Chapter Seven

Delay of the Heart

Understanding more about witnessing will help us be a more effective witness. I have witnessed to so many individuals that I have noticed something that I will call a delay of the heart. The Lord deals with all of us differently and our hearts are all different. I noticed as I spent more time with some individuals, I saw interesting results. Many who had already said they were saved or those who said that they were not interested seemed to experience conviction and the Holy Spirit would begin to deal with their hearts. Oftentimes these responses would surprise me. It seems the Holy Spirit needs more time with some individuals. It is so important to sow the Word of God into someone's heart and be sure and wait for it to be nourished.

1 Peter 1
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

It seems the delay is as if a seed is growing and a war is being waged for the soul. Is the delay from the heart? Could it be that the world that has entered tries to choke the Word and we must give time for the Word to come forth as a seed.

Mark 4
18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

A pastor and I were going to witness for about an hour since it was so cold outside. I could see he was really enjoying going door to door. Now the pastor and I walked back to the same park that I had witnessed in earlier. We saw several kids playing basketball. We walked across the park and talked to the kids. It was a text book witness. We asked the kids if they were saved and they said, "Yes." Then I probed further and asked if they had ever prayed to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and they had not. One young boy was eager to give his heart to the Lord and as I took his hand the pastor and I noticed something happening to the other young boy. We noticed he was crying and reaching out like he was blind while trying to take our hands. It seemed that he was experiencing a tremendous conviction by the Holy Spirit. The pastor asked if he wanted to give his heart to the Lord and he said, "Yes." Both young men accepted Jesus as Lord. It was a beautiful witness day. I will remember this day and I will return in hopes of more souls.

Several months later a deacon from my church and I went back to this same park to witness. We met the eleven year old boy who was saved as the Holy Spirit seemingly convicted so strong. He was playing basketball on the same basketball courts that I had spoke to him before. I remember this boy had something unusual happen to him as a pastor and I witnessed to the other boy that day.

This boy told us his story in his own words. It was a powerful testimony and so pure. He told us that he had been saved on the basketball court and he has new friends. It seemed that he had not chosen the friends but they found him. The Lord prepared him new friends. I told him that I remember him standing beside a pastor as we started to pray for another young man. I said that I remembered him crying, reaching out, and being overtaken by God as he asked for salvation. I asked him to tell us what had happened that day. He said that God spoke to him that he must be saved at that moment and that he felt the presence of God going through him. It was interesting to hear what happened to this boy in his own words. Surely God was on the basketball court that day through the person of the Holy Spirit.

We gave him a WWJD bracelet and explained what it meant. I am sure God will keep this young man. It seems that He chose Him on the basketball court. I was excited to see that day on the court as we saw the convicting power of the Holy Spirit radiate onto this young man as we prayed with another.

This is what it is all about. The fruit remains and the young boy was changed, not by us but by the power of God. Continue to pray for those that come to know Christ in the streets that God would keep them from evil.

I thought later that the convicting power of God took longer for Robert than his friend. We should be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and allow Him time to work in the hearts of those who we speak to. We need to take our time with the one person we are speaking to and not be concerned or distracted with anything else. Have we missed opportunities to win others to Christ by expecting an immediate response? While we see people saved sometimes as quickly as in six seconds, let's be prepared for those that require longer for the Lord to deal with them.

Psalms 25
2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.
3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
4 Show me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
6 Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD.

On another occasion, we met a young girl in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and her name was Candy. She was sitting on the passenger side of an old red pickup truck. We shared with her about Christ, and I asked the Question as I extended my hand and placed it on the ledge of the pickup window. She looked at my hand, and for some reason, just sat there and trembled with conviction. At an early age, Candy had already been involved so deep in sin that it was difficult for her to make a decision. It was so sad to watch as she tried but could not take my hand to receive Christ.

Her mother returned to the truck, and I spoke to her as I left my hand on the truck window's ledge for Candy to take. The mother said that they both were Christians. I told her mother that Candy was not a Christian and was lost in this world and for her to begin praying that her daughter would come to Christ. As her mother cried, I waited and waited. Finally, about ten minutes later it seemed to take all her strength to reach and take my hand. Candy took my hand that day and I was glad that I waited for her to come to Christ. I was so excited to see this miracle of salvation as Candy was born again. There seemed to be a delay in Candy's heart as the Holy Spirit worked within her soul. Candy wanted to make the decision, once and for all, for Christ. Was it unusual to lead someone to Christ in a pickup truck? Should I have waited until she somehow found the front door of a church? Would she had the courage to come? Only God knows!

In the Bible, we have seen many examples of delays working in the life of an individual. We can see that the answer to Daniel's prayer was delayed twenty-one days.

Daniel 10
12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.
13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

While the Lord answers immediately, it seems that Daniel's prayer was delayed from spiritual influences in this world. Oftentimes, we see this in the lives of those that we speak to as they try to choose between Christ and that which they plan to do even that night or next week. The Holy Spirit causes all of us to deal with sin and offers us a choice to receive Christ.

Psalms 130
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

Street University Lesson Seven

Group Discussion

1. Discuss the concept of the delay of the heart. Discuss examples when you have seen this delay when you were in a church service and people did not respond until the last altar call was given and how this relates to witnessing in the street and the delay of the heart.

Bible Study

1. Study the scriptures for examples where Christ waited for people to respond to His message.
   The Samaritan Woman John 4:7-26

Optional Assignment

1. The next opportunity that you have to witness, take your time with the person you are witnessing to. Watch for the delay of the heart.