There is a story told about a young minister who was discouraged that his sermons did not seem to have an effect on the congregation. No one accepted Christ as Savior. No one rededicated themselves to God’s work. No one returned from a backslidden state to a healthy relationship with God. No one expressed a calling from God to be in the ministry. No one had their marriages healed. It seemed as if nothing happened when the minister preached.
An experienced evangelist one day came to town. The young minister explained his plight to the evangelist. He poured his heart out to the older man that had been serving God for many years. He even considered leaving the ministry.
The evangelist had only one response. He said, “You do not really expect for something to happened each time you preach did you?” The young pastor thought for a second. He replied, “I guess I really don’t.” Then the evangelist put his finger on the spiritual pulse on the other man’s condition. He said, “That is your problem. You have no expectation for God to hear your prayers or for the Holy Spirit to move upon your congregation.”
This is a lesson for all of us! When we pray or attempt to serve God, we must have a sincere expectation that God will honor our efforts. We must step forward in God’s behalf to those around us and even to ourselves or loved ones with a genuine conviction that something will happen. We must believe that we’re not just saying spiritual sounding words. We must serve God from our spiritual heart and spiritual mind. Ours is not an exercise in futility. We are builders. As the cliché says, “We are the movers and shakers.”
Christian Writer 