December 2011

Caleb Breedlove

My family and I stopped at Wal-Mart after youth night and care groups. While in Wal-Mart, the Holy Spirit reminded me of the challenge given the past Sunday, which was to speak with three individuals (that I did not know) to whom I can demonstrate God’s grace and power. Well, I said it to my family and I was off. I started to randomly converse with people and pretty much was just being goofy.

Then the Holy Spirit said to speak with a person that just passed me. Therefore, I stopped him and explained that I was on a Treasure Hunt for God’s treasure and that God wanted me to tell him that he was one of them. With a funny face he said, "Keep going.” Thus, I began to speak with him about the love of God toward him. After I stopped talking, he told me that he has been reading “Battlefield of the Mind” by Joyce Meyer. He said that he has been thinking about becoming a Christian and said to God,” If You're real and You can give me a sign that You are real, I’ll give You my life.” So I explained to him that I was that sign and invited him to a relationship with Christ. We, right there in the curtain aisle, prayed a simple salvation prayer and exchanged numbers.

Moreover, he asked me to give him a website that has the salvation prayer so that he can pray it more often, and I did. When my family and I regrouped, my mother, sister and brother shared that they prayed for and encourage a person named Anna, whose desire was that her divided family would reunite.

Tonia Upton

I work at "The Carpet Cleaning Company," so I have the opportunity to meet so many people and actually be in their homes nearly every single day. Usually when people share needs or hurts, I always let them know that I'll be praying for them. Well, we had a challenge at church a couple of weeks ago to personally pray for people. One of the prayers for us was for boldness. Somehow I thought that prayer was for everyone else.

This past week I was in someone's home, and the gentleman said that his parents were at the store, but that they'd be coming home soon. He also mentioned that his mother had Alzheimers. I continued to clean the carpets, and when I was almost finished, the parents returned. From the moment the mother returned into the home, she just started screaming and fussing about everything.

I felt a boldness rise up in me, and I grabbed their hands and said, "We just need to pray." The mom looked at me with amazement and said, "You want to pray for me," and then she hugged my neck very tightly. So we all took a few moments, and I led the family in prayer. There was an immediate peace and calmness that took over, and the mother was all smiles from that point on.