September 16, 2026
Dear Friends,
This week, 1 man prayed with me according to the pattern of Luke 18:13 & Romans 10:9.
He wrote a long message:
“Dear Dr. Tour, My name is __________, and I am a senior studying Economics at ________ University. I’m originally from [Asia] and moved to [the US] for college. I have been handed everything in my life and was extremely lucky to even get into [this university], yet for some reason I still can’t fathom why it has anything to do with God. In my head, it has always just been good luck, or that I feel like I somehow deserve it or should expect good things to somehow always work out for me even when I KNOW that isn’t how the world works. For my entire life, my parents have believed and truly loved Jesus Christ. They have never forced me to believe. They brought me to church (and it was OK when I didn’t go), but I always viewed it more as a responsibility and even as a social gathering with friends because that church system was simply that. My parents are good people and have shown nothing but patience, kindness, thanksgiving, and forgiveness, and have always attributed everything they have ever had to Jesus Christ and the mercy He has shown them. They adopted me at 6 months old after I was given up, so I have never experienced any hardships in my life outside of my own doing. However, I have come to a point in my life where I don’t really know what I am going to do, and I’ve realized I genuinely can’t get myself out of the rut I’m in because I simply don’t have the motivation to do anything. I look at others and say, “I could do that if I simply tried harder, and the only reason I’m not them is because of that.” I feel like I know why I SHOULD follow God, but I simply can’t believe Him for real. Like I can’t feel His love for me, and for some reason I am content in this horrible state I am in — smoking and succumbing to lust. I wake up every day wanting to change but simply can’t. I feel like every time I think about God, I just keep going in circles and circles of my own thoughts and can’t love Him and sometimes don’t even want to believe in Him, and I just want to stop going in circles. I feel like I just want the answers and for Him to tell me where to go and what to do exactly, and I feel like I only believe in Him just because I want the “easy way out” and the “simple but happy life”. I still want all these earthly desires, and I KNOW deep down that I don’t want to give up those dreams. I feel like I am only willing to do the things Jesus wants me to do because it can benefit me — because, from an objective view: being hard-working and being diligent and having confidence in your life will MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL. I am clearly very selfish, arrogant, and sluggish, yet I still feel like deep down I don’t need Him. The Lord says to ask him sincerely and humbly but it feels like I CANT do that…. I physically can’t get it through my head that I need to do it sincerely because I simply am not. Even this email is just a shot in the dark for the chance that I could somehow live a happy and successful life. If the Lord Jesus Christ is truly real, please find it in your time, and in your other millions of emails in your inbox, to simply read and see if you can understand the predicament I am in, and hopefully I can speak to you one day. Thank you in advance for your time. Best Regards,_______”
This surely sounds like a man who wants to be saved. We met 1-on-1, and he was sincere and open. He readily received the message and prayed. And openly committed to following through on the assignments of Bible study and daily Bible reading. He is assigned to Burt Brink for mentoring.
Acts 16:33–34 — The Philippian jailer: After believing in Christ, he brought Paul and Silas into his house, fed them, and “rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household.”
Acts 13:47–48, 52 — The Gentiles in Pisidian Antioch: When they heard that God’s salvation was going out to the Gentiles, “they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord.” Verse 52 adds, “the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”
Surely, there is much joy in sharing, in receiving, and seeing the results of the gospel. There is so much for which to rejoice and glorify God. The Lord Jesus is so wonderful!
God bless,
Dr. James Tour
