Sermon Illustrations

Augustine, who became one of the great theologians and greatest preaching leaders of his day, was a very wild young man. He had a mother who prayed deeply for him all the time. One day, Augustine announced that he was moving to Rome. His mother was devastated. She prayed, "Oh, God, don’t let him move to Rome. That’s a wicked city. He’ll never be able to handle those temptations, and he’ll be destroyed in Rome. God, don’t let my boy move to Rome." Augustine moved to Rome, heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, and was saved. What happened with those prayers?

Augustine’s mother was praying for her son not to go to Rome.

She wanted him to be saved. But God arranged for him to be in Rome, and He answered her prayers, for her son was saved and became one of the greatest leaders of the Christian movement in all of history.

God knows how to make our prayers right. The Holy Spirit works within us to make our praying right.