God's Promptings

How many times have we sensed the Holy Spirit prompting up to pursue someone and we simply had good intentions to follow up, but let it fall through the cracks?

I know it has happened to me before. Why? Maybe a lack of what to do or say or how to approach them.

The Lord normally doesn't put people on our hearts for no reason, but desires us to pray and seek a way(s) to reach out and pursue them.

This scenario happened yesterday to Joey when, during his quiet time, the Lord put a particular individual on his heart that he went to youth group with. This guy had definitely gotten off on the wrong path and wasn't walking with the Lord. He had been in prison for multiple DWI's. Joey told me about the prompting and I told him I would pray and ask the Lord to show him something specific that he needed to do. So, yesterday during his lunch break he tracked this guy down (he knew where he worked) and showed up and invited him to lunch. They went to Dairy Queen and over lunch this guy shared his heart with Joey and what had been going on with him and what God had been doing in his life. He is back in church and going to AA. Joey tried to encourage him and listen to him share his struggles/victories. He doesn't know why God led him to do it or why He prompted him to pursue this guy, but he didn't want to let it go. The guy gave Joey all of his numbers where he could be reached and invited him to go fishing with him sometime.

Joey may never know why, but only God knows what fruit will become of their meeting. Maybe the guy just needed a bit of encouragement; someone to show they cared; someone to reach out the love of Christ to him when the world has turned its back on him.

If the Lord puts someone on your heart, don't neglect the prompting. Pray and ask Him to show you a very specific way that you need to reach out. Could be a card of encouragement, a phone call, a lunch date, a gift of some sort, intercessory prayer on their behalf or something else specific. This person could be a believer or not one at all. The logistics in how you minister might be different if they know the Lord, but the point is don't ignore the Holy Spirit. Don't let shyness, pride, or busyness get in the way of ministering to someone. Tell them the Lord laid them on your heart and what the Lord showed you to do. You will be blessed and I guarantee will come away more encouraged than the recipient.