Do you remember the man or woman who influenced your life towards the Lord? Maybe someone spoke truth into your life, or stood by you in prayer, or answered your questions about God and the Bible. One day that someone’s prayers for you were answered when you understood the love of Jesus for the first time and received His forgiveness and new life in Him.
Gospel for Asia-supported missionary Latha faithfully prayed for a young man named Bheru for many years, and it was at a moment of tender need that he realized the love of Christ displayed in Latha’s life.
This is Gospel for Asia-supported missionary Latha with her two sons.
A Longsuffering Friendship
Bheru, battled mental illness. His mother had asked her friend Latha, a GFA-supported woman missionary, to pray for her son to receive healing. After Latha prayed, Bheru and his mother started going to church, and soon, the Lord healed Bheru completely. But the miracle in his life, didn’t seem to leave any lasting impression on Bheru’s life. Rather, it was like he had forgotten the answered prayers.
Instead of trusting the Lord and loving the God who showed such kindness and love toward him, Bheru went his own way. Later he married a woman named Aarushi, who was also not interested in the One who healed him.
But Latha did not forget about Bheru. She prayed regularly for him and visited him and his new bride to encourage them in the Lord. But Aarushi especially showed little interest in what Latha shared. She did her best to avoid Latha whenever she came to visit.
Latha endured three years of prayer on her knees for Bheru, and didn’t see much fruit. She longed for the young man who had experienced the healing power of Christ to understand His love. This is why she rejoiced when she received an unexpected phone call from Bheru.
Bheru was calling to ask Latha to pray for Aarushi who was in labor with their firstborn child. It appeared he hadn’t forgotten the power of prayer after all. Latha rushed to the hospital to encourage and pray for Aarushi. Peace flooded the young couple’s hearts. Instead of avoiding Latha, Arushi found great comfort in her prayers.
Before long a healthy baby girl was born, and a new faith in Jesus sprouted in Bheru’s and Aarushi’s his hearts. The kindness and helpfulness Latha displayed toward Bheru and Aarushi touched them. Now they both want to know Christ and receive His love and grace!
Latha’s example of Jesus’s longsuffering love eventually helped Bheru and Aarushi find the Lord and His redeeming grace. Isn’t is beautiful how the Lord meets us through the simple prayers, or acts of kindness His children display? God is using people like Latha, to display the constant, pursuing heart of Christ. It is our joy at Gospel for Asia (GFA) to hear these stories. We rejoice with the angels for the new sons and daughters adopted into God’s family.
If you have a testimony of enduring many years of prayer and waiting, feel free to share those with us in the comments section below! If those prayers are still unanswered, we will intercede for you and with you.
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” —Galatians 6:2
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