Reaching Your World with Luis Palau

The Bible has a clear message about worry: we don’t need it. Luke points out that none of us can add a single hour to our lives by worrying. So how do we deal with it? Where do we go for consolation, for comfort? At times, I’ve dealt with worry and anxiety by venting to a friend or trying to forget the issue with a few hours of TV. While these reactions may bring some immediate relief, there’s only one sure way to replace that anxiety with joy. Psalm 94:18, “When anxiety was great within me, you brought joy to my soul.” When dealing with anxiety, it’s easy to fall back on whatever activity makes us feel comfortable or safe. In many cases, these activities are harmless. They can even be a good way to vent. But the next time you’re looking for comfort ask yourself, “Will this bring joy to my soul, or is it just a distraction?” Turn to the Lord. His peace is different, deeper than the consolation the world has to offer. Give Him your anxieties and worry no more. Only His unfailing grace can bring long-term, joyful restoration to our souls. This is Andrew Palau.

Have you ever noticed yourself procrastinating when you know you have a lot to do? Perhaps you put off preparing because you’re overwhelmed by the work your project will take. Or perhaps you’re just too nervous to get started—like the student who doesn’t start a report until the night before it’s due. Or the businessman who doesn’t prepare for a meeting until the last second. In a world with constant distraction online and in social media, procrastinating has never been so easy. But have you ever stopped to think, what if today was really all we had? Would you have shared the good news with everyone you can think of? Would you have done the things that really matter? The things that matter most to God are those with eternal value: loving and serving our neighbors, and sharing the good news Gospel. The Bible, which is God’s holy Word, tells us in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.” So this week, let’s practice that self-discipline and avoid the distractions that cause us to delay, to put things off, to procrastinate. No more delays! Let’s be bold in sharing the Good News! This is Luis Palau.

Have you ever met someone who seemed to have courage—even in a terrifying situation? I have. In fact, on the news, I saw that 21 Christians in another country were killed for their faith. But this horrible story isn’t actually how the story ended; you see, even in the face of death, these 21 martyrs sang Christian hymns. They remained courageous. They remained faithful. And they rested in God’s strength until the very end. As followers of Jesus, we have access to God’s unlimited well of courage and strength—even in the worst of circumstances. The Bible tells us that God is with us in this life, and we know we will be with Him forever when we go to Heaven. So, truly, we have nothing to fear! Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and help you; I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.” So, wherever you are today, whatever worries you’re dealing with, I want to encourage you to take heart. Trust in the Lord and lean on Him for courage and strength. Who do you know that needs to hear about God’s strength today? Who can you share the Good News of Jesus Christ with? This is Luis Palau.

Are you anxious? Are you going through a difficult time? You know, it’s normal to be stressed out every now and then, but I believe that we actually choose to forfeit peace when we do not spend time in prayer. Think about it. We usually experience the most anxiety when we are feeling busy and overwhelmed. And often, when we feel this way, we forget to set aside time to pray. But my friend, I want to remind you today that prayer has real power. Spending time talking to — and listening to — God Almighty will make a huge difference. Prayer not only releases God’s power in your life, but brings His peace into your stressful situation. Philippians 4:6 and 7 says, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” So, I challenge you to spend at least 15 minutes in prayer each day. Ask God to help you through the situations causing anxiety, and ask Him to reveal who He wants you to share His Good News with. This is Luis Palau.

Have you ever had so much to do that you don’t even know where to start? A friend of mine described this feeling perfectly; she said, “sometimes, the kids need dinner, the house needs cleaning, the laundry needs folding, the dog needs to be walked—and I’m just one person. I can’t do it all!” We all have times when we feel overwhelmed by responsibilities or items on our “to-do list”. But the truth is, we really can’t do it all. We were never meant to! We were meant to lean on Jesus when things get overwhelming. To lean on Him when times are tough, or when we’re tired, or when we feel like giving up. The Bible says, in Isaiah 40:31, “But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Today, no matter how overwhelmed you might feel, I challenge you to surrender yourself to Jesus afresh. Rely on him for strength. Make notes on your iPhone or a piece of paper. Show it to the Lord and ask Him, “Lord, what’s first, what’s second, what’s third.” He’ll guide you. He does me, and He’s promised to guide you also. Life is less overwhelming when we allow our Savior to hold our hand through difficult seasons. This is Luis Palau.

