Expect Success

The 19th-century English preacher Charles H. Spurgeon, known as the “Prince of Preachers,” recalled a time when a young man approached him for advice.

“I have preached in the streets,” the young man told him, “and I have seen no converts.”

“Do you expect people to be converted every time you preach?” Spurgeon asked.

“No, sir.”

“That is the reason you do not succeed,” said Spurgeon, “because you do not expect to do so.”

When I preach the gospel, I expect people to come to Christ—because there is power in the gospel. It impacts people. So I expect it.

When we share the gospel, we should expect God to bless it. Speaking to the prophet Isaiah, God said of His word, “I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it” (Isaiah 55:11 NLT).

No doubt you know someone who doesn’t want to hear about the Lord. They don’t want to hear you talk about the Bible. And they don’t want an invitation to church.

Maybe you’ve written them off, because every time you engage them in a conversation, it turns into a conflict. But let me ask you something: Will you focus your prayers in particular on those difficult people? They may, in fact, be closer to coming to Christ than you realize.

Sometimes, one of the reasons a person will strike out at you when you share the gospel is because they’re under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. That very reaction could be a good sign rather than a bad one. So pray for those people.

William Carey said, “Attempt great things for God. Expect great things from God.” That is what we need to do as followers of Jesus Christ.