If you attend Grace Fellowship, you have heard me say many times that I want you to invite your friends, neighbors, coworkers and family to Jesus.  I do my best to practice what I preach.  For our Christmas Eve services,  I invited some people.  There were 2 in particular that I really invested in and thought were going to come to one of our services at Christmas Eve.  I was so happy when one of them said they would come, and then he did.  The other person did not accept the invitation.  For the one who decided to come to service, my prayer for him shifted. I prayed that he would accept Christ as his personal savior, but he did not make that decision.

Why am I telling you this?   I know that many people at Grace Fellowship and at other churches invite friends and they do not say yes.  I know many of you have someone accept your invitation and come to church, and he or she does not become a Christian.  You may think – now what?  What am I supposed to do?  

I wanted you to know you are not alone.  This happens to me and I want to tell you some things I do when it happens.

1. Keep pursuing them – the worst thing you can do is walk away from them.  Be sure you hang out with them.  Be sure you keeping doing what you were doing before.  If there is an opportunity for a spiritual conversation, have it.  If you can have them over for dinner, cook up a meal.  Watch the ball game together.  Go shopping.  Have coffee.  
2. Keep praying for them – the only being that has access to anyone’s heart completely is God.  Keep asking God to do something powerful.  Ask God to open their minds to spiritual things.  Furthermore, ask them how you can pray for them.  Almost everyone appreciates hearing that some one wants to pray for them.    
3. Keep practically serving them – the best way to care is to show it.  Tell them you want to know how you can make their life better.  Tell them you want to come over and help them paint or cut grass or rake leaves.  Ask if you can watch their kids or help them with their car.  The works of a Christian often have more impact than our words.
4. Keep praising them – there is something about celebrating people.  When they do have a spiritual conversation, thank them.  When they come to church, take them to lunch and value them.  Share with them characteristics and traits about them you love.  Just make sure they know about much you are for them.

I know that we often want results more quickly than we get them.  But do not grow weary in doing good.  Hang in there.