Louie's Alarming Prayer!

When I worked for the post office I had to get transferred so that I could observe the Sabbath. I was transferred from Holtsville, Long Island, New York to Hicksville, Long Island, about 40 miles away. I also had to work the “graveyard shift” from 8:30 p.m. till 5:00 a.m.

When I arrived there I heard about a young man named Louie who was going to be fired unless he could stop drinking alcohol. He missed work often because of his drinking. I began praying for him hoping I would have the opportunity to tell him about Jesus. One night, as I was sitting on a mail skid reading my Bible, I noticed that Louie was walking by, and looking so sad. I called him over.  He said, “Who are you, and what do you want?” (Expletives deleted).

I said, “My name is Tony.  I’m new here. I just wanted to tell you that I found Christ by reading the Bible, and He completely changed my life.”

“Oh” he said, “You’re that religious fanatic that came here from Holtsville.”  (I didn’t think I was infamous already!)

“Have you ever read the Bible?”  I questioned.

“No man,” he said, “I never have.  I gotta go back to work,” and then he walked away.

I continued praying for him, and a few nights later, my supervisor came over to me and said, “Tony, you need to work mixed states flats tonight.” Magazines are called “flats” in the post office, and he wanted me to sort magazines for the different states. I mildly protested that I didn’t know those cases, and that I was still learning the Long Island flats. Unimpressed, he told me to get my things and report there.

Now this place was a huge sectional center, and I didn’t even know where mixed states flats were located. So I asked, and was directed to another part of the building I had never been in before. I asked the supervisor there what number case I was supposed to work on. He told me and I walked around looking for that case number. When I finally found it, I was surprised to see that I was working on the case right next to Louie! He looked up and said, “What are YOU doing here?”

I said, “Louie, the Lord must want me to talk to you some more!” “Oh no!” he said. (Expletives again deleted!) I also noticed that he had an Amazing Facts tract sticking out of his back pocket, one that I had left in the men’s room of that giant 3,000 worker facility! I took that as a sign from the Lord to do some heavy duty witnessing to Louie!

I began working next to Louie, and when the supervisor left the room, I would take down from the top of the case my color-coded Bible, in which I had all the precious promises of God shaded in the color orange. I would turn to a promise and show it to Louie. I got caught doing that three times before the meal break, and the third time the supervisor screamed at me, “What do you think this place is -- a Christian Science reading room? This is a post office!”

When break time came, I mustered up my courage and asked Louie if he wanted a ride to the all night deli for a sub. He said, “Yea, why not. You can preach to me some more, but at least I’ll get a good meal.” On the way there, I put the dome light on in my car, and I told Louie to read the parts of my Bible that were shaded in orange. He reluctantly took the Bible and started reading the promises as I drove.  I was praying that the Word of God would speak to his heart, and it did!  In a few minutes he said to me, “Hey man, listen to this one!” and he read it to me. He did that several times on the way to the deli. On the way back he read some more! God was softening his heart!

When we got back to the post office parking lot, I knew Louie needed to ask Christ into his heart.  I had never led anyone to Christ before, and I was scared to death.  My knees were literally knocking together!  I wish I had read a book like you’re reading right now that would have
taught me what to do and how!  Finally I said, “Louie, would you like to ask Jesus into your heart right now, and pray with me?”

“Pray?” he said, “I don’t know how to pray.”  “You just repeat what I say,” I said.  “Okay, man,” Louie replied.

Just as I began praying, the car alarm went off in a car right near us!  The sound was almost deafening.  I yelled the prayer, “Dear Lord, please forgive me of my sins.”

Louie repeated it in a yell “Dear Lord, please forgive me of my sins.”

“I accept You, Jesus, as my personal Lord and Savior,” I screamed.  Louie screamed out the same, and we did this until we finished the prayer.  By then the car alarm went off.  I assured Louie that the Lord had heard his prayer, and if he was sincere, the Lord would change his life.

After the break, I went back to my regular assignment in Long Island flats and Louie went back to mixed states flats. I got sick with bronchitis after that, and was out of work three days.  During that time I was wondering what was happening with Louie, and I was praying for him.

My first day back I will never forget.  I came into the giant room where all the time clocks were, and where everyone waited to clock in.  There were hundreds of people in the room.  All at once I heard someone yell, “Praise the Lord, brother!”  I turned and saw Louie running toward me.  He gave me a big hug!  I was more embarrassed than he was!  But he looked great!  He was clean-shaven.  He was dressed nicely.  He had a Bible with him, and the people were calling him “Holy Joe!”  The Lord had changed his life!

That experience really made me see that we can pray a simple prayer with someone and lead that person to Jesus, and Jesus will take it from there.  There is nothing greater we can do in this world!  The topping on the cake came a few days later when I got a call from Louie’s Italian-speaking mother.  She said in the best English she could, “Tanka you, you sava my boy!”

I said, “No, Jesus saved your boy.”  But I knew what she meant.  I said, “Lord, help me to lead others to you, and to encourage others to do the same!”  And He has!  All praise to Him who saved us all.  He will use you, too!  Jesus meant what He said when He said, “He that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out!”  John 6:37.

Tony Cirigliano