Every day, Justin, Eddie (a member from a different missions team), and I have been building relationships with the fighters in the Gym. We have been leading devotionals after their boxing training, talking about our personal journey's to becoming Christians, who Jesus is, and how to have a relationship with him.
On Wednesday, instead of doing the devotional, we asked the fighters who wanted to invite Jesus into their hearts. Earlier that morning we prayed as a team. We asked for God to soften their hearts to his word. We meekly prayed for one, maybe two men to accept Christ.
Sitting in a circle on the floor, we asked who would like to invite Jesus into their heart. Out of the 16 men there, about 12 hands went up. I was blown away. Eddie and I glanced at each other in amazement. With heads bowed and eyes closed, these men asked God to forgive them and to make Jesus the center of their lives. Smiling faces and applause from the men followed.
The following day I gave a short devotional on 1 Cor 9:24-27. Paul compares the Christian life to running a race or training for a boxing match. This was an analogy these men understood very well. We had some fighters in attendance that weren't there for the previous day's invitation. So, again, I asked if anyone wanted to pray to invite Jesus into their hearts. A couple new hands went up. Again, I was amazed by what God was doing in this gym. We prayed holding hands sitting on the floor.
I can see now that when we prayed and asked God for one, maybe two hearts changed, we were low balling God. What I learned from this is not to put God in a box, and not to project my insecurities onto the God of creation. It seems silly now that we every did. He is faithful even when we are small minded.
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