The Greater San Diego Luis Palau Crusade during the week of Aug. 23, 1981, was a direct answer to my prayer!
The previous Fall, while I was attending an evening Bible study, I felt the Lord speaking to my heart. The church where the study was being conducted overlooked the city of San Diego. As I would leave after the study and look out over the city with all its dazzling beauty of night lights, I began to be concerned for the spirituality of the people. I remember one night especially while I was standing there praying I asked the Lord to send someone to San Diego to speak to the people for Him. Little did I know then how soon that prayer would be answered! God’s Word says, “Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you.” James 4:8 (KJV). Very Assuredly, I was feeling this drawing.
GUEST COMMENT
How faithful God is, how righteous and how wonderful, for it was in the Spring the following year that I first heard about the crusade which was to take place in August!
Christians began early in praying for this crusade. The last one conducted by Billy Graham was some five years before and it was time again for God to speak to the people once more. Counselor’s for children and adults began having training meetings and prayer groups were set up in churches throughout the area. A woman’s tea was scheduled and many hundreds of women came from all over the area to meet and greet Luis Palau, who came to speak to them. The Christian women of San Diego were concerned for their city and this was very evident. Crusade literature was being given out as Christians were excitedly preparing for a great crusade. Little did the city of San Diego know all this was going on…but soon God was going to speak to them through this new young evangelist!
At last, the day finally arrived, Aug. 23, and God began speaking through His interpreter, Luis Palau. This young man, that God had raised up expounded the Word of God daily and nightly. This was his first English-speaking campaign in America. The people responded nightly to God’s Word and came forward to receive Christ – some came in tears and some dry-eyed. But many came, nearly 2,000 in all. God had touched their hearts through Luis Palau!
Under the expert direction of Otis Skillings, the 1,000 voice choir consisted of men and women from 150 churches from all over San Diego. Many of these people sang faithfully every night of the crusade.
The crusade could not be a success without the team, counselors, ushers and other volunteers. These people gave of their time, energy and talents each and every night. All were faithful in attending and God’s people were uplifted.
The highlight of the crusade was the International Children’s Festival attended by 1,700 children and parents. It was there I was given the privilege of counseling two little sisters who came forward to receive Christ. You may say, “What do these children know about receiving Christ?” And I say, as God’s Word says, “Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for such is the Kingdom of God” Mark 10:14 (KJV). The crusade statistics revealed that most of these making Christian commitments were young people.
These children understood about sin. They knew that they had sinned. They knew that telling a lie was sin and they understood that anything that was displeasing to God was sin.
As the closing notes of the choir rang out in the song, “Now Walk with God and He will walk with you,” the ending of the crusade drew near. I praised God in my heart that He had sent His servant, Luis Palau, to speak to the people of San Diego in answer to my prayer!
Virginia Hennings is a resident of San Diego.
