I recently saw a quote from Billy Graham, urging Christians to pray for the salvation of their loved ones and others they know:

When we pray urgently and faithfully for specific lost people, asking God to reach them, God works—often in unique and unexpected ways—to open hearts to Himself.

His comment that God will work in “unique and unexpected ways” reminded me of the “wise woman’s” statement to King David, after Joab had sent her to help Absalom return from exile:

“We will surely die and become like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away a life; but He devises means, so that His banished ones are not expelled from Him.”
— 2 Samuel 14:14, NKJV

Actually, it seems that the word “means” in this verse is not really strong enough to convey the full meaning of the Hebrew word, when we consider how this same Hebrew word is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

It is used for the artistic “designs” both in the tabernacle (Exo. 31:4) and in the temple (2 Chr. 2:14); for the “inventions” (i.e., weapons) of war made by Uzziah’s skillful men (2 Chr. 26:15); of Haman’s “plot” against the Jews (Est. 8:3); of the “plotting” of the shrewd (Job 5:12); of the “plots” (Jer. 11:19) and “schemes” (Lam. 3:61) devised against Jeremiah; of the “schemes” of the King of the North (Dan. 11:24); and very often of the plans, whether good or evil, of man’s heart. (These translations are from the NASB95.)

According to this verse, then, it seems that God is in heaven “devising,” “plotting,” “planning,” and even “scheming” to find ways for sinners to be saved!

Quite often it is so encouraging to hear of the crazy ways in which some people have been brought to faith in Christ; God really does “plot” and “scheme” to bring us to Himself! In my own case, He arranged a situation where the very passion for politics that had prevented me from coming to Christ eventually became the means by which I was brought to faith in Him. (I have made a video of my salvation testimony; you can watch it here: “My Faith, then His.”)

But, as Brother Graham’s word above reminds us, for these “plots” of God to actually be carried out, we must be in earnest prayer to Him for the salvation of others, and for His kingdom to come upon the earth. Watchman Nee said that God’s working is like the locomotive, which is so powerful, but it still needs our prayers to lay the “tracks” for the train of God to run on.

May the Lord raise up so many to pray for the salvation of sinners in these days, that He may bring them back to Himself!

Father…,
Your kingdom come;
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven!
— Matthew 6:9-10

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— 20 August 2022 —