Art Class Prayer

[Asmi-chan]

Okay, the deal is, there's some people in my High School Art Class that I really want to pray for, cause me and one of my other Christian friends have been talking to them every so often and I really hope it's been helping. Here's the situations:

Guy #1- He's an atheist, for starters. He pretty much thinks that Jesus didn't really exist at all. We've been trying to tell him the truth for a little while now.

Guy #2- He doesn't know what to think, really. This kind of thing has been going through his head for a long time, and he's trying to sort it all out. I get the feeling that he's not far away from the truth at all.

Guy #3- A Buddhist, atleast he says he is. He hangs around Guy #2 alot, so he's been hearing most of the stuff we've been saying.

Gal #1- She's an old friend of mine, but I'm about 80-90% sure that she's not a Christian. She's been to church enough, I'm sure, but I don't think it's reached her yet.

I haven't had that much experience with witnessing before, so I could really use prayers for me, my friend, the four I mentioned, and the rest of the Art Class.

[Spiritsword]

I will pray for all of you.

[Rogie]

I'll be praying that God will give you the strength to witness and the words to say!

[Shinja]

ill pray,

[Azier the Swordsman]

I will pray as well.

[Tet-chan]

i'll ask God to grant you wisdom and be patient

[Heaven's Cloud]

I will lift the people you mentioned but first I would like to state something.

You say that one of them is a Buddhist. Well I don't think you are going to be able to change him. Buddhism is different from Christianity, and I think that you are trying to change hime, that is great, but he is a Buddhist and I respect his religion. Some advice would be not to try to change him. Even that you know that the Truth is not what he believes, the best thing to do would leave him alone. The reason I'm saying this is that I have a friend that is Buddhist and I tryed to say that the path he was following was not the best. He said that his religion was like an opinion, that he believed what he believed and you believed what you believe. That tought me about opinions and religions. If you feel the urge to try to change him that might be the best thing to do, but would suggest leaving him alone about that. Sorry.

I'm not really saying his religion is the way to go I am not saying that his religion is better than anybodys, I'm just saying that your probably not going to change him, and that is what he believes. I really wasn't clear enough on that.

[Retten]

I will be praying that God shows you how to witness to these people!

[Azier the Swordsman]

Yet, despite my beliefs, I myself have completely lost hope in witnessing. I'm quite cynical and I think that people never change, and it's beyond my ability to shepherd the lost. If they find Jesus on their own, that's fine. But I can't do it. For too long have people followed the beliefs of Christianity simply because it was imposed on them by family or government. And these days, missionaries are called "intolerant, hegemonizers and imperialists." Well, I've given up. I'll continue to believe in Christ, but if others refuse Him, that's *their* prerogative. I will not meddle in their affairs.

I would have to disagree with you on that. Not trying to start a debate, let me say that I have seen some of the most unlikely people change immensily for the better, in sometimes shocking proportions.

[true_noir_chloe]

I'll be praying the Lord gives you the words to say and moves in their hearts. Let me give you some words of hope: I was a die hard atheist in high school, actually ridiculing Christians and joking about the Bible as just some phony best seller, when one young girl spoke to me. She never witnessed at first, but we became friends because we had similar interests in music. Slowly the Lord kept speaking to my heart, as arrogant as I was, through her words. She took my abuse and everything and stood firm in her scriptures. Six months later I visited her church and in a few weeks I was weeping and walking down the aisle in a small Southern Baptist church. I had never stepped into a church my whole life.

I think all of the kids you are witnessing have the possibility of believing, stay faithful and listen to the Spirit and how He leads. Remember kindness reaches so many more people than antagonism and well-thought of arguments. Read scripture in it's full scope and find out what Christ was really saying when he spoke to His disciples. "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6 Never waiver from the truth you know and let God do the work. I know it will work out. You'll be in my prayers.

[Asmi-chan]

Ah, arigato minna-san! You guys are the greatest! I luvs you all! I'll be praying for all you peeps, too! I believe witnessing is very important cause all those lost souls that are headed for hell just make me feel like crying.

Please keep up the prayers. They're definitely needed.

[Mave]

That's pretty hard. #2 is definitely lost, but I think there's more hope in him coming to Christ than the other three. I feel a big bunch of benevolence is just waiting to happen and change his (her?) life around.

But I feel bad for gal #1. People who just go to church as an obligation, who don't really believe in what they hear are the ones least affected by the Word. They are like the hard soil in the parable of the sower. But, no one is completely beyond hope. We can't see the future, but God can.

Yet, despite my beliefs, I myself have completely lost hope in witnessing. I'm quite cynical and I think that people never change, and it's beyond my ability to shepherd the lost. If they find Jesus on their own, that's fine. But I can't do it. For too long have people followed the beliefs of Christianity simply because it was imposed on them by family or government. And these days, missionaries are called "intolerant, hegemonizers and imperialists." Well, I've given up. I'll continue to believe in Christ, but if others refuse Him, that's *their* prerogative. I will not meddle in their affairs.

I learnt this yesterday and it made me cry in angry tears (Angry at myself for not realizing this earlier). For 2-3 years, I've dedicated myself to witnessing and trying to get ppl to follow God's code. It often fails, frustrates me and reminds me that ppl are not perfect. I felt like shaking ppl "Why would you not listen to God??!! Why go do something else that's destructive?!"

But God spoke to me yesterday. Even in witnessing, God only commanded us to "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation."(Mark 16:15) He didn't say, "Go and change everyone." Only God can change ppl's hearts. But our job (possibly more important than witnessing itself) is to love and pray for them. And that's the point of this thread. We will never give up hope. I have you in my prayers.