The following story is about a female believer surnamed Li who prayed persistently for her family, and then all 18 members of her family became believers.
As the middle child in her family, Li has an older and younger brother, each of whom has married with children. Once I asked her how she kept up her family worship during the pandemic, Li said, "I often tell them my own story about the grace of the Lord. I don't always tell them to believe in Jesus, but in my communication with them, I always tell them what Jesus Christ has done for me with silent prayers."
"My cousin always had a headache because he was too fussy. So I gave him a Bible after sharing the gospel with him, but he just agreed to read it. I continued to pray for him, and years passed, he became a Christian."
She said, "Having a heavy-smoking father, my mother and I used to pray for him to accept the Lord, but he just said, 'I've already believed, it's just ok.' Knowing he had not yet known Jesus, my mother and I continued to pray for him. Later, beginning to hate smoking, he even couldn't stand the smell. Willing to go to the church, he signed up for the catechism class, often bursting into tears while singing poetry, though the first time he refused to attend the class."
"I was the first person in my family to be baptized, followed by my daughter, with my husband unbelieving. No matter how I preach the gospel to him, he wouldn't listen. I had to entrust it to the Lord, continuing to pray for him. Then something happened to my husband who later found that God is true and living. After that, he gradually repented his sins, returning to the Lord, thank God!" the woman added.
"My two brothers are businessmen who were busy every day. Every time I saw them, I shared with them the Lord's word, presenting them with bibles. I would often ask them which chapters they had read and what they had to share. After a few years like this, seeing they hadn't learned any, I was worried and managed to let them attend a Bible class, asking church members to pray for them."
“Later, my younger brother believed first and was baptized, followed by the sister-in-law. It makes a difference to have one believer in a family. The one who was first transformed by grace became the bright light of the family, and through him, the whole family found the source of blessing. Then I came up with the idea of having a family gathering every weekend with my two brothers, to share God's word and grace which is more important than to eat together. At first, the older brother and the wife of the younger brother who did not believe in God were unwilling to participate, eager to escape the meeting. But when the older brother saw how the whole family including kids were happy together, he came to accept the gospel, being baptized last year."
"I have been praying for them all these years, knowing that I can't do anything. We are sowers, but only the Holy Spirit can make it grow. And I have truly seen the power of God to change lives through the earnest prayer of others believers. But for the grace of God, I do not know how my two brothers and their families become now! Thankfully, my family of 18 people all have become Christians!” she concluded.
- Translated by Leo Liu
下面这个故事是一个姐妹恒切为家人祷告，后来全家18个亲人都信主了。
这位栗姊妹，是家中的老二，有哥哥和弟弟，各自成家并育有儿女。有次我问起她在疫情中如何坚持家庭聚会崇拜，栗姊妹分享道：
“我也常把自己经历主的恩典讲出来，我没有总说让他信耶稣，只是在交流中，常讲耶稣基督为我成就的事，并在心里默默坚持为其祷告。
“我的堂哥，因为爱计较总是头疼，我就劝他信主，并给他讲福音，送他圣经，但当时他只是答应看看。我就持续为他祷告，多年过去，这位堂哥也信主了！
“父亲之前抽烟特别厉害，我和母亲就常为他祷告，并让他接受主，他只是说：我已经信了，不一定非得怎么样。但我知道他还没有认识耶稣，我和母亲持续为他祷告。后来，他就开始讨厌抽烟甚至不能闻到烟的味道，自此之后，他就愿意去教会了。第一次给他报名受洗培训，他不愿意，第二次，自己主动去的，并且常会因为唱诗歌而泪流满面！”
“我们家是我最早信的主，然后我女儿跟我信，丈夫不信，我怎么劝他都不听。我只有交给主，也是持续为他祷告，后来经历了些事情，也让丈夫看到我们所信的神是又真又活的神，之后，他也就慢慢悔改信主了，感谢主！
“而我两位兄弟是生意人，天天忙，但我每次见他们，就跟他们分享主的事情，也送他们圣经，时常询问他们读到哪了，有什么要分享的，就这样一晃数年过去，看他们实在没什么进展，内心着急。就勉强他们参加教会的查经班，也请教会的弟兄姐妹为他们祷告。
