to her, because she felt that after my prayer her physical condition improved. From that time on, she began to take an interest in God. Step by step, God led her to become increasingly open to Jesus Christ, until one day, under the “pressure” from me and my Christian friends, she prayed the prayer of commitment with me. At the time, I was not very confident in my heart, because I felt that she might not really understand much of what was said, and I did not know how to help her desire a deeper understanding. However, what people see as difficult, God has His own way and guidance. I do not know how the Holy Spirit was working in her heart; I only saw that she seemed more and more willing to open her heart to Christ Jesus. Then one day, when I prayed for her health again, besides asking for God’s healing, she was also willing to admit that she was a sinner who needed the salvation of Jesus Christ. God’s work greatly amazed me: her heart was drawing closer and closer to Christ; it was God Himself who led her to return to Christ!
We love our relatives and family members and long for those who have not yet believed to turn to the Lord soon. Now, through what I have seen in this aunt of mine, I am convinced that God’s work always surpasses what we ask or imagine. Therefore, even when things appear very difficult, we must not give up. Keep praying for them, and trust that, because of His own faithfulness and mercy, God will allow us to witness His wonderful and beautiful deeds in their lives!
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對許多基督徒來說，最重要的期盼就是家中還沒有信主的親友可以早日認識基督，領受救恩，這並不是一件容易的事。我們或許試著分享福音，不管是滔滔不絕，出口成章的分享，還是結結巴巴，誠懇真摯地見證，有時候並未如我們所期待地那樣產生效果。日復一日，年復一年，我們已經不知道怎樣才能有效地向家人傳遞福音信息，雖然這是我們心裡最深的渴望，卻又令我們常常覺得束手無策。
剛過去的這一周，我的一位遠房親戚，我稱她為姑姑，在病床上接受了洗禮，使我見證了神的大能和憐憫。回想我向她傳福音的過程，是神的憐憫和恩典一直在工作。前幾年，她身體不適的時候，我去醫院探望她，我不能做什麼，只能鼓起勇氣為她禱告，神卻藉此機會向她顯明自己。因為她覺得自從我的禱告以後，她的身體感覺有了改善。就是從這時候起，她開始對神有了興趣。神一步步帶領她，對耶穌基督越來越有開放的心態，直到有一次，在我和我的基督徒朋友的「逼迫」下，她與我一起做了決志禱告。雖然，我當時心裡並不以為然，因為我覺得很多內容，她可能並不真正明白，我也不知道如何可以讓她有心去了解地更清楚。然而，人以為困難的事，神卻有祂的方法和帶領，我並不知道聖靈如何在她心裡動工，我只是發現，她似乎越來越對基督耶穌敞開心扉，直到有一天，我再次為她身體健康禱告的時候，除了祈求神的醫治，她也願意承認自己是個罪人，需要耶穌基督的拯救。神的工作令我大大地驚訝，她的心已經越來越靠近基督，是神自己帶領她歸向了基督！
我們愛我們的親友家人，盼望未信主的家人早日歸主。而今，從我這位姑姑的身上，我相信神的作為總是超過我們所求所想，所以即便看起來很困難，也不要放棄，堅持為他們禱告，相信神會因著他自己的信實和憐憫，讓我們看見他奇妙美好的作為！
