Prayer Calendar

Go into the World – Part 3 in a series: Abide, Unite and Go

by Lisa Hall, international prayer coordinator for TWR Women of Hope

Have you heard the call? God calls us to go into the world to bring his message of salvation to all people. We do not share Jesus with others out of guilt or to feel proud about having accomplished something for God. Rather, we do it out of our love for Christ. Humbly we go as his servants, in his power and with his message, resting in the fact that the results are up to God, for only his power can change a person’s heart.

And heart change often begins with prayer. There are specific things that I pray when I bring the name of an unbeliever I am concerned about before God. I love to pray God’s Word back to him because then I know that I am praying according to his will.

As I share these ideas with you, think of one person in your life that you desire to come to salvation through Jesus. Hold this individual before God right now, and join me in praying that they will experience:

• The fear of the Lord – for it is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 9:10).
• The Holy Spirit convicting them of sin, of righteousness and of the reality that judgment is coming (John 16:8).
• The Father drawing them to himself (John 6:44).
• Their eyes and ears being opened to hear and see God. Pray for the pain and strongholds that have kept them from accurately seeing God and understanding the gospel message to be removed (2 Cor. 4:4).
• The gospel being shared with them in a way that they can understand. (Neh. 8:8; 1 Cor. 14:9).
• The seed of the gospel not being stolen by the enemy but instead taking root and bearing fruit in their lives (Matt. 13:19-23).
• Receiving Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord (Rom. 10:9).
• Becoming a part of a Bible-preaching church that embraces them and disciples them to maturity (Matt. 28:19; Heb. 10:24-25).
• Sharing their testimony and the gospel message with those around them and, in turn, discipling others (2 Tim. 2:2).

 

Let’s get very practical. Let’s say that you want to share Jesus with your neighbors or co-workers. It is always best to saturate the relationships with prayer. God desires for us to have his heart of compassion and love for others. So through prayer, God can do a work in your heart as well as those who don’t yet know him.

Because it is best to share the gospel in relationship, we need to be intentional in creating friendships with nonbelievers. As you build trust over time within these relationships, ask God to open up opportunities to have spiritual conversations with them. Ask God to give you discernment into their hearts. What do they believe? What are their fears? What do they desire? Where are they placing their hope? What lies are they believing?

These spiritual conversations may or may not turn into gospel conversations, but they are important so that you can understand who they are. These conversations are key for later explaining the gospel in a way that is relevant to their lives.

It is also helpful to listen carefully in your conversations with others, looking and listening for their felt needs so that you can pray specifically for them. God may even give you an opportunity where you can ask them, “Can I pray for you?”

Now, thinking of the people with whom you wish to share Jesus, do you want to develop these important relationships? Here are some ideas: Organize a neighborhood gathering, invite people over for a meal or look for other opportunities to “do life” together. This is intentional Christianity.

In humility, we are asking God to give us the opportunity to express to others our love for them and to share with them the most valuable and important thing in our lives. This is not manipulating people. Out of genuine love, we desire their friendship and to have community with them because we see them as valuable.

Is God calling you to develop a friendship with someone? How could you love and serve that individual and show that you care? What concrete steps could you intentionally take to develop community with nonbelievers?