A story of how listening to God leads to ministry

A coworker moved to our based in Philadelphia and shared
this story about listening to the Lord’s voice.

One day I went to the park
to read my Bible and listen to the Lord’s voice about how to minister to my new
neighbors. Allen, a friend I’d made recently,
walked up and immediately

commented that I looked out of place.

After we exchanged niceties I
began sharing the gospel of love with him and asked him what he thought about
it. He didn’t think much about it, but
said he knew some guys from his younger days that put their faith in God and
lead radical lives now. We talked for a
while and then swapped phone numbers and said we’d hang out some other
time.

During that same week I
started a fast for God’s intimacy in my work, and on the third day of my fast
Allen called and asked if I would join him in the park again to talk.

As we met on that same park
bench we’d been on three days before, he poured out the problems plaguing his
life. He admitted he was sick of living
out of control and sick of turning to the wrong things for that control. He and I prayed together and he submitted to
the control of Jesus.

The connection between engaging in listening prayer and
Allen’s appearance is one that we may be tempted to chalk up to
serendipity. But if we believe in a
personal God, we’ll see that this is how he answers the prayers of his
children.