“后来，弟弟先信了，还受了洗，接着是大嫂。一个家中有一人信主，那就真不一样了。先蒙恩改变的，成了家里的明光，也藉着他，让全家人认识到蒙福的源头。后来，我就想出个法子，每周末与兄弟三家聚一次，是家庭性的，而聚在一起，吃饭是次要的，更多的是分享上帝的话语和恩典，起初不信的大哥和弟妹还不乐意参加，总想逃离，但看我们真的很开心，很喜乐地欢聚在一起，家里的孩子们也开心，慢慢就接受了，去年大哥也悔改信主了。
“这么多年，我一直没有间断为他们祷告，因知我做不了什么。撒种的是我们，浇灌的、使其生长的，都是圣灵的工作。而我也真实地看到了上帝的大能，藉着我们弟兄姊妹的肯切祷告，是有改变人生命的大能。若非主的恩典，我真不知道我的两位兄弟和他们各自的家人现在在哪儿！感恩的是，目前我们一家大小十八口人都已决志信主。”
注：本文为特约/自由撰稿人文章，作者系河南一名基督徒。
http://www.fuyinshibao.cn/article/index/id/61217
祈祷的力量—栗姊妹一家十八口的得救记
The following story is about a female believer surnamed Li who prayed persistently for her family, and then all 18 members of her family became believers.
As the middle child in her family, Li has an older and younger brother, each of whom has married with children. Once I asked her how she kept up her family worship during the pandemic, Li said, "I often tell them my own story about the grace of the Lord. I don't always tell them to believe in Jesus, but in my communication with them, I always tell them what Jesus Christ has done for me with silent prayers."
"My cousin always had a headache because he was too fussy. So I gave him a Bible after sharing the gospel with him, but he just agreed to read it. I continued to pray for him, and years passed, he became a Christian."
She said, "Having a heavy-smoking father, my mother and I used to pray for him to accept the Lord, but he just said, 'I've already believed, it's just ok.' Knowing he had not yet known Jesus, my mother and I continued to pray for him. Later, beginning to hate smoking, he even couldn't stand the smell. Willing to go to the church, he signed up for the catechism class, often bursting into tears while singing poetry, though the first time he refused to attend the class."
"I was the first person in my family to be baptized, followed by my daughter, with my husband unbelieving. No matter how I preach the gospel to him, he wouldn't listen. I had to entrust it to the Lord, continuing to pray for him. Then something happened to my husband who later found that God is true and living. After that, he gradually repented his sins, returning to the Lord, thank God!" the woman added.
"My two brothers are businessmen who were busy every day. Every time I saw them, I shared with them the Lord's word, presenting them with bibles. I would often ask them which chapters they had read and what they had to share. After a few years like this, seeing they hadn't learned any, I was worried and managed to let them attend a Bible class, asking church members to pray for them."
“Later, my younger brother believed first and was baptized, followed by the sister-in-law. It makes a difference to have one believer in a family. The one who was first transformed by grace became the bright light of the family, and through him, the whole family found the source of blessing. Then I came up with the idea of having a family gathering every weekend with my two brothers, to share God's word and grace which is more important than to eat together. At first, the older brother and the wife of the younger brother who did not believe in God were unwilling to participate, eager to escape the meeting. But when the older brother saw how the whole family including kids were happy together, he came to accept the gospel, being baptized last year."
"I have been praying for them all these years, knowing that I can't do anything. We are sowers, but only the Holy Spirit can make it grow. And I have truly seen the power of God to change lives through the earnest prayer of others believers. But for the grace of God, I do not know how my two brothers and their families become now! Thankfully, my family of 18 people all have become Christians!” she concluded.
- Translated by Leo Liu
Family of 18 Members Baptized to Jesus After Prayers
