Ismet, a long-time friend and supporter of our work in this country, always seemed to be so full of his own ideas-an odd mix of intellectuality, transcendental meditation, other New Age philosophies, and Islam--that it was almost impossible to get a word in edgewise. Then one day he asked me about my salvation experience, and I was amazed to hear him say that he wanted to know how he could have this happen to him too.

I explained the plan of salvation and offered to pray with him, but he didn't want to do it right then. So I wrote out several Scriptures on eternal salvation through Jesus, and explained again that all he needed to do was ask God's forgiveness for the wrongs he had done, accept Jesus as his Savior, and then base his faith on the promises God has made in the Bible-like the ones I had written out.

A few days later, Ismet told me that he had prayed several times for Jesus to come into his heart, but nothing had happened. I assured him that Jesus had definitely heard and answered his first prayer, whether he understood it intellectually or "felt" anything emotionally or not. Over the next couple of weeks I continued to teach him more from the Bible about prayer and faith.

"When I stopped asking for proof and began to just believe Him, He gave me the proof I had been wanting."

Then one day he phoned me from his office, very excited. "Have you been praying for me?" he asked.

"Well, yes. Why do you ask?" I said.

"Because last night when I prayed to Jesus, I had the most heavenly experience! I felt so peaceful and blissful. Now I understand that He has been in my heart all this time, but He just wanted to see if I would keep believing and praying to Him even if I didn't feel anything. When I stopped asking for proof and began to just believe Him, He gave me the proof I had been wanting!"

Isn't that the way it often is? In the words of Saint Augustine (354-430 A.D.), "Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you might believe, but believe that you may understand."