Monthly Archives: March 2014

A Prayer of Desperation

HELPHave you ever been in a place of utter helplessness, a place of complete desperation?  Have you ever totally reached the end of yourself? 

My time at grad school was rapidly coming to an end, and I was seeking a permanent, full-time job.  I had written to about a dozen engineering firms about three months earlier but with no positive responses.

Graduation was just a week or two away, and my wife of nine months, Mimi, was to begin grad school the following week.  I was about to become the only provider, but there were no jobs in sight.  Feeling very needy, I poured out my heart to God in prayer one evening for more than an hour.  I prayed in utter helplessness and desperation like never before.

The next morning, I decided to simply show up at the engineering firm in which I was most interested, located about an hour’s drive away in downtown Boston.  As I entered the front door to the office, having arrived uninvited, the receptionist knowingly asked me, “Are you Ken Wilson?”  After recomposing myself, I responded, “Yes.  But how did you know my name?”

“We called you about an hour ago,” she explained, “to ask if you might be interested in a job with us.  Your wife informed us that you were on your way here at that very moment!” 

The next day I interviewed with them, and the following day I had the job!

Regardless of whether answers to prayer come in amazing ways like this or they don’t come as I might hope, I can trust that God, in His infinite love and wisdom and power, is doing what is best – even if my limited brain can’t fully understand it.  I can trust in the God “who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).

Too Amazing to Keep to Yourself

I’m a recovering evangelism coward.Too Amazing to Keep to Yourself

When I began my Christian walk about 40 years ago, the thought of evangelizing people was both terrifying and repulsive.  But God has transformed that fear into a passion and joy, and today I feel compelled to bring my friends to Christ (much like my lungs feel compelled to suck in oxygen).

However, there’s a great tension that I’ve felt – and maybe you’ve felt it as well.

On the one hand, we’ve come to know God personally, He’s died on the cross to purchase our salvation, and He gives us hope and purpose and meaning for this life, not to mention the assurance of eternal life with Him.  This Good News is truly too amazing to keep to ourselves!

However, on the other hand, we like our friends and we don’t want to alienate them or beat them over the head or offend them or feel rejected by them.  We want to honor and respect and keep our friends and treat them like we’d want to be treated.

My new book – Too Amazing to Keep to Yourself – was just published and released last month.  It addresses this tension straight on.  It is written to help people learn how to share their faith in a way that fits the unique way God has crafted and gifted them, in a way that is safe and non-threatening.  It presents the what, why, who, how, where, and when of personal evangelism.

Here’s some of what you’ll find:

  • A study guide at the end of each chapter provides questions and Bible references for small groups or for personal study.
  • One of twelve common obstacles to sharing our faith is featured with each chapter, along with practical suggestions for overcoming each obstacle.
  • Three sample gospel presentations are included to help the reader learn how to share their faith.

I hope you’ll consider checking it out!  (And I’d love to hear your thoughts.)