Lay It on Me

52 / L AY I T ON M E

writers to "puff Graham." The Los Angeles Times published an article favorable to Graham's revival, and the story hit the national news wires. Overnight, Billy Graham was recognized as a powerful evangelist. Sometimes, what looks bad is turned around for our good when the favor of God is upon us. Oral Roberts embarked on his evangelistic fame in 1948 during a tent revival in Oklahoma. One night, a man fired a shot from a gun at Roberts, missing him by inches. The local newspaper report of the incident eventually spread across the nation. Within 24 hours, the nation knew of a young man who prayed for the sick and got results. The revival went for nine weeks, and the name Oral Roberts became known from coast to coast. The favor of God can turn a curse into a blessing! F AVOR C AN C AUSE THE I MPOSSIBLE TO H APPEN God can show up and bring favor in a situation that seems impossible. Once I was in Africa when I had to return home unexpectedly because of the illness of a loved one. The only flight out was over-booked. Upon learning this, the bishop of the nation went with me to the airlines office. He knew that the people in the office had heard me preach on television. The bishop told them, "If you want this man back to minister in our nation, then you will get him a seat right now." Five hours later, I was escorted through a large crowd to the front of a line and put on the best seat in the economy section. Had we met the wrong person at the wrong time, I would