From Knees to Need
Why do I suddenly feel knee pain? Steven wondered.
Steven and James had just left a baptism for a Muslim background believer when they saw a security guard making his rounds around the premises of a nearby park in Dallas, Texas. Steven suddenly experienced unexplainable knee pain. He had a thought that perhaps the Holy Spirit was signaling that the security guard had knee pain. This is not a normal experience for Steven, and he almost dismissed the thought. But at the last minute he decided to approach the man.
“Hey, this is a crazy question, but do you have any knee pain right now?” Steven inquired.
“All the time” were the first words out of the guard’s mouth.
“Could we pray for your knees?” Steven asked.
“Sure,” the guard replied.
The security guard’s name was Nathan, and Steven and James prayed for healing in Nathan’s knees. After the prayer, Nathan spent time explaining his uncertainties about God and Christianity, and finally said, “How can you really know God is real? And how do I really know it was Him that made my knees feel better?”
Steven interrupted him, “Wait… your knees are feeling better?”
“Yeah… but how do I really know that’s God and not a coincidence?” Nathan began elaborating on a past negative religious experience.
Steven prayed out loud that God would eradicate the specific barriers holding Nathan back, then asked directly, “Nathan, if you could have a relationship with Jesus today and know you had peace with God is that something that you want?”
Nathan’s eyes widened, and he simply said, “Yes.”
They shared the gospel with him using the Three Circles tool. He was completely silent, listening intently. After he admitted that he was currently in brokenness, they asked him if there was anything stopping him from believing and surrendering to Jesus.
“No… nothing.” Nathan went on to suggest, “My shift ends in twenty minutes. After I finish, can I meet you guys at the coffee shop next door?”
Steven and James waited at the coffee shop not knowing what to expect. Thirty minutes later Nathan indeed walked into the shop. They talked more about the gospel, read Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 2, talked about Jesus having all authority. Nathan declared that he was ready to surrender and wanted to get baptized in obedience to Jesus.
They were just a short walk from the baptismal pond where Steven and James had witnessed a baptism earlier that afternoon so they walked over there. Nathan took off his jacket, socks, and shoes, walked into the pool with the rest of his clothes on, and they baptized their new brother in Christ.