Sermon Illustrations

THE PRAYER OF GRANDMA JONES

I'd like to tell you the story about an old lady that everybody called "Grandma Jones." She had a close relationship with Jesus. And she knew that Jesus wanted her to be a soul-winner. She wanted to lead others to Christ.

However, Grandma Jones was pretty much home bound. She didn't drive. She had no family to take her places. But she had a desire to tell others about the love of Jesus.

Every day, Grandma Jones sat in her rocking chair, looking out the living room window at all the people walking by her house. She knew that many of them did not know Jesus Christ, and they would face an eternity in hell. Grandma Jones had what it took to be a missionary.

Grandma Jones looked out her window on the fields. She prayed that somehow she'd be able to win somebody to Christ. But she didn't know exactly how to do that. She had no way to get out much. Very few people came to visit her. But she made up her mind that if the Lord would open a door, she'd have the courage to walk through it.

Grandma Jones began to pray that the Lord would bring her someone to speak to about Jesus. After a couple of days of praying and no answer, she was up one morning at 4:00. She couldn't sleep. She knew her days on earth were few and she desperately wanted to lead just one person to Christ. Would the Lord never grant her prayer?

Grandma Jones cared! She wanted to do something for Jesus. So as she prayed at 4:00 in the morning, she heard a knock on her door. She looked out the window... And saw that it was a Deputy from the Sheriff's Department. She opened the door. The Deputy asked if anything was wrong. He had seen her light saw her sitting in her chair.

"I was just praying that Jesus would let me lead somebody to Him before I die." She explained.

The Deputy sat down with Grandma Jones... And they began to talk. The Deputy talked about all the problems he faces in his job. He talked about the problems he and his wife were having. After listening to the Deputy for several minutes... Grandma Jones said: "You need Jesus in your life!" The Deputy asked, "What do I need to do?" And Grandma Jones led that Deputy to faith in Jesus right there in her living room at 4:00 in the morning! Grandma Jones was used by Jesus in his fields white unto harvest.

That Deputy's soul was saved... because Grandma Jones was #1 Aware of the need, #2 Bold enough to seize the moment. And #3 Concerned for the lost.

(From a sermon by David Rigg, The A-B-C's of Missions, 10/6/2011)

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