Renowned international evangelist Luis Palau once said, “When you face the perils of weariness, carelessness, and confusion, don’t pray for an easier life. Pray instead to be a stronger man or woman of God.”
If life is a plane ride, Luis knew what it was to hit severe turbulence just after takeoff. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1934, Luis was the oldest of five younger sisters and one stepbrother. His father, a construction executive, contracted pneumonia and died when Luis was ten.
At age twelve, Luis committed his life to Christ at a summer camp. One evening, he heard an evangelist from the United States preaching on the radio. The voice over the airwaves was Billy Graham. God sparked something in Luis that day: a vision of the plan and purpose of his life to share the Good News of the Gospel to millions around the world. Luis said in that moment, “I knew it was my time.”
Luis began preaching on the streets and sharing on the radio. His offering seemed small for a God-sized vision. Regardless, Luis remained faithful. Serving as missionaries in Colombia, Luis and his wife preached and planted churches. Luis worked faithfully, but his heart was restless. The vision of preaching in mass gatherings for the transformation of the world wouldn’t leave him.
The opportunity came to launch a crusade and preach in Bogota, Colombia. The task was daunting and the obstacles many. The least of which was a political and sometimes violent revolution taking place in Colombia. Luis and his team trusted God in the challenge. They decided to invite as many churches to be involved as possible, regardless of denomination. Churches were to pray, invite guests, and join a unified parade to march down the city streets of Bogota to a central gathering place where the Gospel would be shared. Over 20,000 people gathered that day. The movement of God was powerful, and many responded by receiving Christ as Lord.
Colombia was the first of many crusades to come. The vision God gave to Luis as a faithful young boy began bearing enormous Kingdom fruit. Luis Palau and the Palau Association have shared the good news of Jesus Christ for sixty-plus years now to over a billion people in over seventy countries, including major crusades in such cities as London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Chicago, Moscow, Madrid, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, New York, and Washington D.C.
Weekly Challenge
To which areas of your life can Luis Palau’s testimony bring encouragement today? Are you facing weariness, carelessness, or confusion? Take this opportunity to pray and ask God to make you a stronger man or woman after His heart!