On this day, Alexander Graham Bell had his first successful experiment with the telephone, during which he spoke through the instrument to his assistant, Thomas A. Watson. Bell wrote in his memoirs that "I then shouted into M [the mouthpiece] the following sentence: 'Mr. Watson--come here--I want to see you.' To my delight he came and declared that he had heard and understood what I said."

Bell had a number of less successful trials where some type of noise could be heard, but the words unintelligible to the listener on the other end of the line.  The critical element that made this experiment a success was that what he said was both "heard" and "understood".

When we talk about communicating the Gospel, sometimes we don't make the same distinction that Bell made.   You can talk to someone about Jesus, and recite the "Four Spiritual Laws", walk them down the "Roman Road" and even get them to assent to repeating the "Sinner's Prayer".  They might "hear" you, but that doesn't always mean that they have "understood" the Gospel on a heart level. 

The "understanding" of the Gospel, the key element that facilitates an individual actually putting their faith in Christ for salvation, requires an enlightening by the Holy Spirit- a supernatural revelation from God that can't be manufactured by our very best in arguments or presentations.  It takes God "unveiling" the eyes of an unbeliever to comprehend the true meaning of what Christ did on Calvary, and only that can illicit a response from an individual to bring them into a relationship with God the Father. 

This is why prayer is such a critical element in advancing the Gospel.  God works in an individual, and draws that person to himself.  He prepares the soil of their heart to receive the Seed of His Word.  And He gives the increase.  It is of paramount importance that we lift up in prayer those around us, particularly those who do not know Jesus, that God would give them that Spirit of revelation that they may know the goodness and riches of mercy in Christ. 

Make it a point to keep interceding (praying on the behalf) of others.  Give God a chance to work on the hearts of those around you.   Our job is then to make the Gospel "heard", to the best of our ability, and the work of the Holy Spirit to make it "understood" at the proper time, that others might put faith in Christ for salvation.