I walked past an old warehouse and all I could see was a massive, decrepit building. When it was built, surely it was attractive and functional but now it desperately needed renovation. Where would you start? It made me think of the story of Gideon in the Bible. God had big plans for the Israelites but they disobeyed God, were taken into the hands of their enemies, and there began to deteriorate. They needed a revival! Gideon was the one called to this major refurbishing effort, but he didn’t feel qualified. Like an abandoned warehouse, his people were falling apart. And while Gideon heard the call, he questioned God multiple times before he forged ahead. Have you been so discouraged before that your faith seems to come to a standstill and momentum just stops? The threat is real and we can easily abandon the call of God on our lives. That’s why Paul wrote to Timothy, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self–discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord God.” Let’s do it! Let’s allow the Word of God to renew and revive our spirits. Gideon doubted at first, but by faith went on to rescue his people. And this testimony can also be ours as we reach our world. This is Andrew Palau.

Communism is the political system that held sway in Russia for many years. Communism ruled the entire lives of the people who lived under it, and it proclaimed that there was no God. Christianity was outlawed. Atheism was taught in schools. Oleg lived in Russia during communism, and he considered himself a part of the Communist party. One day, he accidentally heard one of my sermons that was being broadcast on the radio called “The Road to Eternal Love.” He learned that no one is born a Christian and that everyone must repent of their sins and become born again. So that very day, Oleg repented of his sins and started following Jesus. Oleg’s whole family eventually came to Christ, and he became a pastor. Now his church has about 200 people in it, all serving God. Hearing about Christ made Oleg realize how empty Communism was without God. In Christianity, God loves and deeply cares for you. The Bible tells us that the fool says in his heart, “There is no God,” but for those who believe, God is a refuge. Oleg’s church is now a refuge for those who want to know the fullness of God. And this is all because Oleg accidentally heard a sermon on the radio … but there are no accidents with God. Will you share the Good News of God today, giving refuge to those who need it? This is Luis Palau.

Matt Redman’s dad died when Matt was a young boy. Years later, he found out that his father had committed suicide. In the middle of this pain and confusion, Matt clung to a truth that he had discovered a few years before. When he was 10 years old, Matt’s mother took him to a football stadium where he heard me speak about God the Father’s perfect love, in contrast to the failures of human fathers. It was then that Matt knew he had a Father in heaven. Matt began writing songs about what he was learning in his walk with God. Then he started sharing his songs at church. Now he is one of the most influential Christian songwriters of his generation. “Blessed Be Your Name,” “You Never Let Go,” “The Heart of Worship,” and other worship songs he has written are sung all over the world in churches every Sunday. He does what the Bible commands: “Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day.” This is his God-given calling! Matt never imagined the impact his music would have, but he used the gift the Lord gave him for God’s glory. Now through Matt’s music, people are coming to know the Lord better. All because a little boy needed a father and found one in God the Father. Use your gifts that God has given you to praise Him, and God can do great things. You can impact the world, as Matt does with God’s help. This is Luis Palau.

It was a dark, cold, rainy evening in Wrexham, North Wales, when Mark came to one of our crusade meetings. He was 17 years old with absolutely no interest whatsoever in God, the Gospel, or his Church. That all changed that evening. Mark decided to follow the Lord, and it took him surprising places.Seventeen years later, Mark, his wife, and their four children moved to Romania as missionaries to work with teenagers in prison and those in danger of winding up in prison. The ministry continued to grow over the next years, as they challenged teenagers and exposed them to the Gospel of truth. Because Mark found Christ as a teenager, he has a desire to minister to teenagers. He was willing to move from Wales to Romania to reach those teenagers who need to know Jesus. He is “proclaiming freedom for the prisoners,” as the book of Luke says, freedom that can only be found in Christ. He is making a difference for Jesus, reaching his world. You can too. Think about who you were when you were saved. Can you reach that type of person, telling them what you know about Jesus? Whether you were saved as a child or a teenager or as an adult, you can reach those around you with the Good News of Jesus. Everyone is a prisoner to something; Jesus can set them free. This is Luis Palau.

The Lord called me to be an evangelist, and I can see that from a young age. My father was a great Christian influence on me, taking me to hand out evangelistic Gospel tracts in neighboring towns. We were mocked and insulted, but we continued to spread the word of God — even before I was a true Christian. After I decided to follow Jesus at age 12, I was listening to a radio program in my aunt and uncle’s home. I didn’t hear the preacher’s name but his voice was vibrant and excited. Then another man’s strong deep voice started singing, “Out of my bondage, sorrow and night, Jesus, I come, Jesus I come…” I had been listening to Billy Graham and George Beverly Shea. Stretched out on that living-room floor, listening, I prayed: “Jesus, someday use me on the radio to bring others to You.” Little did I know that one day I would preach to millions of people over the radio, and that I would be in full-time ministry for over fifty years. The Lord calls all of us to spread His word, to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them. If we are obedient to God’s call, He will do great things through us, spreading the Gospel all over the world. This is Luis Palau.