For years I couldn't stand preachers and I absolutely hated "bible thumpers" and "Jesus Freaks" so it was not surprising that I reached over to change the radio to another station.   But just before I turned the knob (yes, car radios had "knobs" in those days :-) as I went to turn the channel, I paused just a second or two as I jokingly said out loud, "I am not going to pray any prayer with you --I don't know what denomination you are and I don't know what you're going to pray."   

In that instant, just before I had a chance to change the station, the man on the radio said, "It doesn't matter what denomination you are and I'll even tell you what I'm going to pray."

The man on the radio spoke again asking, "Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God"?   With out realizing I was answering the radio, I said out loud, "Yes, I believe Jesus is the Son of God."   Then the man asked, "Do you believe that you are a sinner?"   To this I laughed out loud and I said, "Oh Yes, GOD KNOWS I am a sinner!"   The man on the radio continued, asking, "Do you believe that Jesus died for YOUR sins and do you believe He rose from the dead?"

Since the man had not said any thing that I did not already believe, I answered, "Yeah sure, I believe that too! (Jesus died for me, and He rose from the dead.)"   By this time I was aware I was answering my radio as I drove my car toward the freeway on ramp but I really didn't care how stupid I looked even if I was talking to my radio!   The man at the radio station gave an invitation to know the Lord Jesus Christ in a personal way saying,"Well, if you believe all that and you want to know the Lord, then just ask Jesus to come into your heart and be your Lord and Savior."   (Until that day no one had ever told me that I needed to ask Him in!   Until then no one had ever told me that even though I believed in Him, I still needed to "open the dooor to my heart" and let Him in by simply asking Him to come in.)   And so I did, and He did!

Jesus came into my heart that day and when He did, He brought His peace, His love, His joy, -all that HE is!   I did not recognize all that right away but when I asked Him into my heart, the first thing I noticed was the peace that He gave me and the fact that He lifted such a huge "weight of fear" off my shoulders!   (You don't really realize how much fear and apprehension you carry around with you every day, until Jesus lifts it off your shoulders!)

All that took place about 14 years ago and the Lord has helped me to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Him ever since that day.   He has always been there for me; He has never forsaken me or left me alone.    Jesus has always stood with me (even when I thought He was not there :-)

Jesus has carried me through things that could easily have destroyed me.    Jesus has carried me through many years of chronic (crippling) illness.    He has carried me through the death of my husband of 14 years.    Two of my children (now ages 17 yrs. and 10 yrs old) are handicapped both children have inoperable tumors in their airway which they've had since they were tiny infants (each has required in home nursing care for years even until now.)    On top of all that, our house was rendered unliveable when it was severly "tossed" in the 1994 L.A. earthquake, after which the Lord sent us to live in Texas.

Through all of these things the Lord Jesus has held onto me when I could not hold onto anyone or anything, and He has carried me safely through it all!

He is not asking you to get religious (leave the religious stuff to religious people).    His grace is sufficient, He is able to carry you through whatever it is you are facing.   If you do not really "know Him" personally & in a real way, but you would like to, then just pray the same prayer.   You can do it right now, where ever you are: just acknowledge/agree (1) you are a sinner, and need Him to deliver you from sin (2) you know that He died for you, (3) you believe God raised Him from the dead (4) ask Him to come into your heart and be your Lord and your Savior.

It does not matter where you are or what you have ever done: He died for each and every one of us, and He never meant for any of us to try to go it alone (without Him).     And He did not make it difficult --religions have made it difficult, Jesus made it really simple: "whosoever calls upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved," --if any one comes unto Me, Jesus said, "I will in no wise cast him out" (He will not turn you away! --so it does not matter what you have done or how many times you've done it!   He gave His life to pay for your sins, all of them, and God considers that sacrifice as payment in full for us all, now all you have to do is ask!)

Take this moment to pray that simple prayer.   He will answer you and He will come into your heart right now, and He will be your Lord, your Savior and your Friend (He will call you His "friend"!)

In the peace and the love He gives you, His perfect love will cast out all your fear, and He will give you the "peace that passes all understanding" (the kind of peace that no man can give you.)    He will make Himself known to you.   Jesus will give you Eternal Life "in Him" and He will give you His "Perfect Love" that "casts out all fear."

From the moment Jesus comes into your heart, He will never leave you nor will He ever forsake you.   You have His promise, "And lo, I will be with you always, even unto the end..."